Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Romford and Edinburgh

For one person, living costs are similar in Romford and in Edinburgh: $2,706 and $2,601 a month, rent and utilities included.

131

Cost of Living Index in Romford
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Romford Living Index
127

Cost of Living Index in Edinburgh
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Edinburgh Living Index

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Romford

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,706

/mo nomad

Edinburgh

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,601

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,706 per month in Romford vs $2,601 in Edinburgh, rent included.

Romford $2,706
Edinburgh $2,601

A couple spends around $4,122 per month in Romford vs $3,985 in Edinburgh, rent included.

Romford $4,122
Edinburgh $3,985

A family of three spends $5,538 per month in Romford vs $5,369 in Edinburgh, rent included.

Romford $5,538
Edinburgh $5,369

Romford costs about 4% more than Edinburgh, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Romford and Edinburgh sit above the global median – Romford by 100%, Edinburgh by 92%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.90 £17.93

$23.67 £17.76

0.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$108 £81.3

$108 £81.4

-0.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 £8.07

$10.71 £8.04

0.37%

Cappuccino

$4.88 £3.66

$5.25 £3.94

-7.05%

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

$2.68 £2.01

$2.48 £1.86

8.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 £1.39

$2.17 £1.63

-14.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.62 £5.72

$7.94 £5.96

-4.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.78 £5.09

$8.00 £6.00

-15.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.83 £1.37

$1.69 £1.27

8.28%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 £1.30

$2.35 £1.77

-25.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.62 £1.96

$2.36 £1.77

11.02%

Eggs

$4.88 £3.66

$4.96 £3.72

-1.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.51 £7.13

$9.20 £6.91

3.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.56 £7.17

$9.33 £7.00

2.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.02 £12.02

$15.79 £11.85

1.46%

Apples (1kg)

$3.03 £2.28

$3.01 £2.26

0.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 £1.03

$1.88 £1.41

-27.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.24 £2.43

$3.42 £2.57

-5.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.55 £2.66

$3.67 £2.75

-3.27%

Potato (1kg)

$1.66 £1.25

$2.01 £1.51

-17.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 £1.37

$1.55 £1.16

17.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 £0.93

$1.32 £0.99

-5.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 £1.35

$1.93 £1.45

-6.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.41 £17.56

$23.23 £17.43

0.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.22 £9.92

$11.20 £8.40

18.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.21 £2.41

$3.12 £2.34

2.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.14 £3.11

$3.27 £2.46

26.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.58 £3.43

$3.14 £2.35

45.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$97.1 £72.8

$97.0 £72.8

0.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.51 £4.13

$5.43 £4.08

1.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.59 £1.94

$1.82 £1.37

42.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.48 £19.11

$28.32 £21.25

-10.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 £1.56

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

$38.9K £29.2K

$38.6K £28.9K

0.94%

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

$40.4K £30.3K

$39.9K £29.9K

1.30%

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

$381 £286

$328 £246

16.12%

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

$18.84 £14.13

$16.47 £12.36

14.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.29 £32.48

$42.32 £31.75

2.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.6 £37.94

$44.41 £33.32

13.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.05 £17.30

Cinema Ticket

$17.03 £12.78

$14.39 £10.79

18.35%

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

$2,581 £1,936

$1,775 £1,331

45.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$35.1K £26.4K

$25.6K £19.2K

37.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.0 £67.6

$81.2 £60.9

10.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.87 £35.16

$49.04 £36.79

-4.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.7 £68.8

$108 £81.2

-15.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 £97.3

$115 £85.9

13.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,852 £1,389

$1,600 £1,200

15.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,201 £901

$1,168 £876

2.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,269 £2,452

$2,803 £2,103

16.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,259 £1,695

$2,155 £1,617

4.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,605 £4,205

$6,714 £5,037

-16.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,693 £2,770

$4,715 £3,538

-21.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,863 £2,148

$3,558 £2,669

-19.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.77

4.82%

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

Last update for Romford: October 19, 2026

Last update for Edinburgh: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Romford

$1.2K 44.4%

Edinburgh

$1.2K 44.9% 2.8% $33

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Romford

$443 16.4%

Edinburgh

$387 14.9% 12.7% $56

Eating Out

Romford

$352 13%

Edinburgh

$359 13.8% 2% $6.9

Groceries & Markets

Romford

$330 12.2%

Edinburgh

$332 12.8% 0.5% $1.6

Clothing & Footwear

Romford

$161 6%

Edinburgh

$159 6.1% 1.5% $2.4

Getting Around

Romford

$134 5%

Edinburgh

$124 4.8% 7.3% $9.7

Sport & Entertainment

Romford

$85 3.1%

Edinburgh

$73 2.8% 13.5% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,852 in Romford 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 24% higher in Edinburgh, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $108 in Romford versus $108 in Edinburgh. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $330 vs $332 – making Romford the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇧 Romford

🇬🇧 Edinburgh

🕒 Local time

06:46 6:46 AM

Same time as Romford

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

95,894

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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Highest

Between locations

Romford Edinburgh 530 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Romford
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

Romford vs Edinburgh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Romford is pricier by about 4%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,059 per month in Romford 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $108 in Romford and $108 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 $2,706 in Romford and $2,601 in Edinburgh. That's a gap of about 4%.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,706 in Romford and $2,601 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, Romford makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.