Belfast vs Edinburgh
for digital nomads
Under balanced weights Edinburgh edges it, 67 to 64, winning 3 of the 9 factors. Belfast is stronger on nothing outright; Edinburgh on getting there & around. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.
Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)
| Metric | Belfast | Edinburgh |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | 21 | 24 ✓ |
| Safety | 75 | 75 |
| Healthcare | 86 | 86 |
| Internet | 76 ✓ | 75 |
| Visa ease | 90 | 90 |
| Getting there & around | 35 | 53 ✓ |
| Climate | 0 | 0 |
| Air quality | 95 | 100 ✓ |
| Quality of life | 96 | 96 |
Cost
| Metric | Belfast | Edinburgh |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost, one personcountry-level estimate for at least one city | $2,900 | $2,682 ✓ |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | $1,475 |
Safety and health (country-level)
| Metric | Belfast | Edinburgh |
|---|---|---|
| Homicides per 100k | 1.3 | 1.3 |
| Political stability (0–100) | 70.3 | 70.3 |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 88 | 88 |
| Life expectancy | 80.1 yrs | 80.1 yrs |
Internet (M-Lab measured medians)
| Metric | Belfast | Edinburgh |
|---|---|---|
| Download | 68.6 Mbps ✓ | 68 Mbps |
| Upload | 20.1 Mbps ✓ | 16.3 Mbps |
Visa
| Metric | Belfast | Edinburgh |
|---|---|---|
| Nomad visa | none listed | none listed |
| Minimum income for the visa | no data | no data |
| Visa-free days, US passport | visa or e-visa required | visa or e-visa required |
| Visa-free days, EU passport | 180 days | 180 days |
| Visa-free days, UK passport | unlimited | unlimited |
Getting there and around
| Metric | Belfast | Edinburgh |
|---|---|---|
| Non-stop airport destinations | 70 | 162 ✓ |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 4 | 5 ✓ |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 3 | 3 |
Climate and air
| Metric | Belfast | Edinburgh |
|---|---|---|
| Comfortable months per year | 0 | 0 |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 7.4 µg/m³ | 4.8 µg/m³ ✓ |
✓ marks the better value in each row; ties and missing data are left unmarked.
Frequently asked
- Which is cheaper, Belfast or Edinburgh?
- Edinburgh is cheaper: about $2,682 per month versus $2,900 for one person.
- Is Belfast or Edinburgh safer?
- Belfast scores higher on safety (75 vs 75), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.
- Where is the internet faster, Belfast or Edinburgh?
- Belfast: a measured median of 68.6 Mbps versus 68 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).
More comparisons
Sources: Cost of Living Global 2026 (city rows); 2026 Cost of Living Index (country level); Digital Nomad Visas 2026; Worldwide Governance Indicators — Political Stability and Absence of Violence (score 0–100); Estimates of rates of homicides per 100 000 population; UHC service coverage index; Life expectancy at birth (years), both sexes; M-Lab NDT statistics (city aggregates, 2024); Airport destinations (Wikipedia airline and destination tables); NASA POWER climatology (2001–2020 monthly means); WHO Ambient Air Quality Database, June 2026 update (V8); Human Development Index (HDR 2025, HDI 2023); EF English Proficiency Index 2024 (band); Walkability and transit ratings (editorial); Passport Index dataset (visa requirements, 199 passports × 199 destinations). Dataset 2026.09.4. See each city page for per-metric footnotes and the methodology.