Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Southampton and Edinburgh

For one person, living costs are similar in Southampton and in Edinburgh: $2,655 and $2,645 a month, rent and utilities included.

128

Cost of Living Index in Southampton
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Southampton Living Index
128

Cost of Living Index in Edinburgh
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Edinburgh Living Index

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Southampton

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,655

/mo nomad

Edinburgh

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,645

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,655 per month in Southampton vs $2,645 in Edinburgh, rent included.

Southampton $2,655
Edinburgh $2,645

A couple spends around $3,818 per month in Southampton vs $4,021 in Edinburgh, rent included.

Southampton $3,818
Edinburgh $4,021

A family of three spends $4,981 per month in Southampton vs $5,397 in Edinburgh, rent included.

Southampton $4,981
Edinburgh $5,397

Southampton and Edinburgh have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Southampton and Edinburgh sit above the global median – Southampton by 95%, Edinburgh by 94%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.76 £19.95

$24.35 £18.15

9.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.6 £66.8

$105 £78.5

-14.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.12 £8.29

$10.47 £7.80

6.21%

Cappuccino

$5.43 £4.05

$5.02 £3.74

8.17%

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

$2.98 £2.22

$2.41 £1.80

23.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 £1.67

$2.19 £1.64

2.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.46 £5.56

$8.04 £5.99

-7.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.75 £5.03

$7.91 £5.90

-14.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.99 £1.49

$1.75 £1.31

13.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.72 £1.28

$2.33 £1.74

-26.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.04 £2.27

$2.35 £1.75

29.36%

Eggs

$4.42 £3.29

$5.13 £3.82

-13.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.84 £7.34

$9.05 £6.75

8.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.68 £7.21

$9.26 £6.91

4.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.44 £10.76

$16.17 £12.06

-10.70%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 £2.13

$3.05 £2.27

-6.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 £1.31

$1.87 £1.40

-6.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.84 £2.12

$3.35 £2.50

-15.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.39 £2.53

$3.75 £2.80

-9.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 £1.37

$2.05 £1.53

-10.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.58 £1.18

$1.53 £1.14

3.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.21 £0.90

$1.33 £0.99

-9.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 £1.36

$1.89 £1.41

-3.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$21.33 £15.91

$23.87 £17.80

-10.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.13 £8.30

$10.96 £8.17

1.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.96 £2.20

$3.16 £2.35

-6.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.40 £2.54

$3.22 £2.40

5.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.32 £2.47

$3.13 £2.34

6.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.1 £58.2

$99.8 £74.4

-21.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.31 £3.22

$5.45 £4.07

-20.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.95 £1.46

$1.90 £1.42

2.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.03 £23.88

$28.50 £21.25

12.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.16 £1.61

$2.06 £1.54

4.85%

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

$38.2K £28.5K

-0.08%

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

$40.9K £30.5K

$39.7K £29.6K

2.98%

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

$327 £244

$329 £245

-0.69%

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

$29.33 £21.87

$16.81 £12.53

74.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.3 £39.71

$43.13 £32.15

23.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.74 £28.14

$41.84 £31.19

-9.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.78 £12.51

$23.33 £17.39

-28.08%

Cinema Ticket

$15.96 £11.90

$14.67 £10.93

8.79%

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

$1,886 £1,406

$1,901 £1,417

-0.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.3K £13.7K

$25.8K £19.2K

-28.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$106 £78.9

$82.2 £61.3

28.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.4 £38.28

$50.0 £37.28

2.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 £76.3

$106 £78.8

-3.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 £97.5

$115 £85.9

13.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,520 £1,133

$1,691 £1,261

-10.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,190 £887

$1,205 £898

-1.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,360 £1,760

$2,959 £2,206

-20.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,812 £1,351

$2,184 £1,629

-17.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,632 £4,199

$6,388 £4,762

-11.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,849 £3,616

$4,514 £3,365

7.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,372 £2,514

$3,632 £2,708

-7.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.96

4.77

3.98%

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

Last update for Southampton: October 24, 2026

Last update for Edinburgh: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Southampton

$1.2K 44.8%

Edinburgh

$1.2K 45.6% 1.3% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Southampton

$410 15.4%

Edinburgh

$389 14.7% 5% $20

Eating Out

Southampton

$384 14.5%

Edinburgh

$361 13.6% 6.1% $23

Groceries & Markets

Southampton

$320 12.1%

Edinburgh

$333 12.6% 3.8% $12

Clothing & Footwear

Southampton

$176 6.6%

Edinburgh

$159 6% 9.5% $17

Getting Around

Southampton

$105 4%

Edinburgh

$127 4.8% 20.8% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Southampton

$70 2.6%

Edinburgh

$71 2.7% 2.2% $1.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,520 in Southampton 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. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $90 in Southampton versus $105 in Edinburgh. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $320 vs $333 – making Southampton the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇧 Southampton

🇬🇧 Edinburgh

🕒 Local time

15:58 3:58 PM

Same time as Southampton

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

228,600

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

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Southampton Edinburgh 570 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Southampton
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

Southampton vs Edinburgh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,982 per month in Southampton 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 Southampton, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,520 there versus $1,691 in Edinburgh.

Interestingly, groceries are about 4% cheaper in Southampton – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

Kindergarten costs $1,886 per month in Southampton and $1,901 in Edinburgh. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,655 in Southampton and $2,645 in Edinburgh. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Edinburgh costs $2,645 versus $2,655 in Southampton. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.