Cost of Living Comparison Between Oxford and Edinburgh Cost of Living Comparison Between Oxford and Edinburgh

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $3,083 per month in Oxford vs $2,767 in Edinburgh, rent included.

A couple spends around $4,405 per month in Oxford vs $4,064 in Edinburgh, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,726 per month in Oxford vs $5,361 in Edinburgh, rent included.

Oxford costs about 11% more than Edinburgh, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Oxford and Edinburgh sit above the global median – Oxford by 130%, Edinburgh by 106%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.09 £14.93

$20.73 £15.41

-3.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.5 £57.6

$104 £76.9

-25.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.39 £7.73

$9.95 £7.40

4.42%

Cappuccino

$4.65 £3.46

$5.32 £3.96

-12.59%

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

$2.31 £1.72

$2.61 £1.94

-11.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 £1.35

$2.01 £1.49

-9.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.25 £6.13

$7.64 £5.68

7.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.28 £5.41

$6.93 £5.15

5.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 £1.45

$1.65 £1.23

18.18%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 £1.21

$1.73 £1.29

-5.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.93 £2.18

$2.18 £1.62

34.40%

Eggs

$5.19 £3.86

$4.37 £3.25

18.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.29 £10.62

$11.93 £8.86

19.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.39 £6.98

$10.25 £7.62

-8.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.39 £10.70

$18.87 £14.03

-23.74%

Apples (1kg)

$4.08 £3.04

$3.22 £2.40

26.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 £1.16

$1.49 £1.11

4.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.21 £2.38

$4.14 £3.08

-22.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.56 £4.13

$4.74 £3.52

17.30%

Potato (1kg)

$1.68 £1.25

$1.82 £1.35

-7.69%

Onion (1kg)

$1.96 £1.46

$1.42 £1.05

38.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.05 £0.78

$1.16 £0.87

-9.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.02 £1.50

$1.33 £0.99

51.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.74 £14.67

$20.21 £15.02

-2.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.16 £8.30

$11.36 £8.44

-1.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.60 £2.68

$2.50 £1.86

44.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.66 £3.46

$3.27 £2.43

42.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.38 £2.51

$2.64 £1.96

28.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$112 £83.2

$89.4 £66.5

25.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.05 £5.98

$5.58 £4.15

44.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.89 £1.40

$3.15 £2.34

-40.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.31 £24.76

$42.77 £31.79

-22.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.93 £1.43

$1.95 £1.45

-1.03%

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

$38.1K £28.3K

$38.2K £28.4K

-0.48%

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

$44.2K £32.9K

$38.8K £28.9K

13.86%

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

$384 £285

$381 £283

0.71%

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

$18.63 £13.84

$17.32 £12.88

7.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.94 £34.89

$44.43 £33.03

5.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.2 £43.27

$54.5 £40.51

6.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.30 £9.14

$24.51 £18.22

-49.82%

Cinema Ticket

$15.10 £11.22

$14.73 £10.95

2.51%

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

$1,758 £1,307

$1,944 £1,445

-9.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$53.3K £39.6K

$24.1K £17.9K

121.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$96.0 £71.4

$118 £87.9

-18.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.5 £39.05

$55.6 £41.34

-5.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.6 £69.6

$116 £86.5

-19.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 £88.0

$126 £93.4

-5.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,139 £1,590

$1,653 £1,229

29.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,532 £1,139

$1,201 £893

27.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,534 £2,627

$3,062 £2,276

15.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,510 £1,866

$2,168 £1,612

15.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,154 £6,061

$6,616 £4,918

23.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,899 £5,128

$4,869 £3,619

41.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,073 £3,027

$3,659 £2,720

11.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.74

5.63

1.95%

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

Last update for Oxford: June 2, 2026

Last update for Edinburgh: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,139 in Oxford versus $1,653 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 11% higher in Oxford, 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 Oxford versus $104 in Edinburgh. Groceries tell a different story – $359 in Oxford vs $340 in Edinburgh – so Edinburgh wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

Oxford vs Edinburgh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Oxford is pricier by about 11%, and the gap shows up most in Clothing & Footwear. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,625 per month in Oxford and $4,150 in Edinburgh. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Edinburgh, 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 Oxford 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 $3,083 in Oxford and $2,767 in Edinburgh. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,083 in Oxford and $2,767 in Edinburgh. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Edinburgh – 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 Edinburgh. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Oxford makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.