Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Stafford and Edinburgh

For one person, living is cheaper in Stafford: $2,238 a month against $2,724 in Edinburgh, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

108

Cost of Living Index in Stafford
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Stafford Living Index
129

Cost of Living Index in Edinburgh
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Edinburgh Living Index

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Stafford

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,238

/mo nomad

Edinburgh

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,724

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,238 per month in Stafford vs $2,724 in Edinburgh, rent included.

Stafford $2,238
Edinburgh $2,724

A couple spends around $3,350 per month in Stafford vs $4,109 in Edinburgh, rent included.

Stafford $3,350
Edinburgh $4,109

A family of three spends $4,461 per month in Stafford vs $5,494 in Edinburgh, rent included.

Stafford $4,461
Edinburgh $5,494

Stafford is about 18% cheaper than Edinburgh, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Stafford and Edinburgh sit above the global median – Stafford by 66%, Edinburgh by 101%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.50 £15.95

$24.24 £17.98

-11.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.0 £55.6

$108 £80.3

-30.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.54 £7.82

$10.67 £7.91

-1.22%

Cappuccino

$4.71 £3.50

$5.10 £3.78

-7.65%

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

$2.07 £1.53

$2.48 £1.84

-16.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 £1.30

$2.24 £1.66

-21.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.65 £4.93

$7.82 £5.80

-14.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.21 £3.87

$8.14 £6.03

-36.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 £1.33

$1.74 £1.29

3.45%

White Bread (500g)

$1.55 £1.15

$2.32 £1.72

-33.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.10 £1.56

$2.34 £1.73

-10.26%

Eggs

$3.56 £2.64

$4.90 £3.64

-27.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.25 £7.60

$9.37 £6.95

9.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.07 £6.73

$9.62 £7.14

-5.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.79 £9.49

$15.82 £11.73

-19.15%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 £2.14

$3.09 £2.29

-6.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 £1.30

$1.91 £1.42

-8.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.67 £2.72

$3.27 £2.43

12.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.43 £2.55

$3.57 £2.65

-3.92%

Potato (1kg)

$2.07 £1.54

$1.99 £1.48

4.02%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 £1.34

$1.57 £1.16

15.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 £0.88

$1.29 £0.96

-8.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 £1.23

$1.93 £1.43

-13.99%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$21.78 £16.15

$24.15 £17.91

-9.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.50 £7.04

$10.82 £8.02

-12.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.39 £2.51

$3.18 £2.36

6.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.87 £2.87

$3.27 £2.43

18.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.73 £3.50

$3.29 £2.44

43.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$92.5 £68.6

$101 £74.7

-8.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.75 £2.04

$5.29 £3.93

-48.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.36 £1.01

$2.43 £1.80

-44.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.75 £19.10

$46.91 £34.79

-45.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.10 £1.56

$2.21 £1.64

-4.98%

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

$38.4K £28.5K

$38.5K £28.6K

-0.28%

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

$40.7K £30.2K

$40.5K £30.0K

0.49%

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

$294 £218

$335 £248

-12.21%

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

$20.19 £14.97

$16.31 £12.09

23.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.52 £31.53

$40.88 £30.32

4.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.64 £30.14

$42.45 £31.48

-4.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.57 £14.51

$24.02 £17.82

-18.53%

Cinema Ticket

$15.81 £11.72

$15.02 £11.14

5.26%

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

$1,250 £927

$1,869 £1,386

-33.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,719 £5,724

$26.0K £19.3K

-70.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.5 £56.0

$83.9 £62.2

-9.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.03 £34.88

$47.78 £35.43

-1.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.7 £62.8

$108 £80.3

-21.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.2 £72.8

$119 £88.3

-17.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,149 £852

$1,673 £1,240

-31.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$926 £687

$1,273 £944

-27.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 £1,184

$3,012 £2,233

-47.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,639 £1,215

$2,247 £1,666

-27.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,986 £2,956

$6,479 £4,805

-38.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,330 £2,470

$4,429 £3,284

-24.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,998 £2,224

$3,796 £2,815

-21.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.37

4.77

12.58%

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

Last update for Stafford: November 2, 2026

Last update for Edinburgh: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Stafford

$926 41.4%

Edinburgh

$1.3K 46.7% 37.5% $347

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Stafford

$357 15.9%

Edinburgh

$392 14.4% 9.9% $35

Eating Out

Stafford

$319 14.3%

Edinburgh

$361 13.3% 13.2% $42

Groceries & Markets

Stafford

$306 13.7%

Edinburgh

$333 12.2% 8.9% $27

Clothing & Footwear

Stafford

$137 6.1%

Edinburgh

$162 5.9% 17.5% $24

Getting Around

Stafford

$121 5.4%

Edinburgh

$131 4.8% 8.6% $10

Sport & Entertainment

Stafford

$72 3.2%

Edinburgh

$72 2.7% 0.3% $0.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,149 in Stafford versus $1,673 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 27% higher in Edinburgh. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $75 in Stafford versus $108 in Edinburgh. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $306 vs $333 – making Stafford the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇧 Stafford

🇬🇧 Edinburgh

🕒 Local time

14:55 2:55 PM

Same time as Stafford

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

71,673

488,050

💱 Currency

British Pound GBP £

📈 Exchange rate

1 GBP = 1.35 USD

1 GBP = 1.2 EUR

1 GBP = 1.35 USD

1 GBP = 1.2 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Stafford Edinburgh 360 km

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Stafford
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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

Stafford vs Edinburgh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Edinburgh is pricier by about 22%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,357 per month in Stafford and $4,086 in Edinburgh. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Stafford, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,149 there versus $1,673 in Edinburgh.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $75 in Stafford 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 $2,238 in Stafford and $2,724 in Edinburgh. That makes Stafford about 18% cheaper.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,238 in Stafford and $2,724 in Edinburgh. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Stafford – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Stafford. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Edinburgh makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.