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Dublin vs Edinburgh cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐ฎ๐ช Dublin
๐ฌ๐ง Edinburgh
At a glance
- Where Edinburgh is clearly cheaper: Studio rent (month) (39%โ), Street food (36%โ), Bottled water (23%โ)
- Where Dublin is clearly cheaper: Laundry (62%โ), Half-day tour (35%โ), Transit (28%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Both cities are about equally easy to travel. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Dublin | Edinburgh | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | โฌ 18$20.9 | ยฃ 14$18.9 | Edinburgh โ10% |
| Street food1 item | โฌ 10$11.6 | ยฃ 5.5$7.43 | Edinburgh โ36% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | โฌ 40$46.5 | ยฃ 30$40.5 | Edinburgh โ13% |
| Coffeeone cup | โฌ 4.5$5.23 | ยฃ 3.8$5.14 | similar |
| Beerone bottle | โฌ 7.5$8.72 | ยฃ 5.5$7.43 | Edinburgh โ15% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | โฌ 13$15.1 | ยฃ 9$12.2 | Edinburgh โ20% |
| Bottled water | โฌ 1.8$2.09 | ยฃ 1.2$1.62 | Edinburgh โ23% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | โฌ 2.4$2.79 | ยฃ 1.8$2.43 | Edinburgh โ13% |
| Taxi5 km in town | โฌ 13$15.1 | ยฃ 11$14.9 | similar |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | โฌ 9$10.5 | ยฃ 7$9.46 | Edinburgh โ10% |
| Transitone ride | โฌ 2$2.33 | ยฃ 2.4$3.24 | Dublin โ28% |
| Scooter rentalper day | โฌ 20$23.3 | ยฃ 20$27 | Dublin โ14% |
| Hotel night3-star | โฌ 175$203 | ยฃ 120$162 | Edinburgh โ20% |
| Studio rent (month) | โฌ 2,000$2,326 | ยฃ 1,050$1,419 | Edinburgh โ39% |
| Laundry | โฌ 4$4.65 | ยฃ 9$12.2 | Dublin โ62% |
| SIM card1 week data | โฌ 15$17.4 | ยฃ 10$13.5 | Edinburgh โ23% |
| Haircutcut | โฌ 22$25.6 | ยฃ 18$24.3 | similar |
| Massage1 hour | โฌ 75$87.2 | ยฃ 60$81.1 | Edinburgh โ7% |
| Half-day tourper person | โฌ 30$34.9 | ยฃ 40$54.1 | Dublin โ35% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | โฌ 22$25.6 | ยฃ 21.5$29.1 | Dublin โ12% |
Reference prices start as estimates from published price levels; items with 3+ traveler reports use the median of real reports. Hostels and local eateries cut both by 30%+.
FAQ
Which is cheaper, Dublin or Edinburgh?
Edinburgh is 22% cheaper than Dublin. Daily budget $369 vs $313; a month $7,755 vs $5,475.
Which is easier to travel, Dublin or Edinburgh?
About the same: Dublin 1.6/5, Edinburgh 1.6/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Dublin and Edinburgh?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Dublin is about $7,755 and Edinburgh about $5,475 per month.
Where do the numbers come from?
They start as estimates informed by published price levels; any item with 3+ traveler reports switches to the median of real reports. Live reports are in the app.