Cost of Living: Amsterdam vs Edinburgh (2026)

Netherlands vs United Kingdom — relocation comparison

Your passport:

Livability Score

Amsterdam

Edinburgh

$2,602/mo

Rent

1BR centre

$1,620/mo

$15k/yr

Take-home savings

At each city's local median pay

$40k/yr

5 yr

PR path

5 yr

30% Ruling (expatriateregeling)

Tax breaks

Open incentive regimes for newcomers

4-year FIG regime (Foreign Income and Gains)

Freelance setup

ZZP'er

VAT-free under €20k
5.3% social
€1200/yr accountant

WiseStripe

Sole Trader

VAT-free under €105k
9% social
€600/yr accountant

WiseStripe

Sourced from Numbeo · Updated April 2026

TL;DREdinburgh is 38% cheaper on rent ($1,620/mo vs $2,602/mo). Both countries will let you complain about the government in public — and mean it.

Too close to call — 72 vs 69. Edinburgh has a slight edge, but Amsterdam might suit you better depending on your priorities.

How the livability score breaks down

Amsterdam

Edinburgh

3.8/25

💰 Affordability

13.3/25

14.3/15

🔒 Violent Crime

13.9/15

7.4/10

🛡️ Perceived Safety

7/10

9.2/15

⚡ Internet

6.6/15

13.5/15

🗳️ Democracy

12.5/15

9.1/10

🗣️ English

10/10

7.7/10

☀️ Climate

6.2/10

6.7/10

📊 Stability

6.7/10

9.8/10

🚗 Road Safety

10/10

8/10

🕊️ Geopolitical Safety

7.5/10

Verdict delivered. Your move.

The winner's file

🇬🇧 Edinburgh

Full profile. Verify before you pack.

Due diligence

🇳🇱 Amsterdam

Every verdict deserves an appeal.

Plot twist

London vs Edinburgh

Someone else's dilemma, equally unsolvable.

Household

Amsterdam

Metric

Edinburgh

$937/mo

🛒

Living costs (no rent)

lower is better

$902/mo

$10,705

🧳

Cost to land

lower is better

$5,513✓

89 / 100

🛡️

Settler safety

higher is better

86 / 100

✓0.7 / 100k

🔒

Homicides

lower is better

1.1 / 100k

3.4 / 100k

🚗

Road deaths

lower is better

2.4 / 100k✓

✓74 / 100

🚨

Safety Index

higher is better

70 / 100

68°F

☀️

Summer high

personal taste

63°F

34°F

❄️

Winter low

personal taste

34°F

✓122 Mbps

⚡

Internet speed

higher is better

89 Mbps

11.2 μg/m³

🌬️

Air quality (PM2.5)

lower is better

5.7 μg/m³✓

86 / 100

🏥

Healthcare

higher is better

83 / 100

✓9.0 / 10

🗳️

Democracy

higher is better

8.3 / 10

✓7.5 / 9

🤝

Migrant acceptance

higher is better

6.6 / 9

✓59 / 100

🏳️‍🌈

Rainbow Index

higher is better

52 / 100

76/100

🗣️

Street English

higher is better

100/100✓

✓$86k

💼

GDP per capita (PPP)

higher is better

$62k

3.3% · Boringly steady

📈

Inflation

lower is better

3.3% · Boringly steady

94/100 — Reliable

⚡

Grid reliability

higher is better

92/100 — Reliable

✓97/100

🗽

Freedom House

higher is better

92/100

A median Software Engineer in Amsterdam takes home $6,417/mo under Standard employee. In Edinburgh: $7,241/mo under Standard employee.

$823/mo more in Edinburgh

🎯 Amsterdam's 30% Ruling (expatriateregeling) isn't modelled above — if you qualify, take-home would be $8,212/mo instead.

🎯 Edinburgh's 4-year FIG regime (Foreign Income and Gains) isn't modelled above — if you qualify, take-home would be $6,522/mo instead.

Each city pays its own median — Software Engineer gross via Levels.fyi / Eurostat. Moving changes your salary too; that's the point.

