Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Scunthorpe and Edinburgh

For one person, living is cheaper in Scunthorpe: $2,096 a month against $2,601 in Edinburgh, rent and utilities included – about $6,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Scunthorpe
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,096
/mo nomad
Edinburgh
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,601
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,096 per month in Scunthorpe vs $2,601 in Edinburgh, rent included.

  • Scunthorpe $2,096
  • Edinburgh $2,601

A couple spends around $2,819 per month in Scunthorpe vs $3,985 in Edinburgh, rent included.

  • Scunthorpe $2,819
  • Edinburgh $3,985

A family of three spends $3,541 per month in Scunthorpe vs $5,369 in Edinburgh, rent included.

  • Scunthorpe $3,541
  • Edinburgh $5,369

Scunthorpe is about 19% cheaper than Edinburgh, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Scunthorpe and Edinburgh sit above the global median – Scunthorpe by 55%, Edinburgh by 92%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Scunthorpe
Edinburgh
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.09 £9.82
$23.67 £17.76
-44.70%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$89.2 £66.9
$108 £81.4
-17.75%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.45 £7.84
$10.71 £8.04
-2.43%
Cappuccino
$4.03 £3.03
$5.25 £3.94
-23.24%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.93 £1.44
$2.48 £1.86
-22.18%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.22 £0.92
$2.17 £1.63
-43.78%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.18 £3.89
$7.94 £5.96
-34.76%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.69 £5.02
$8.00 £6.00
-16.37%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Scunthorpe
Edinburgh
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.46 £1.09
$1.69 £1.27
-13.61%
White Bread (500g)
$1.58 £1.18
$2.35 £1.77
-32.77%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.55 £1.16
$2.36 £1.77
-34.32%
Eggs
$3.75 £2.81
$4.96 £3.72
-24.40%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$5.36 £4.02
$9.20 £6.91
-41.74%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.19 £3.89
$9.33 £7.00
-44.37%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$7.17 £5.38
$15.79 £11.85
-54.59%
Apples (1kg)
$2.28 £1.71
$3.01 £2.26
-24.25%
Banana (1kg)
$1.88 £1.41
$1.88 £1.41
-
Oranges (1kg)
$2.42 £1.81
$3.42 £2.57
-29.24%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.73 £3.55
$3.67 £2.75
28.88%
Potato (1kg)
$0.84 £0.63
$2.01 £1.51
-58.21%
Onion (1kg)
$0.91 £0.69
$1.55 £1.16
-41.29%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.02 £0.77
$1.32 £0.99
-22.73%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.39 £1.04
$1.93 £1.45
-27.98%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$17.81 £13.36
$23.23 £17.43
-23.33%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.22 £6.17
$11.20 £8.40
-26.61%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.94 £2.95
$3.12 £2.34
26.28%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.70 £3.52
$3.27 £2.46
43.73%
🚌 Getting Around
Scunthorpe
Edinburgh
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.64 £2.73
$3.14 £2.35
15.92%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$96.4 £72.3
$97.0 £72.8
-0.62%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.49 £3.37
$5.43 £4.08
-17.31%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.72 £2.04
$1.82 £1.37
49.45%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.01 £6.01
$28.32 £21.25
-71.72%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.10 £1.58
$2.08 £1.56
0.96%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.3K £28.8K
$38.6K £28.9K
-0.60%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$40.8K £30.6K
$39.9K £29.9K
2.34%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Scunthorpe
Edinburgh
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$202 £151
$328 £246
-38.50%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$16.90 £12.68
$16.47 £12.36
2.61%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$45.68 £34.27
$42.32 £31.75
7.94%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Scunthorpe
Edinburgh
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$95.1 £71.3
$44.41 £33.32
114.07%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$23.05 £17.30
-
Cinema Ticket
$8.73 £6.55
$14.39 £10.79
-39.33%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Scunthorpe
Edinburgh
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,643 £1,232
$1,775 £1,331
-7.45%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.4K £12.3K
$25.6K £19.2K
-35.95%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Scunthorpe
Edinburgh
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$39.68 £29.77
$81.2 £60.9
-51.13%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$20.18 £15.14
$49.04 £36.79
-58.85%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$77.2 £57.9
$108 £81.2
-28.66%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$78.1 £58.6
$115 £85.9
-31.82%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Scunthorpe
Edinburgh
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,216 £912
$1,600 £1,200
-24.01%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,015 £762
$1,168 £876
-13.04%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,284 £963
$2,803 £2,103
-54.19%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,095 £821
$2,155 £1,617
-49.21%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,464 £4,099
$6,714 £5,037
-18.62%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,050 £3,039
$4,715 £3,538
-14.11%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Scunthorpe
Edinburgh
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,942 £1,457
$3,558 £2,669
-45.41%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.61
4.77
17.61%

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

Last update for Scunthorpe: 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
Scunthorpe
$1K
Edinburgh
$1.2K 15% $152
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Scunthorpe
$264
Edinburgh
$387 46.3% $123
Groceries & Markets
Scunthorpe
$242
Edinburgh
$332 37.3% $90
Eating Out
Scunthorpe
$236
Edinburgh
$359 51.8% $122
Getting Around
Scunthorpe
$129
Edinburgh
$124 3.8% $4.9
Sport & Entertainment
Scunthorpe
$113
Edinburgh
$73 35% $39
Clothing & Footwear
Scunthorpe
$97
Edinburgh
$159 64.1% $62

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,216 in Scunthorpe 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 83% 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 $89.0 in Scunthorpe versus $108 in Edinburgh. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $242 vs $332 – making Scunthorpe the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇬🇧 Scunthorpe
🇬🇧 Edinburgh
🕒 Local time
09:51 9:51 AM
09:51 9:51 AM
Same time as Scunthorpe
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
81,576
488,050
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to GBP – British Pound Converter

British Pound exchange rates as of October 23, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Scunthorpe Edinburgh 310 km
From you
  • Scunthorpe
  • 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
Scunthorpe vs Edinburgh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Edinburgh cheaper than Scunthorpe?
Yes – Edinburgh is pricier by about 24%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,144 per month in Scunthorpe and $3,902 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 Scunthorpe, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Is eating out cheaper in Scunthorpe or in Edinburgh?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $89.0 in Scunthorpe and $108 in Edinburgh. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Scunthorpe and in Edinburgh?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,096 in Scunthorpe and $2,601 in Edinburgh. That's a gap of about 24%.
Is $2,500 a realistic budget for living in Scunthorpe or in Edinburgh?
A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Scunthorpe, where all-in costs run around $2,096, than in Edinburgh at $2,601. In Scunthorpe it covers expenses comfortably, while in Edinburgh it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Scunthorpe or Edinburgh more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Scunthorpe – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Scunthorpe or Edinburgh?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Scunthorpe. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Edinburgh makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Scunthorpe vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

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