Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Plymouth and Edinburgh

For one person, living costs are similar in Plymouth and in Edinburgh: $2,602 and $2,601 a month, rent and utilities included.

125

Cost of Living Index in Plymouth
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Plymouth Living Index
127

Cost of Living Index in Edinburgh
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Edinburgh Living Index

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Plymouth

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,602

/mo nomad

Edinburgh

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,601

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Plymouth 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 Plymouth and in Edinburgh actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,602 per month in Plymouth vs $2,601 in Edinburgh, rent included.

Plymouth $2,602
Edinburgh $2,601

A couple spends around $3,589 per month in Plymouth vs $3,985 in Edinburgh, rent included.

Plymouth $3,589
Edinburgh $3,985

A family of three spends $4,576 per month in Plymouth vs $5,369 in Edinburgh, rent included.

Plymouth $4,576
Edinburgh $5,369

Plymouth and Edinburgh have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Plymouth and Edinburgh sit above the global median – Plymouth by 92%, Edinburgh by 92%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.12 £16.59

$23.67 £17.76

-6.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$82.4 £61.8

$108 £81.4

-24.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 £8.06

$10.71 £8.04

0.37%

Cappuccino

$5.02 £3.77

$5.25 £3.94

-4.38%

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

$2.10 £1.57

$2.48 £1.86

-15.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 £1.28

$2.17 £1.63

-21.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.28 £4.71

$7.94 £5.96

-20.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.09 £4.57

$8.00 £6.00

-23.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 £1.10

$1.69 £1.27

-13.02%

White Bread (500g)

$1.23 £0.92

$2.35 £1.77

-47.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.02 £2.26

$2.36 £1.77

27.97%

Eggs

$3.88 £2.91

$4.96 £3.72

-21.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.24 £7.68

$9.20 £6.91

11.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.51 £6.39

$9.33 £7.00

-8.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 £10.18

$15.79 £11.85

-14.12%

Apples (1kg)

$2.04 £1.53

$3.01 £2.26

-32.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 £1.08

$1.88 £1.41

-23.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 £3.05

$3.42 £2.57

18.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.96 £2.97

$3.67 £2.75

7.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 £1.42

$2.01 £1.51

-5.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.41 £1.06

$1.55 £1.16

-9.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.75 £1.31

$1.32 £0.99

32.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 £1.10

$1.93 £1.45

-23.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.20 £18.15

$23.23 £17.43

4.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.19 £5.39

$11.20 £8.40

-35.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.08 £2.31

$3.12 £2.34

-1.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 £3.52

$3.27 £2.46

43.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.88 £2.91

$3.14 £2.35

23.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$134 £100

$97.0 £72.8

37.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.57 £4.93

$5.43 £4.08

20.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.47 £1.85

$1.82 £1.37

35.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.32 £21.25

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.01 £1.51

$2.08 £1.56

-3.37%

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

$38.7K £29.0K

$38.6K £28.9K

0.31%

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

$40.6K £30.4K

$39.9K £29.9K

1.79%

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

$463 £347

$328 £246

40.96%

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

$32.48 £24.37

$16.47 £12.36

97.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.2 £47.39

$42.32 £31.75

49.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.55 £32.68

$44.41 £33.32

-1.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.83 £13.37

$23.05 £17.30

-22.65%

Cinema Ticket

$11.52 £8.64

$14.39 £10.79

-19.94%

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

$2,692 £2,019

$1,775 £1,331

51.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.1K £21.1K

$25.6K £19.2K

9.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.1 £63.1

$81.2 £60.9

3.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.1 £42.86

$49.04 £36.79

16.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.6 £70.2

$108 £81.2

-13.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.7 £60.5

$115 £85.9

-29.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,044 £783

$1,600 £1,200

-34.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,043 £782

$1,168 £876

-10.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,243 £1,683

$2,803 £2,103

-19.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,415 £1,062

$2,155 £1,617

-34.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,882 £3,662

$6,714 £5,037

-27.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,369 £2,528

$4,715 £3,538

-28.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,046 £2,285

$3,558 £2,669

-14.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.64

4.77

18.24%

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

Last update for Plymouth: October 18, 2026

Last update for Edinburgh: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Plymouth

$1K 40.1%

Edinburgh

$1.2K 44.9% 12% $125

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Plymouth

$558 21.5%

Edinburgh

$387 14.9% 30.7% $171

Eating Out

Plymouth

$328 12.6%

Edinburgh

$359 13.8% 9.3% $30

Groceries & Markets

Plymouth

$296 11.4%

Edinburgh

$332 12.8% 12.2% $36

Getting Around

Plymouth

$168 6.5%

Edinburgh

$124 4.8% 26.1% $44

Clothing & Footwear

Plymouth

$142 5.5%

Edinburgh

$159 6.1% 11.9% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Plymouth

$67 2.6%

Edinburgh

$73 2.8% 9.9% $6.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,044 in Plymouth versus $1,600 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 17% higher in Edinburgh. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $82.0 in Plymouth versus $108 in Edinburgh. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $296 vs $332 – making Plymouth the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇧 Plymouth

🇬🇧 Edinburgh

🕒 Local time

17:39 5:39 PM

Same time as Plymouth

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

264,695

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

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Between locations

Plymouth Edinburgh 620 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Plymouth
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

Plymouth vs Edinburgh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,903 per month in Plymouth and $3,902 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.

Interestingly, groceries are about 12% cheaper in Plymouth – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

Kindergarten costs $2,692 per month in Plymouth and $1,775 in Edinburgh. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Edinburgh, where all-in costs run around $2,601, than in Plymouth at $2,602. In Edinburgh it covers expenses comfortably, while in Plymouth it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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, Plymouth makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.