Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Preston and Edinburgh

For one person, living is cheaper in Preston: $2,114 a month against $2,645 in Edinburgh, rent and utilities included – about $6,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

101

Cost of Living Index in Preston
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Preston Living Index
128

Cost of Living Index in Edinburgh
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Edinburgh Living Index

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Preston

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,114

/mo nomad

Edinburgh

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,645

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,114 per month in Preston vs $2,645 in Edinburgh, rent included.

Preston $2,114
Edinburgh $2,645

A couple spends around $3,021 per month in Preston vs $4,021 in Edinburgh, rent included.

Preston $3,021
Edinburgh $4,021

A family of three spends $3,928 per month in Preston vs $5,397 in Edinburgh, rent included.

Preston $3,928
Edinburgh $5,397

Preston is about 20% cheaper than Edinburgh, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Preston and Edinburgh sit above the global median – Preston by 55%, Edinburgh by 94%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.89 £11.87

$24.35 £18.19

-34.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.3 £55.5

$105 £78.7

-29.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.20 £6.88

$10.47 £7.82

-12.13%

Cappuccino

$4.24 £3.17

$5.02 £3.75

-15.54%

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

$2.31 £1.72

$2.41 £1.80

-4.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 £1.37

$2.19 £1.64

-16.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.39 £4.03

$8.04 £6.00

-32.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.20 £3.89

$7.91 £5.91

-34.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 £1.11

$1.75 £1.31

-14.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 £1.07

$2.33 £1.74

-38.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.60 £1.20

$2.35 £1.75

-31.91%

Eggs

$3.59 £2.68

$5.13 £3.83

-30.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.30 £3.96

$9.05 £6.76

-41.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 £7.12

$9.26 £6.92

2.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.68 £9.47

$16.17 £12.08

-21.58%

Apples (1kg)

$2.59 £1.93

$3.05 £2.28

-15.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 £1.28

$1.87 £1.40

-8.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.57 £1.92

$3.35 £2.50

-23.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.96 £2.96

$3.75 £2.80

5.60%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 £1.54

$2.05 £1.53

0.49%

Onion (1kg)

$2.25 £1.68

$1.53 £1.14

47.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 £0.88

$1.33 £1.00

-12.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 £1.23

$1.89 £1.41

-12.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$21.56 £16.11

$23.87 £17.83

-9.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.14 £6.83

$10.96 £8.19

-16.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.18 £2.37

$3.16 £2.36

0.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.25 £2.43

$3.22 £2.40

0.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.92 £2.93

$3.13 £2.34

25.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$98.5 £73.6

$99.8 £74.6

-1.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.60 £1.94

$5.45 £4.07

-52.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.10 £1.57

$1.90 £1.42

10.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.50 £21.29

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 £1.48

$2.06 £1.54

-3.40%

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

$37.9K £28.3K

$38.2K £28.6K

-0.88%

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

$41.1K £30.7K

$39.7K £29.7K

3.58%

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

$439 £328

$329 £246

33.35%

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

$14.86 £11.10

$16.81 £12.56

-11.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.51 £32.51

$43.13 £32.22

0.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.40 £30.93

$41.84 £31.26

-1.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 £12.55

$23.33 £17.43

-27.99%

Cinema Ticket

$17.83 £13.32

$14.67 £10.96

21.54%

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

$1,512 £1,130

$1,901 £1,420

-20.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,738 £6,528

$25.8K £19.3K

-66.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.7 £56.6

$82.2 £61.4

-7.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.16 £19.54

$50.0 £37.36

-47.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.4 £48.85

$106 £79.0

-38.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$66.4 £49.60

$115 £86.1

-42.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$969 £724

$1,691 £1,263

-42.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$767 £573

$1,205 £900

-36.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 £1,201

$2,959 £2,211

-45.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 £905

$2,184 £1,632

-44.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,634 £2,715

$6,388 £4,772

-43.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,379 £1,777

$4,514 £3,372

-47.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,994 £2,237

$3,632 £2,713

-17.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.93

4.77

3.35%

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

Last update for Preston: October 26, 2026

Last update for Edinburgh: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Preston

$767 36.3%

Edinburgh

$1.2K 45.6% 57% $438

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Preston

$497 23.5%

Edinburgh

$389 14.7% 21.8% $108

Groceries & Markets

Preston

$281 13.3%

Edinburgh

$333 12.6% 18.5% $52

Eating Out

Preston

$260 12.3%

Edinburgh

$361 13.6% 39% $101

Getting Around

Preston

$127 6%

Edinburgh

$127 4.8% 0% $0

Clothing & Footwear

Preston

$105 5%

Edinburgh

$159 6% 51.1% $54

Sport & Entertainment

Preston

$77 3.6%

Edinburgh

$71 2.7% 7.7% $5.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $969 in Preston versus $1,691 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 21% 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 $74 in Preston versus $105 in Edinburgh. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $281 vs $333 – making Preston the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇧 Preston

🇬🇧 Edinburgh

🕒 Local time

06:12 6:12 AM

Same time as Preston

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

114,300

488,050

💱 Currency

British Pound GBP £

📈 Exchange rate

1 GBP = 1.34 USD

1 GBP = 1.2 EUR

1 GBP = 1.34 USD

1 GBP = 1.2 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Preston Edinburgh 250 km

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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

Preston vs Edinburgh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Edinburgh is pricier by about 25%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,172 per month in Preston and $3,968 in Edinburgh. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Preston, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $969 there versus $1,691 in Edinburgh.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,114 in Preston and $2,645 in Edinburgh. That makes Preston about 20% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $1,512 per month in Preston and $1,901 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 Preston, where all-in costs run around $2,114, than in Edinburgh at $2,645. In Preston it covers expenses comfortably, while in Edinburgh it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

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