Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rochdale and Edinburgh

For one person, living is cheaper in Rochdale: $2,333 a month against $2,724 in Edinburgh, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Rochdale, United Kingdom
Edinburgh, United Kingdom
Rochdale
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,333
/mo nomad
Edinburgh
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,724
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,333 per month in Rochdale vs $2,724 in Edinburgh, rent included.

  • Rochdale $2,333
  • Edinburgh $2,724

A couple spends around $3,357 per month in Rochdale vs $4,109 in Edinburgh, rent included.

  • Rochdale $3,357
  • Edinburgh $4,109

A family of three spends $4,380 per month in Rochdale vs $5,494 in Edinburgh, rent included.

  • Rochdale $4,380
  • Edinburgh $5,494

Rochdale is about 14% cheaper than Edinburgh, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Rochdale and Edinburgh sit above the global median – Rochdale by 73%, Edinburgh by 101%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Rochdale
Edinburgh
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$25.39 £18.87
$24.24 £18.02
4.74%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$88.1 £65.5
$108 £80.4
-18.57%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.40 £7.73
$10.67 £7.93
-2.53%
Cappuccino
$4.54 £3.38
$5.10 £3.79
-10.98%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.49 £1.85
$2.48 £1.85
0.40%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.92 £1.42
$2.24 £1.66
-14.29%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.64 £4.93
$7.82 £5.81
-15.09%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.88 £5.12
$8.14 £6.05
-15.48%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Rochdale
Edinburgh
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.68 £1.25
$1.74 £1.29
-3.45%
White Bread (500g)
$1.78 £1.32
$2.32 £1.73
-23.28%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.97 £1.46
$2.34 £1.74
-15.81%
Eggs
$3.99 £2.97
$4.90 £3.64
-18.57%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.02 £5.96
$9.37 £6.96
-14.41%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.53 £6.34
$9.62 £7.15
-11.33%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.32 £10.65
$15.82 £11.75
-9.48%
Apples (1kg)
$2.88 £2.14
$3.09 £2.30
-6.80%
Banana (1kg)
$1.70 £1.26
$1.91 £1.42
-10.99%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.78 £2.07
$3.27 £2.43
-14.98%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.96 £2.20
$3.57 £2.66
-17.09%
Potato (1kg)
$1.98 £1.47
$1.99 £1.48
-0.50%
Onion (1kg)
$1.43 £1.06
$1.57 £1.17
-8.92%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.19 £0.88
$1.29 £0.96
-7.75%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.58 £1.18
$1.93 £1.44
-18.13%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$23.65 £17.58
$24.15 £17.95
-2.07%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.85 £7.32
$10.82 £8.04
-8.96%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.55 £1.90
$3.18 £2.36
-19.81%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.99 £2.22
$3.27 £2.43
-8.56%
🚌 Getting Around
Rochdale
Edinburgh
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.76 £2.05
$3.29 £2.44
-16.11%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$98.8 £73.4
$101 £74.9
-1.96%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.61 £3.43
$5.29 £3.93
-12.85%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.14 £1.59
$2.43 £1.80
-11.93%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.32 £12.13
$46.91 £34.86
-65.21%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.16 £1.60
$2.21 £1.64
-2.26%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.6K £28.7K
$38.5K £28.6K
0.27%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$39.9K £29.7K
$40.5K £30.1K
-1.37%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Rochdale
Edinburgh
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$255 £189
$335 £249
-23.84%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$16.46 £12.24
$16.31 £12.12
0.92%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$41.51 £30.85
$40.88 £30.38
1.54%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Rochdale
Edinburgh
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.43 £33.02
$42.45 £31.55
4.66%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$24.02 £17.85
-
Cinema Ticket
$13.47 £10.01
$15.02 £11.16
-10.32%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Rochdale
Edinburgh
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,447 £1,076
$1,869 £1,389
-22.58%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.8K £13.2K
$26.0K £19.3K
-31.62%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Rochdale
Edinburgh
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$85.4 £63.5
$83.9 £62.3
1.80%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.21 £32.11
$47.78 £35.51
-9.56%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$92.4 £68.7
$108 £80.5
-14.62%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$99.9 £74.3
$119 £88.5
-16.08%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Rochdale
Edinburgh
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,280 £951
$1,673 £1,243
-23.50%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,036 £770
$1,273 £946
-18.57%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,054 £1,527
$3,012 £2,238
-31.79%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,498 £1,113
$2,247 £1,670
-33.34%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,144 £3,823
$6,479 £4,815
-20.61%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,919 £2,912
$4,429 £3,291
-11.52%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Rochdale
Edinburgh
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,367 £1,759
$3,796 £2,821
-37.65%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.15
4.77
7.97%

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

Last update for Rochdale: November 1, 2026

Last update for Edinburgh: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Rochdale
$1K
Edinburgh
$1.3K 22.8% $236
Eating Out
Rochdale
$353
Edinburgh
$361 2.2% $7.9
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Rochdale
$313
Edinburgh
$392 25.3% $79
Groceries & Markets
Rochdale
$290
Edinburgh
$333 14.9% $43
Clothing & Footwear
Rochdale
$144
Edinburgh
$162 11.9% $17
Getting Around
Rochdale
$125
Edinburgh
$131 5% $6.2
Sport & Entertainment
Rochdale
$71
Edinburgh
$72 1.6% $1.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,280 in Rochdale versus $1,673 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 60% higher in Edinburgh. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $88 in Rochdale versus $108 in Edinburgh. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $290 vs $333 – making Rochdale the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇬🇧 Rochdale
🇬🇧 Edinburgh
🕒 Local time
03:04 3:04 AM
03:04 3:04 AM
Same time as Rochdale
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
111,261
488,050
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to GBP – British Pound Converter

British Pound exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 0.743 GBP (1 GBP = 1.35 USD). 1 EUR = 0.834 GBP (1 GBP = 1.2 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Rochdale Edinburgh 270 km
From you
  • Rochdale
  • 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
Rochdale vs Edinburgh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Rochdale cheaper than Edinburgh?
Yes – Edinburgh is pricier by about 17%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,500 per month in Rochdale and $4,086 in Edinburgh. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Rochdale, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,280 there versus $1,673 in Edinburgh.
What are total monthly expenses in Rochdale and in Edinburgh?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,333 in Rochdale and $2,724 in Edinburgh. That makes Rochdale about 14% cheaper.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $1,447 per month in Rochdale and $1,869 in Edinburgh. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is Rochdale or Edinburgh more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Rochdale – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Rochdale. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Edinburgh makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Rochdale vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?