Should you visit Edinburgh or Washington?
Trying to figure out where to travel next? This travel cost comparison between Edinburgh and Washington can help. For many travelers, the cost of a destination is a primary consideration when choosing where to go.
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the moderately sized capital of Scotland. It is a medieval city that has managed to perfect the combination of Georgian architecture and medieval relics with a cosmopolitan population and avant-garde atmosphere. The city's population is quite young, in large part because of the University of Edinburgh. This youthful vibe gives this city a lot of vitality. There's a thriving nightlife, many restaurants, theatres, galleries and museums.
Washington
Washington, DC is the capital city of the United States of America. It is also a city rich in history and culture. The city dates back to 1791 when the states of Maryland and Virginia donated the land to create the capital. In 1846, Congress returned the land that was ceded by Virginia and in 1871 it created a single municipal government with the remaining area. Today, Washington, DC has a population of over 600,000 people. The metropolitan area includes suburbs in Maryland and Virginia and has a population of about 5.8 million.
Which city is cheaper, Washington or Edinburgh?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
The average daily cost (per person) in Edinburgh is $160, while the average daily cost in Washington is $155. These costs include accommodation (assuming double occupancy, so the traveler is sharing the room), food, transportation, and entertainment. While every person is different, these costs are an average of past travelers in each city. Below is a breakdown of travel costs for Edinburgh and Washington in more detail.
Accommodation
Travelers usually pay around $168 for a double occupancy room in Edinburgh If you want to be in a premiere location or have high end amenities, you can expect to pay a bit more.
Double occupancy rooms typically run around $182 in Washington For nicer amenities and a premiere location, you can expect to pay a bit more.
Food
Food in Edinburgh costs travelers about $43 per day on average. Restaurants can vary significantly in price, so choose wisely if you're trying to save money. Fast food and street stalls are typically your cheapest options, which sit down restaurants can be significantly more expensive.
The average traveler spends about $30 per day in Washington for food, but obviously this is dependent on the type of restaurant and the amount of food ordered. To save money you can grab a lighter lunch or dinner, or you can try fast food or street food.
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Food
Meals for one day
Edinburgh $43
Washington $30
Typical Food prices in Edinburgh
For Edinburgh, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Edinburgh
For Edinburgh, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
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Scottish Classic Desserts private cooking class with professional chef:
$66
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Discover Royal Mile-Old Town & ENJOY Indian Dinner ~ Walking Tour!:
$79
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3-Hour Guided Secret Food Tour:
$82
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Vegetarian/Vegan Curry Cooking Class – pure comfort food for the soul!:
$97
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Curry Around The World Cooking Class:
$97
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Scottish Storytelling 3 Course Dinner and Whisky:
$104
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Private Tour: Secret Food Tours Edinburgh:
$106
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Relaxing Handmade Pasta with meal and wine - Safe Cooking Class:
$110
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Vegetarian/Vegan Curry Private Cooking Class with professional chef:
$116
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"Curry Around The World" Private Cooking Class with professional chef:
$116
-
Private Food Tour with a Local Expert including 10 Tastings in Edinburgh:
$136
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Handmade Pasta Cooking Class & Dinner with professional chef for private groups:
$137
Typical Food prices in Washington
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Washington:
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Water
$2.00
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Snacks on Monuments Tour
$6.15
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Washington
For Washington, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
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Washington D.C.: 3.5-Hour Georgetown Food Tour:
$65
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Washington DC: 3-Hour Italian Food Tour:
$65
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Washington DC Food Tour: Italian Cuisine in Dupont Circle:
$65
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Adams Morgan Food Tour:
$76
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Lonely Planet Experiences: DC Morning Food Tour on H Street:
$79
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Washington DC: Private Food Tour Experience:
$79
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Capitol Hill Walking Food Tour:
$79
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Washington, DC: The Original Brew Tour with Tasting & Dinner:
$81
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U Street Neighborhood Food Tour:
$89
-
Washington DC Odyssey Dinner Cruise:
$100
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Private French Cooking Class with an Expert in the Heart of Washington DC:
$108
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Washington, DC 3-Hour Dinner Buffet Cruise:
$122
Local Transportation
Public transportation tends to be much less expensive in Edinburgh than paying for a taxi or private car service, as is expected. Typically, people spend $19 on transportation in Edinburgh on average per day.
