Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between St Helens and Edinburgh

For one person, living is cheaper in St Helens: $1,993 a month against $2,617 in Edinburgh, rent and utilities included – about $7,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

97

Cost of Living Index in St Helens
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St Helens Living Index
127

Cost of Living Index in Edinburgh
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Edinburgh Living Index

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St Helens

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$1,993

/mo nomad

Edinburgh

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,617

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,993 per month in St Helens vs $2,617 in Edinburgh, rent included.

St Helens $1,993
Edinburgh $2,617

A couple spends around $3,045 per month in St Helens vs $3,956 in Edinburgh, rent included.

St Helens $3,045
Edinburgh $3,956

A family of three spends $4,098 per month in St Helens vs $5,295 in Edinburgh, rent included.

St Helens $4,098
Edinburgh $5,295

St Helens is about 24% cheaper than Edinburgh, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both St Helens and Edinburgh sit above the global median – St Helens by 48%, Edinburgh by 94%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.90 £20.18

$23.64 £17.73

13.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.6 £59.0

$104 £78.2

-24.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.48 £7.86

Cappuccino

$4.08 £3.06

$5.08 £3.81

-19.69%

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

$2.37 £1.78

$2.50 £1.87

-5.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 £1.50

$2.15 £1.61

-7.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.36 £4.02

$8.06 £6.04

-33.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.54 £3.41

$8.13 £6.10

-44.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 £1.01

$1.68 £1.26

-20.24%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 £1.33

$2.29 £1.71

-22.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 £1.46

$2.25 £1.69

-13.78%

Eggs

$4.01 £3.01

$5.05 £3.79

-20.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.00 £6.75

$9.05 £6.79

-0.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.28 £6.21

$9.49 £7.12

-12.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 £7.99

$16.12 £12.10

-33.87%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 £2.44

$3.05 £2.29

6.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.30 £0.97

$1.93 £1.45

-32.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.03 £2.27

$3.36 £2.52

-9.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.45 £2.59

$3.68 £2.76

-6.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 £0.86

$2.07 £1.55

-44.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.83 £1.37

$1.54 £1.16

18.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 £0.98

$1.25 £0.94

4.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 £0.98

$1.94 £1.45

-32.99%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.59 £14.70

$23.67 £17.76

-17.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.96 £7.47

$11.13 £8.35

-10.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.86 £2.14

$3.22 £2.42

-11.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 £1.95

$3.19 £2.40

-18.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.65 £1.99

$3.20 £2.40

-17.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$100 £75.1

$96.7 £72.6

3.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.37 £2.53

$5.18 £3.89

-34.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 £1.56

$1.86 £1.40

11.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.82 £11.87

$28.69 £21.52

-44.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.94 £1.46

$2.14 £1.60

-9.35%

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

$26.4K £19.8K

$38.6K £29.0K

-31.65%

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

$33.6K £25.2K

$41.2K £30.9K

-18.27%

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

$365 £274

$330 £248

10.47%

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

$17.20 £12.91

$16.39 £12.30

4.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.87 £32.91

$42.15 £31.63

4.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.94 £20.21

$44.13 £33.11

-38.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.85 £2.89

$23.04 £17.28

-83.29%

Cinema Ticket

$13.42 £10.07

$14.30 £10.73

-6.15%

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

$805 £604

$1,759 £1,319

-54.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,625 £4,971

$25.4K £19.0K

-73.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.0 £48.78

$80.6 £60.4

-19.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.08 £29.32

$49.45 £37.10

-20.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.3 £54.3

$106 £79.2

-31.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 £81.7

$115 £86.0

-5.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$797 £598

$1,611 £1,209

-50.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$636 £477

$1,185 £889

-46.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,503 £1,128

$2,738 £2,054

-45.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,257 £943

$2,106 £1,580

-40.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,315 £2,487

$6,632 £4,976

-50.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,308 £1,731

$4,609 £3,458

-49.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,863 £1,398

$3,522 £2,642

-47.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.21

4.77

9.22%

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

Last update for St Helens: October 11, 2026

Last update for Edinburgh: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

St Helens

$636 31.9%

Edinburgh

$1.2K 45.3% 86.4% $549

Monthly Utilities & Internet

St Helens

$426 21.4%

Edinburgh

$389 14.9% 8.7% $37

Eating Out

St Helens

$349 17.5%

Edinburgh

$357 13.6% 2.2% $7.7

Groceries & Markets

St Helens

$276 13.9%

Edinburgh

$333 12.7% 20.6% $57

Clothing & Footwear

St Helens

$128 6.4%

Edinburgh

$158 6% 22.7% $29

Getting Around

St Helens

$124 6.2%

Edinburgh

$124 4.7% 0.4% $0.5

Sport & Entertainment

St Helens

$54 2.7%

Edinburgh

$73 2.8% 35.2% $19

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $797 in St Helens versus $1,611 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 89% 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 $79.0 in St Helens versus $104 in Edinburgh. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $276 vs $333 – making St Helens the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇧 St Helens

🇬🇧 Edinburgh

🕒 Local time

23:52 11:52 PM

Same time as St Helens

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

183,200

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

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

St Helens vs Edinburgh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Edinburgh is pricier by about 31%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,989 per month in St Helens and $3,925 in Edinburgh. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in St Helens, 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 $79.0 in St Helens and $104 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 $1,993 in St Helens and $2,617 in Edinburgh. That's a gap of about 31%.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in St Helens, where all-in costs run around $1,993, than in Edinburgh at $2,617. In St Helens it covers expenses comfortably, while in Edinburgh it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward St Helens – 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 St Helens. 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.