Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nottingham and Edinburgh

For one person, living is cheaper in Nottingham: $2,312 a month against $2,617 in Edinburgh, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

113

Cost of Living Index in Nottingham
Learn more

Nottingham Living Index
127

Cost of Living Index in Edinburgh
Learn more

Edinburgh Living Index

Jump to prices

Nottingham

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,312

/mo nomad

Edinburgh

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,617

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nottingham and in Edinburgh

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Nottingham and in Edinburgh actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,312 per month in Nottingham vs $2,617 in Edinburgh, rent included.

Nottingham $2,312
Edinburgh $2,617

A couple spends around $3,326 per month in Nottingham vs $3,956 in Edinburgh, rent included.

Nottingham $3,326
Edinburgh $3,956

A family of three spends $4,341 per month in Nottingham vs $5,295 in Edinburgh, rent included.

Nottingham $4,341
Edinburgh $5,295

Nottingham is about 12% cheaper than Edinburgh, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Nottingham and Edinburgh sit above the global median – Nottingham by 71%, Edinburgh by 94%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.89 £14.92

$23.64 £17.73

-15.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.1 £57.8

$104 £78.2

-26.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.66 £8.00

$10.48 £7.86

1.72%

Cappuccino

$4.48 £3.36

$5.08 £3.81

-11.81%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 £1.82

$2.50 £1.87

-3.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 £1.27

$2.15 £1.61

-20.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.52 £4.89

$8.06 £6.04

-19.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.57 £4.93

$8.13 £6.10

-19.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 £1.42

$1.68 £1.26

13.10%

White Bread (500g)

$1.48 £1.11

$2.29 £1.71

-35.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 £1.67

$2.25 £1.69

-0.89%

Eggs

$4.85 £3.64

$5.05 £3.79

-3.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.22 £6.17

$9.05 £6.79

-9.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.97 £6.73

$9.49 £7.12

-5.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.99 £11.25

$16.12 £12.10

-7.01%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 £2.20

$3.05 £2.29

-3.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 £1.38

$1.93 £1.45

-4.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.66 £2.75

$3.36 £2.52

8.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.42 £2.56

$3.68 £2.76

-7.07%

Potato (1kg)

$2.10 £1.58

$2.07 £1.55

1.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.96 £1.47

$1.54 £1.16

27.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.29 £0.97

$1.25 £0.94

3.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.81 £1.35

$1.94 £1.45

-6.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$22.19 £16.65

$23.67 £17.76

-6.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.38 £10.04

$11.13 £8.35

20.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.44 £2.58

$3.22 £2.42

6.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.38 £4.04

$3.19 £2.40

68.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.86 £2.89

$3.20 £2.40

20.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 £79.7

$96.7 £72.6

9.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.69 £2.02

$5.18 £3.89

-48.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.52 £1.14

$1.86 £1.40

-18.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.00 £18.76

$28.69 £21.52

-12.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.14 £1.60

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$38.0K £28.5K

$38.6K £29.0K

-1.61%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$40.1K £30.1K

$41.2K £30.9K

-2.65%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$287 £216

$330 £248

-12.90%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$19.23 £14.43

$16.39 £12.30

17.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.01 £30.77

$42.15 £31.63

-2.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.93 £31.46

$44.13 £33.11

-4.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.64 £15.48

$23.04 £17.28

-10.42%

Cinema Ticket

$15.92 £11.94

$14.30 £10.73

11.33%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,747 £1,310

$1,759 £1,319

-0.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.8K £20.1K

$25.4K £19.0K

5.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.9 £65.2

$80.6 £60.4

7.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.6 £46.21

$49.45 £37.10

24.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 £81.2

$106 £79.2

2.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 £78.4

$115 £86.0

-8.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,202 £901

$1,611 £1,209

-25.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$963 £722

$1,185 £889

-18.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,952 £1,464

$2,738 £2,054

-28.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,422 £1,067

$2,106 £1,580

-32.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,112 £3,085

$6,632 £4,976

-38.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,807 £3,606

$4,609 £3,458

4.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,119 £2,340

$3,522 £2,642

-11.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.09

4.77

6.71%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Nottingham: October 12, 2026

Last update for Edinburgh: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Nottingham

$963 41.7%

Edinburgh

$1.2K 45.3% 23.1% $222

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nottingham

$348 15%

Edinburgh

$389 14.9% 11.8% $41

Groceries & Markets

Nottingham

$326 14.1%

Edinburgh

$333 12.7% 2.2% $7.1

Eating Out

Nottingham

$307 13.3%

Edinburgh

$357 13.6% 16.1% $49

Clothing & Footwear

Nottingham

$163 7%

Edinburgh

$158 6% 3.1% $5

Getting Around

Nottingham

$132 5.7%

Edinburgh

$124 4.7% 6% $7.9

Sport & Entertainment

Nottingham

$74 3.2%

Edinburgh

$73 2.8% 1.4% $1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,202 in Nottingham versus $1,611 in Edinburgh. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 13% higher in Edinburgh, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $77.0 in Nottingham versus $104 in Edinburgh. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $326 vs $333 – making Nottingham the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇧 Nottingham

🇬🇧 Edinburgh

🕒 Local time

09:46 9:46 AM

Same time as Nottingham

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

305,700

488,050

💱 Currency

British Pound GBP £

📈 Exchange rate

1 GBP = 1.33 USD

1 GBP = 1.19 EUR

1 GBP = 1.33 USD

1 GBP = 1.19 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nottingham Edinburgh 360 km

From you

Nottingham
Edinburgh

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Nottingham vs Edinburgh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Edinburgh is pricier by about 13%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,467 per month in Nottingham and $3,925 in Edinburgh. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Nottingham, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $77.0 in Nottingham and $104 in Edinburgh. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,312 in Nottingham and $2,617 in Edinburgh. That's a gap of about 13%.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nottingham, where all-in costs run around $2,312, than in Edinburgh at $2,617. In Nottingham it covers expenses comfortably, while in Edinburgh it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Nottingham – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Nottingham. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Edinburgh makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.