To get around in Washington, the average visitor spends $37 per day, per person. This includes the costs of taxi rides and private drivers as well as public transportation, which tends to be much more affordable.
Typical Local Transportation prices in Edinburgh
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Edinburgh:
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Edinburgh
Also for Edinburgh, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
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Edinburgh To Aberdeen Private Premium Transfer With Chauffeur:
$804
-
Edinburgh to Inverness Private Premium Transfer With Chauffeur:
$758
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Edinburgh to Oban Luxury Taxi Transfer:
$697
-
Edinburgh to Aberdeen Luxury Taxi Transfer:
$655
-
Edinburgh To Oban Private Premium Transfer With Chauffeur:
$559
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Luxury Airport Transfer Service from , Edinburgh ,Glasgow ,Aberdeen & Inverness:
$538
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Airport Transfers , Edinburgh to Aberdeen , or Aberdeen to Edinburgh:
$538
-
Edinburgh to Trump Turnberry Luxury Taxi Transfer:
$483
-
Edinburgh to Trump Turnberry Private Premium Transfer With Chauffeur:
$427
-
Edinburgh to Dundee Luxury Taxi Transfer:
$414
-
Edinburgh to Inverness Luxury Taxi Transfer:
$369
-
Edinburgh to Gleneagles Resort Luxury Taxi Transfer:
$317
Typical Local Transportation prices in Washington
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Washington are as follows:
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Washington
Also for Washington, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
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Washington, DC: Private Airport Transfer(SUV): To or From: (DCA) Reagan National:
$180
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Washington, DC: Potomac Mills Outlet Private Transfer:
$357
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Washington to Washington R. Reagan Airport (DCA) - Departure Private Transfer:
$61
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Washington to Washington Dulles Airport (IAD) - Departure Private Transfer:
$97
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Washington to Newark International Airport (EWR) - Departure Private Transfer:
$491
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Washington to New York LaGuardia Airport (LGA) - Departure Private Transfer:
$535
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Washington to New York J.F. Kennedy Airport (JFK) - Departure Private Transfer:
$535
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Washington to Baltimore Washington Airport (BWI) - Departure Private Transfer:
$109
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Washington Reagan Airport Transfer to Baltimore & D. C.:
$15
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Washington DC: Private Transfer to Airports or Baltimore:
$130
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Washington City to Philadelphia City - Private Car Transfer:
$392
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Washington City to New York City - Private Car Transfer:
$516
Is it cheaper to fly into Edinburgh or Washington?
Prices for flights to both Washington and Edinburgh change regularly based on dates and travel demand. We suggest you find the best prices for your next trip on Kayak, because you can compare the cost of flights across multiple airlines for your prefered dates.
Entertainment
Sightseeing expenses in Edinburgh, including the cost of admission tickets for day tours, museums, and attractions, usually cost an average of $22 per day, per person.
In Washington, the costs for things to do, activities, admission tickets, and other sightseeing expenses are on average $19 per person, per day.
Typical Entertainment prices in Edinburgh
Below are a few sample prices from actual travelers for Edinburgh's activities, tours, and tickets:
Tours and Activities in Edinburgh
For Edinburgh, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
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1 Day Malt Whisky, Craft Gin, & Craft Beer Tour:
$116
-
1 day Outlander tour:
$723
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2 Day Loch Ness, Glencoe, Glenfinnan Viaduct & St Andrews Tour:
$123
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2 Days Private Custom Tour of Scotland from Edinburgh:
$1,104
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2 Hours Ghost Tour - English Tour Guide:
$18
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2-Day Highlands and Loch Ness Tour from Edinburgh:
$228
-
2-Day Inverness and the Highlands Small Group Tour from Edinburgh:
$112
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2-Day Lake District Tour from Edinburgh:
$344
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2-Day Loch Ness and Inverness Small-Group Tour from Edinburgh:
$237
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2-Day Outlander Experience Small Group Tour from Edinburgh:
$248
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2-Hour Harry Potter Walking Tour with Games & Quizzes:
$21
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2-hour Whisky Tasting Tour of Edinburgh:
$54
Tours and Activities in Washington
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Washington.