$128k

💰

Gross income

$117k

−$39k

🏛️

Income tax

Standard employee

−$26k

−$12k

🛡️

Social contributions

−$5k

$77k/yr

$6k/mo

💵

Take-home pay

$87k/yr✓

$7k/mo

−$62k

🏠

Cost of living

−$47k

$15k/yr

🐖

Annual savings

$40k/yr✓

Swap the local medians for your actual number

Sources: Numbeo · UNODC · Ookla · WHO · EIU · Gallup · World Bank · Freedom House · Updated April 2026

💰

Cost of Living

Edinburgh

$983/mo cheaper on rent alone

🔒

Safety

Amsterdam

0.7 homicides per 100k

🗳️

Democracy

Amsterdam

9.0/10 EIU index

☀️

Weather

—

68°F vs 63°F summers

Sun

How much sky you actually get

44% clear

Win

Spr

Sum

Fall

Sky clear

avg daytime

41% clear

Win

Spr

Sum

Fall

7.7h

Shortest day

Dec

7.0h

16.8h

Longest day

Jun

17.6h

Sun clocks out before 5pm in both cities come December. Plan accordingly.

Source: WeatherSpark (clear-sky share of daytime hours)

Settler Essentials

stable →

Democracy trend

stable →

improving ↑

Inflation trend

improving ↑

fintechlogisticssemiconductorsagri-food-tech

Industries

fintechbiotechtourismeducation

hub

Startup ecosystem

active

Moderate

🇺🇸 Your visa

Moderate

Easy

EU visa

Moderate

Complex

RU visa

Complex

Easy

UA visa

Moderate

✅ Partner can work immediately

Spouse works

✅ Partner can work immediately

Recognized

geregistreerd partnerschap / samenwonend

Partner pathway

Recognized (2+ yr)

unmarried partner / civil partnership

Visa stamps:Easy <90 daysModerate 3–6 moComplex 6+ mo

Sources: EIU · Freedom House · Startup Genome · official immigration portals

Reproductive Rights

Because your body shouldn't need a visa too

On request

Abortion access

Broad social grounds

24 wk

Gestational limit

24 wk

On request up to 24 weeks. 5-day reflection period removed in 2023.

Requires two doctors' approval under Abortion Act 1967, but broadly available up to 24 weeks.

Source: Center for Reproductive Rights

LGBTQ+ Rights

Can you hold hands without doing a risk assessment first

Legal

Marriage

Legal

Joint adoption

Adoption

Joint adoption

Yes

Job protection

Yes

Hate crime law

Yes

Amsterdam vs Edinburgh — Common Questions

Is Amsterdam cheaper than Edinburgh?▾

Edinburgh is cheaper. A 1-bedroom apartment in city centre costs around $1620/month there vs $2602/month in the other city (Numbeo data).

Which is safer, Amsterdam or Edinburgh?▾

Amsterdam is statistically safer based on UNODC homicide data. Amsterdam has a rate of 0.73 per 100,000 and Edinburgh has 1.07 per 100,000.

Should I move to Amsterdam or Edinburgh?▾

Too close to call — 72 vs 69. Edinburgh has a slight edge, but Amsterdam might suit you better depending on your priorities. See the full comparison above for rent, safety, internet speed, climate, and democracy scores to decide which city fits your priorities.

Is it easier to get residency in Amsterdam or Edinburgh?▾

Amsterdam: Netherlands Highly Skilled Migrant (complex process, Up to 5 years). Edinburgh: UK Skilled Worker Visa (complex process, Up to 5 years). See each city's profile page for full requirements.

Which has better weather, Amsterdam or Edinburgh?▾

Amsterdam is warmer in summer (68°F vs 63°F). Edinburgh has milder summers, which suits those who prefer cooler weather. Climate preference is personal — use the weather section above to compare seasons.

Can I live in Amsterdam or Edinburgh without speaking the local language?▾

Edinburgh is easier for street-level English (100/100) than Amsterdam (76/100). That's the score that matters for doctors, landlords, and bureaucracy. Office English can still run higher than street English in both cities.

What's the cost of rent in Amsterdam vs Edinburgh?▾

A 1-bedroom in the centre: $1620/month in Edinburgh, $2602/month in Amsterdam (Numbeo). That's 38% cheaper rent in Edinburgh.

Is Amsterdam or Edinburgh better for democracy and rule of law?▾

Amsterdam scores 9.0/10 on the EIU Democracy Index vs 8.3/10 for Edinburgh. That puts it in 'full democracy' territory — free press, independent courts, the works.