A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Tehran vs. Edinburgh for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Tehran or Edinburgh?

Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?

Which city should you visit? Read on to compare the activities as well as the prices of travel for Tehran and Edinburgh. We'll break down costs for accommodation, food, transportation and more to help you learn more about these two destinations. Then, you can figure out if either of these two places are accessible based on your travel budget, schedule, and interests. So, let's dig into it.

Where Should I go: Tehran or Edinburgh?

Tehran

The capital of Iran, Tehran is a cosmopolitan city with great museums, art galleries, parks, restaurants, and more. It is located in the northernmost part of Central Iran at the foot of the towering Alborz mountain range. Some of the most popular attractions include the Treasury of the National Jewels, Golestan Palace, and the Tajrish Bazaar.

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.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Edinburgh, and The Best 10-Day Tours from London.


Which place is cheaper, Edinburgh or Tehran?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.

The average daily cost (per person) in Tehran is $78, while the average daily cost in Edinburgh is $178. 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 destination. What follows is a categorical breakdown of travel costs for Tehran and Edinburgh in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Tehran $62
    Edinburgh $93
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Tehran $124
    Edinburgh $186
Compare Hotels in Tehran and Edinburgh

Looking for a hotel in Tehran or Edinburgh? Prices vary by location, date, season, and the level of luxury. See below for options and compare which is best for your budget and travel style.

Hotels in Tehran


Hotels in Edinburgh


Kayak helps you find the best prices for hotels, flights, and rental cars for destinations around the world. Compare prices for multiple destinations when planning your next trip.


Our Analysis
We've analyzed the average and typical hotel prices based on guest reviews, star ratings, and hotel amenities here: Edinburgh Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Tehran $0.39
    Edinburgh $21

Typical Local Transportation Prices in Edinburgh

Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Edinburgh:


  • Local Bus
    $4.52

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Edinburgh

Also for Edinburgh, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:

  • Edinburgh to Inverness Direct transfer: $784
  • From Loch Ness Private Day Tour with Transfers: $753
  • Private Tour with transfer from Newhaven Cruise Port to Glasgow.: $298
  • Edinburgh To The Gleneagles Hotel | Executive Transfer: $291
  • Private Transfer from Edinburgh to Gleneagles Hotel : $280
  • Private Luxury Transfer Edinburgh (One Way - 7 Passengers): $257
  • Central Edinburgh Hotels to Edinburgh Airport Transfers 1-3: $256
  • Edinburgh to Stirling | Executive Transfer: $254
  • Edinburgh Train Station to Edinburgh Hotel Transfers 1-3 Pax: $251
  • Edinburgh to Gleneagles Luxury Taxi Transfer: $242
  • Edinburgh to Glasgow Luxury Car Transfer: $242
  • Glasgow to Edinburgh Luxury Car Transfer: $232

Is it cheaper to fly into Tehran or Edinburgh?

Prices for flights to both Edinburgh and Tehran 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.





Food
  • Food Meals for one day
    Tehran $14
    Edinburgh $49

Typical Food Prices in Edinburgh

For Edinburgh, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:


  • Breakfast
    $11
  • Dinner at Filling Station
    $13
  • Lunch for Two
    $19
  • Sandwich
    $2.32
  • Cheese & bread
    $9.07
  • Thai Restaurant Dinner (for 2)
    $31
  • 2 Coffees and Scones
    $7.28
  • Turkish Delight
    $1.76
  • Soup at the Pub
    $7.40

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Edinburgh

For Edinburgh, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:

  • Hard Rock Cafe with Set Menu for Lunch or Dinner: $31
  • Hard Rock Cafe Edinburgh with Set Menu for Lunch or Dinner: $33
  • Scottish Dinner and Folk Music Experience: $88
  • Edinburgh Delicious Donut Adventure & Walking Food Tour: $90
  • Edinburgh Holiday Donut Adventure & Walking Food Tour: $90
  • Edinburgh Food Tour: $100
  • 'Scotland meets Sardinia' - 8-course Dinner in Leith, Edinburgh: $110
  • 3-Hour Guided Secret Food Tour: $116
  • Edinburgh Walking Food Tour With Secret Food Tours: $121
  • The 10 Tastings of Edinburgh With Locals: Private Food Tour: $162
  • Edinburgh Food Tour with a Local Foodie Custom & Private: $188