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"HEROES OF FREEDOM" PRIVATE TOUR (4 Hour Military Tribute):
$658
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"SHINING CITY" PRIVATE TOUR (3 Hour Evening Tour):
$658
-
2 Day Grand Tour with George Washington's Mount Vernon:
$95
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2-Day Colonial Williamsburg Guided Tour from Washington DC:
$330
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24/48-Hour Washington, D.C. Hop-on Hop-off Tour:
$49
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3-Hour "DC After Dark" Night-Time Guided Bus Tour with Stops at Top Attractions:
$35
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3-Hour Private Jeep Tour of Washington D.C.:
$495
-
3-Hour Washington DC "Monuments By Night" Guided Night-Time Sightseeing Bus Tour:
$49
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3-Hour Washington DC "Morning Monuments" Guided Sightseeing Walking & Bus Tour:
$64
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3-Hour Washington, D.C Urban Adventure Scavenger Hunt:
$44
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30-Minutes Supercar Driving Pilot Experience in Washington DC:
$275
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Advance Tickets to Washington, D.C.'s Newseum:
$24
Alcohol
Typically, people visiting Edinburgh spend on average $17 on alcoholic beverages per person, per day.
Alcoholic beverages can often be a significant portion of a traveler's budget, and the costs can vary greatly from person to person. In Washington, the average amount that a visitor spends on alcoholic beverages per day is $15.
Typical Alcohol prices in Edinburgh
Here are a few samples of the prices for alcohol and nightlife in Edinburgh from other travelers:
Sample the Local Flavors in Edinburgh
Also in Edinburgh, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
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4-Hour Pub Crawl with Free Shots & Discounts:
$9.68
-
3-Hour Alternative Pub Crawl:
$11
-
4-Hour Pub Crawl with Free Drinks & Specials:
$17
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The Orange Pub Crawl - Edinburgh:
$18
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Edinburgh Brewery Tour:
$22
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Edinburgh Literary Pub Tour:
$24
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Rosslyn Chapel, Scottish Borders & Glenkinchie Distillery:
$51
-
Loch Lomond, Stirling, and Glengoyne Distillery Tour from Edinburgh:
$52
-
Rosslyn Chapel, Scottish Borders & Glenkinchie Distillery from Edinburgh:
$54
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Stirling, Distillery, St.Andrews & Italian Tour Guide:
$62
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Loch Ness, Highlands & Whisky Distillery Tour from Edinburgh:
$63
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Loch Ness, Highlands and Whisky Distillery Day Tour from Edinburgh:
$66
Sample the Local Flavors in Washington
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Washington:
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Epic Washington DC Bar Crawl: By Let’s Roam:
$12
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Haunted Washington D.C. Ghost and Pub Walking Tour:
$27
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DC: 'New York Times Journeys' Walking Tour with Beer, Cheese and Wine Tasting:
$120
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NOVA Private Custom Wine Tours & Tasting from DMV:
$645
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6 Hours Northern VA Wine Tour:
$920
When comparing the travel costs between Edinburgh and Washington, we can see that Edinburgh is more expensive. However, the two cities are actually relatively comparable in price, as the difference is somewhat minimal. Generally, this means that you could travel with generally the same travel style and level of luxury in each place. Even though Edinburgh is in Europe and Washington is in North America, both of these destinations have relatively similar prices of travel. Generally, the levels of luxury and expenses are the same for these cities even though they are geographically far apart.
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