Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Swansea and Edinburgh

For one person, living is cheaper in Swansea: $2,196 a month against $2,645 in Edinburgh, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

106

Cost of Living Index in Swansea
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Swansea Living Index
128

Cost of Living Index in Edinburgh
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Edinburgh Living Index

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Swansea

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,196

/mo nomad

Edinburgh

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,645

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,196 per month in Swansea vs $2,645 in Edinburgh, rent included.

Swansea $2,196
Edinburgh $2,645

A couple spends around $3,130 per month in Swansea vs $4,021 in Edinburgh, rent included.

Swansea $3,130
Edinburgh $4,021

A family of three spends $4,065 per month in Swansea vs $5,397 in Edinburgh, rent included.

Swansea $4,065
Edinburgh $5,397

Swansea is about 17% cheaper than Edinburgh, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Swansea and Edinburgh sit above the global median – Swansea by 61%, Edinburgh by 94%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.41 £15.36

$24.35 £18.32

-16.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.1 £47.46

$105 £79.2

-40.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.47 £7.88

Cappuccino

$4.76 £3.59

$5.02 £3.78

-5.18%

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

$2.36 £1.78

$2.41 £1.82

-2.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.26 £0.95

$2.19 £1.65

-42.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.89 £4.43

$8.04 £6.05

-26.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.38 £4.80

$7.91 £5.95

-19.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 £1.01

$1.75 £1.32

-23.43%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 £1.54

$2.33 £1.75

-12.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.06 £1.55

$2.35 £1.77

-12.34%

Eggs

$3.52 £2.65

$5.13 £3.86

-31.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.78 £5.86

$9.05 £6.81

-14.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.33 £6.27

$9.26 £6.97

-10.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.87 £9.69

$16.17 £12.17

-20.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 £1.74

$3.05 £2.29

-23.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 £0.93

$1.87 £1.41

-33.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.87 £2.16

$3.35 £2.52

-14.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.57 £2.69

$3.75 £2.83

-4.80%

Potato (1kg)

$2.25 £1.69

$2.05 £1.54

9.76%

Onion (1kg)

$3.05 £2.30

$1.53 £1.15

99.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.27 £0.96

$1.33 £1.00

-4.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.29 £1.73

$1.89 £1.42

21.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.23 £17.48

$23.87 £17.96

-2.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.63 £8.00

$10.96 £8.25

-3.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.33 £1.75

$3.16 £2.37

-26.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.40 £2.56

$3.22 £2.42

5.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.12 £3.10

$3.13 £2.36

31.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$97.1 £73.1

$99.8 £75.1

-2.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.95 £2.97

$5.45 £4.10

-27.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.68 £2.02

$1.90 £1.43

41.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.33 £25.08

$28.50 £21.45

16.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.95 £1.47

$2.06 £1.55

-5.34%

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

$38.9K £29.3K

$38.2K £28.8K

1.77%

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

$40.5K £30.5K

$39.7K £29.9K

1.90%

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

$306 £231

$329 £248

-6.91%

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

$14.81 £11.15

$16.81 £12.65

-11.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.20 £32.51

$43.13 £32.46

0.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.28 £25.05

$41.84 £31.49

-20.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.52 £11.68

$23.33 £17.56

-33.48%

Cinema Ticket

$9.85 £7.41

$14.67 £11.04

-32.86%

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

$1,777 £1,337

$1,901 £1,430

-6.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.8K £19.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.7 £67.5

$82.2 £61.8

9.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.22 £36.29

$50.0 £37.63

-3.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 £92.0

$106 £79.6

15.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.6 £62.1

$115 £86.7

-28.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,112 £837

$1,691 £1,273

-34.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$891 £671

$1,205 £907

-26.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,500 £1,129

$2,959 £2,227

-49.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,337 £1,007

$2,184 £1,644

-38.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,563 £2,682

$6,388 £4,807

-44.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,615 £1,968

$4,514 £3,397

-42.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,263 £2,456

$3,632 £2,733

-10.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.04

4.77

26.62%

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

Last update for Swansea: October 27, 2026

Last update for Edinburgh: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Swansea

$891 40.6%

Edinburgh

$1.2K 45.6% 35.2% $314

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Swansea

$364 16.6%

Edinburgh

$389 14.7% 6.8% $25

Eating Out

Swansea

$309 14.1%

Edinburgh

$361 13.6% 16.9% $52

Groceries & Markets

Swansea

$293 13.4%

Edinburgh

$333 12.6% 13.4% $39

Clothing & Footwear

Swansea

$154 7%

Edinburgh

$159 6% 3% $4.7

Getting Around

Swansea

$131 6%

Edinburgh

$127 4.8% 2.7% $3.6

Sport & Entertainment

Swansea

$53 2.4%

Edinburgh

$71 2.7% 34.3% $18

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,112 in Swansea 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 11% 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 $63 in Swansea versus $105 in Edinburgh. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $293 vs $333 – making Swansea the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇧 Swansea

🇬🇧 Edinburgh

🕒 Local time

20:07 8:07 PM

Same time as Swansea

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

239,000

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)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Swansea vs Edinburgh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Edinburgh is pricier by about 20%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,293 per month in Swansea 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 Swansea, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,112 there versus $1,691 in Edinburgh.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $63 in Swansea and $105 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 $2,196 in Swansea and $2,645 in Edinburgh. That makes Swansea about 17% cheaper.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,196 in Swansea and $2,645 in Edinburgh. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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

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