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Edinburgh vs Tokyo cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐ฌ๐ง Edinburgh
๐ฏ๐ต Tokyo
At a glance
- Where Tokyo is clearly cheaper: Local meal (61%โ), Transit (56%โ), Street food (55%โ)
- Where Edinburgh is clearly cheaper: SIM card (20%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Both cities are about equally easy to travel. Biggest gap: language โ Edinburgh 1 vs Tokyo 3. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Edinburgh | Tokyo | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | ยฃ 14$18.9 | ยฅ 1,100$7.43 | Tokyo โ61% |
| Street food1 item | ยฃ 5.5$7.43 | ยฅ 500$3.38 | Tokyo โ55% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | ยฃ 30$40.5 | ยฅ 4,000$27 | Tokyo โ33% |
| Coffeeone cup | ยฃ 3.8$5.14 | ยฅ 600$4.05 | Tokyo โ21% |
| Beerone bottle | ยฃ 5.5$7.43 | ยฅ 650$4.39 | Tokyo โ41% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | ยฃ 9$12.2 | ยฅ 1,500$10.1 | Tokyo โ17% |
| Bottled water | ยฃ 1.2$1.62 | ยฅ 130$0.88 | Tokyo โ46% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | ยฃ 1.8$2.43 | ยฅ 180$1.22 | Tokyo โ50% |
| Taxi5 km in town | ยฃ 11$14.9 | ยฅ 2,400$16.2 | Edinburgh โ8% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | ยฃ 7$9.46 | ยฅ 1,000$6.76 | Tokyo โ29% |
| Transitone ride | ยฃ 2.4$3.24 | ยฅ 210$1.42 | Tokyo โ56% |
| Scooter rentalper day | ยฃ 20$27 | ยฅ 2,000$13.5 | Tokyo โ50% |
| Hotel night3-star | ยฃ 120$162 | ยฅ 16,000$108 | Tokyo โ33% |
| Studio rent (month) | ยฃ 1,050$1,419 | ยฅ 150,000$1,014 | Tokyo โ29% |
| Laundry | ยฃ 9$12.2 | ยฅ 1,000$6.76 | Tokyo โ44% |
| SIM card1 week data | ยฃ 10$13.5 | ยฅ 2,500$16.9 | Edinburgh โ20% |
| Haircutcut | ยฃ 18$24.3 | ยฅ 4,000$27 | Edinburgh โ10% |
| Massage1 hour | ยฃ 60$81.1 | ยฅ 5,500$37.2 | Tokyo โ54% |
| Half-day tourper person | ยฃ 40$54.1 | ยฅ 9,000$60.8 | Edinburgh โ11% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | ยฃ 21.5$29.1 | ยฅ 2,000$13.5 | Tokyo โ53% |
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, Edinburgh or Tokyo?
Tokyo is 32% cheaper than Edinburgh. Daily budget $313 vs $212; a month $5,475 vs $3,723.
Which is easier to travel, Edinburgh or Tokyo?
About the same: Edinburgh 1.6/5, Tokyo 1.6/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Edinburgh and Tokyo?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Edinburgh is about $5,475 and Tokyo about $3,723 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.