Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Slough and Edinburgh

For one person, living is cheaper in Edinburgh: $2,645 a month against $2,900 in Slough, rent and utilities included – about $3,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Slough, United Kingdom
Edinburgh, United Kingdom
Slough
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,900
/mo nomad
Edinburgh
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,645
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,900 per month in Slough vs $2,645 in Edinburgh, rent included.

  • Slough $2,900
  • Edinburgh $2,645

A couple spends around $4,194 per month in Slough vs $4,021 in Edinburgh, rent included.

  • Slough $4,194
  • Edinburgh $4,021

A family of three spends $5,488 per month in Slough vs $5,397 in Edinburgh, rent included.

  • Slough $5,488
  • Edinburgh $5,397

Slough costs about 10% more than Edinburgh, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Slough and Edinburgh sit above the global median – Slough by 113%, Edinburgh by 94%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Slough
Edinburgh
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$24.10 £17.99
$24.35 £18.18
-1.03%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$81.2 £60.6
$105 £78.6
-22.86%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.25 £7.65
$10.47 £7.81
-2.10%
Cappuccino
$4.98 £3.72
$5.02 £3.75
-0.80%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.88 £2.15
$2.41 £1.80
19.50%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.11 £1.58
$2.19 £1.64
-3.65%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.48 £4.83
$8.04 £6.00
-19.40%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.47 £4.83
$7.91 £5.91
-18.20%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Slough
Edinburgh
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.84 £1.38
$1.75 £1.31
5.14%
White Bread (500g)
$1.48 £1.11
$2.33 £1.74
-36.48%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.95 £2.20
$2.35 £1.75
25.53%
Eggs
$3.61 £2.70
$5.13 £3.83
-29.63%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.10 £8.29
$9.05 £6.76
22.65%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.61 £6.43
$9.26 £6.92
-7.02%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.52 £9.35
$16.17 £12.08
-22.57%
Apples (1kg)
$3.05 £2.28
$3.05 £2.28
-
Banana (1kg)
$1.54 £1.15
$1.87 £1.40
-17.65%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.97 £2.22
$3.35 £2.50
-11.34%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.22 £2.41
$3.75 £2.80
-14.13%
Potato (1kg)
$2.63 £1.97
$2.05 £1.53
28.29%
Onion (1kg)
$1.30 £0.97
$1.53 £1.14
-15.03%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.08 £0.81
$1.33 £1.00
-18.80%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.46 £1.09
$1.89 £1.41
-22.75%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$23.74 £17.73
$23.87 £17.82
-0.54%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.39 £10.00
$10.96 £8.18
22.17%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.27 £1.69
$3.16 £2.36
-28.16%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.73 £2.04
$3.22 £2.40
-15.22%
🚌 Getting Around
Slough
Edinburgh
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.90 £2.91
$3.13 £2.34
24.60%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$239 £178
$99.8 £74.5
139.20%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$6.77 £5.06
$5.45 £4.07
24.22%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$4.57 £3.41
$1.90 £1.42
140.53%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$39.51 £29.50
$28.50 £21.28
38.63%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.03 £1.52
$2.06 £1.54
-1.46%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$39.0K £29.1K
$38.2K £28.5K
2.08%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$40.0K £29.9K
$39.7K £29.7K
0.84%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Slough
Edinburgh
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$311 £232
$329 £246
-5.45%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$20.97 £15.66
$16.81 £12.55
24.75%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$45.07 £33.65
$43.13 £32.20
4.50%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Slough
Edinburgh
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$41.57 £31.04
$41.84 £31.24
-0.65%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$8.45 £6.31
$23.33 £17.42
-63.78%
Cinema Ticket
$13.09 £9.77
$14.67 £10.95
-10.77%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Slough
Edinburgh
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,750 £1,307
$1,901 £1,419
-7.92%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$24.1K £18.0K
$25.8K £19.2K
-6.35%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Slough
Edinburgh
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$69.4 £51.8
$82.2 £61.4
-15.55%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$68.0 £50.8
$50.0 £37.34
36.08%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$114 £84.9
$106 £78.9
7.51%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$109 £81.3
$115 £86.0
-5.47%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Slough
Edinburgh
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,695 £1,266
$1,691 £1,263
0.25%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,358 £1,014
$1,205 £900
12.71%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,903 £2,168
$2,959 £2,209
-1.89%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,204 £1,646
$2,184 £1,631
0.89%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$17.8K £13.3K
$6,388 £4,769
177.97%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$13.0K £9,742
$4,514 £3,370
189.06%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Slough
Edinburgh
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,377 £2,521
$3,632 £2,712
-7.02%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5
4.77
4.82%

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

Last update for Slough: October 25, 2026

Last update for Edinburgh: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Slough
$1.4K
Edinburgh
$1.2K 11.3% $153
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Slough
$377
Edinburgh
$389 3.1% $12
Eating Out
Slough
$349
Edinburgh
$361 3.5% $12
Groceries & Markets
Slough
$302
Edinburgh
$333 10.3% $31
Getting Around
Slough
$284
Edinburgh
$127 55.2% $157
Clothing & Footwear
Slough
$162
Edinburgh
$159 1.9% $3.1
Sport & Entertainment
Slough
$68
Edinburgh
$71 5% $3.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,695 in Slough 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 8% 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 $81 in Slough versus $105 in Edinburgh. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $302 vs $333 – making Slough the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇬🇧 Slough
🇬🇧 Edinburgh
🕒 Local time
22:14 10:14 PM
22:14 10:14 PM
Same time as Slough
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
164,455
488,050
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to GBP – British Pound Converter

British Pound exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 0.747 GBP (1 GBP = 1.34 USD). 1 EUR = 0.834 GBP (1 GBP = 1.2 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Slough Edinburgh 520 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Slough
  • 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
Slough vs Edinburgh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Edinburgh cheaper than Slough?
Yes – Slough is pricier by about 10%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,349 per month in Slough and $3,968 in Edinburgh. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
What is the rent difference between Slough and Edinburgh?
A central 1-bedroom goes for about $1,695 in Slough and $1,691 in Edinburgh. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.
Is eating out cheaper in Slough or in Edinburgh?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $81 in Slough and $105 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 Slough and in Edinburgh?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,900 in Slough and $2,645 in Edinburgh. That makes Edinburgh about 9% cheaper.
Is $2,500 enough to cover costs in Slough or in Edinburgh?
$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,900 in Slough and $2,645 in Edinburgh. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Is it better to live in Slough or in Edinburgh?
It depends on your priorities. Edinburgh has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,645 in Edinburgh to $2,900 in Slough. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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