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Tehran $4.59
    Edinburgh $25

Typical Entertainment Prices in Edinburgh

Below are a few sample prices from actual travelers for Edinburgh's activities, tours, and tickets:


  • Show Tickets
    $40
  • Movie Tickets for Two
    $15
  • Donation for Storytellers
    $7.53

Tours and Activities in Edinburgh

For Edinburgh, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:

  • Edinburgh's Landscapes Tours with a Local Guide: Private & Personalized: $153
  • 1-Day Castles, West Highlands and Loch Lomond Tour from Edinburgh: $79
  • 1.5 hour Firth of Forth Sightseeing cruise: $23
  • 2-Day Highlands and Loch Ness Tour from Edinburgh: $261
  • 2-Day Loch Lomond, West Highlands, Glencoe & Oban Tour: $183
  • 3 Hours Edinburgh City Highlights Private Walking Tour: $273
  • 3-Day Isle of Skye Inverness Highlands and Glenfinnan Viaduct Tour from Edinburgh: $234
  • 3-Hour Private Edinburgh Castle Tour: $275
  • Afternoon Old Town and Underground Ghost Tour 1:15, 3:15, 5:15: $19
  • Alnwick Castle and Scottish Borders Tour from Edinburgh: $72
  • Alnwick Castle, Northumberland & Scottish Borders 1-Day Tour: $74
  • Alnwick Castle, Northumberland and Borders Tour with Admission: $103

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Tehran -
    Edinburgh $19

Typical Alcohol Prices in Edinburgh

Here are a few samples of the prices for alcohol and nightlife in Edinburgh from other travelers:


  • Beer & Wine
    $18
  • Half Pint at Tollbooth Tavern
    $2.07

Sample the Local Flavors in Edinburgh

Also in Edinburgh, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:

  • Pub Crawl with Free Shots & Discounts: $11
  • Edinburgh Bar Crawl: 5+ Venues, Free Shots, Free Club Entry: $19
  • Pub Crawl in Edinburgh: $19
  • Edinburgh Literary Pub Tour with "Real-Actors": $25
  • East Lothian: Glenkinchie Whisky Distillery Tour & Tasting: $26
  • Guided Gin Tasting at 56 North Distillery: $28
  • Pub Crawl 7 Bars with 6 Shots: $31
  • Whisky Tasting and Tales at Summerhall Distillery: $31
  • Lind & Lime Gin Distillery Tour & Tasting: $31
  • Pickering's Gin Jolly Distillery Tasting Tour: $31
  • Visit a Working South Loch Gin Distillery: $32
  • The Original Edinburgh Pub Crawl: $32


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Tehran and Edinburgh, we can see that Edinburgh is more expensive. And not only is Tehran much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Tehran is in Middle East and Edinburgh is in Europe, this is one of the main reasons why the costs are so different, as different regions of the world tend to have overall different travel costs. So, traveling to Tehran would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Tehran and be able to afford a more luxurious travel style by staying in nicer hotels, eating at more expensive restaurants, taking tours, and experiencing more activities. The same level of travel in Edinburgh would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Edinburgh than you might in Tehran.

If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Tehran Expensive? and Is Edinburgh Expensive?.


Which is Bigger, Tehran or Edinburgh?

Tehran has a larger population, and is about 20 times larger than the population of Edinburgh. When comparing the sizes of Tehran and Edinburgh, keep in mind that a larger population does not always imply the destination has more attractions or better activities. So, always research the type of place that you want to visit along with the activities and attractions that interest you.