Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
Both cities are about equally easy to travel. Biggest gap: language โ Edinburgh 1 vs Milan 2. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
| Item | Edinburgh | Milan | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | ยฃ 14$18.9 | โฌ 17$19.8 | similar |
| Street food1 item | ยฃ 5.5$7.43 | โฌ 7.7$8.95 | Edinburgh โ17% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | ยฃ 30$40.5 | โฌ 38$44.2 | Edinburgh โ8% |
| Coffeeone cup | ยฃ 3.8$5.14 | โฌ 1.5$1.74 | Milan โ66% |
| Beerone bottle | ยฃ 5.5$7.43 | โฌ 6$6.98 | Milan โ6% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | ยฃ 9$12.2 | โฌ 12$14 | Edinburgh โ13% |
| Bottled water | ยฃ 1.2$1.62 | โฌ 0.9$1.05 | Milan โ35% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | ยฃ 1.8$2.43 | โฌ 1.8$2.09 | Milan โ14% |
| Taxi5 km in town | ยฃ 11$14.9 | โฌ 14$16.3 | Edinburgh โ9% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | ยฃ 7$9.46 | โฌ 9$10.5 | Edinburgh โ10% |
| Transitone ride | ยฃ 2.4$3.24 | โฌ 2.2$2.56 | Milan โ21% |
| Scooter rentalper day | ยฃ 20$27 | โฌ 18$20.9 | Milan โ23% |
| Hotel night3-star | ยฃ 120$162 | โฌ 150$174 | Edinburgh โ7% |
| Studio rent (month) | ยฃ 1,050$1,419 | โฌ 1,250$1,453 | similar |
| Laundry | ยฃ 9$12.2 | โฌ 3.5$4.07 | Milan โ67% |
| SIM card1 week data | ยฃ 10$13.5 | โฌ 20$23.3 | Edinburgh โ42% |
| Haircutcut | ยฃ 18$24.3 | โฌ 22$25.6 | Edinburgh โ5% |
| Massage1 hour | ยฃ 60$81.1 | โฌ 65$75.6 | Milan โ7% |
| Half-day tourper person | ยฃ 40$54.1 | โฌ 40$46.5 | Milan โ14% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | ยฃ 21.5$29.1 | โฌ 15$17.4 | Milan โ40% |
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%+.
Edinburgh and Milan cost about the same. Daily budget $313 vs $332; a month $5,475 vs $5,590.
About the same: Edinburgh 1.6/5, Milan 1.8/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
With a short-term studio and living costs, Edinburgh is about $5,475 and Milan about $5,590 per month.
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.