Is Edinburgh Expensive for Backpackers in 2026? A Realistic Daily Budget
- Jay
- 4 days ago
- 8 min read
Is Edinburgh an expensive place to visit on your European backpacking holiday or even on a short city break? With so much to do and see, you might initially be worried about breaking the bank when coming to visit Scotland's compact, scenic, and historic capital city.
The Scotland's Top Hostels team have put together this article to dive into considerations, tips and tricks, and budgeting ideas to explore how you can make your money stretch as far as possible on your Scottish getaway. We spend our days hanging out with backpackers from all over the world, and have pooled together all of our knowledge to help you make the most out of your time in Scotland.
Quick Answer: Is Edinburgh Expensive for Backpackers in 2026?
Not if you put together a small plan for your trip - taking advantage of the the tips, tricks, and discounts we've listed below can help keep your budget comfortably between £35-£45 per day including accommodation if frugal, while allowing for plenty of experiences, entertainment and social activities.
If you avoid planning, on the face of it Edinburgh can appear as an expensive place for backpackers who stick to attractions, restaurants and bar around the Royal Mile, and the central areas of the Old and New Towns. This can leave you with a dent in your budget of up to £80-100 per day.
For a sample backpacker budget, consider:
• Shoestring: £35–£45 per day.
• Moderate: £45–£70 per day.
• Comfortable: £70–£90 per day.
Guests at Scotland's Top Hostels locations in Edinburgh get access to exclusive discounts during their stay to help cut down their spend and see more of the city, as well as free social events, walking tours, and well-equipped kitchens to use to prepare meals.
How Much Should Backpackers Budget Per Day in Edinburgh?
Most Expensive - Without Research
Without researching or taking advantage of some of the tips and tricks below, a backpacker's budget at the higher end could end up looking like in 2026:
Accommodation in Hostel Dorm (excluding August and Hogmanay) | £25 - 30 |
Public Transport Day Ticket | £6 |
Entry to Attractions | £16 - 20 |
Breakfast in a Cafe | £7 - £12 |
Lunch in a Cafe/Restaurant | £10 - 13 |
Dinner in a Restaurant/Pub | £16 - 20 |
Cost of a Sweet Treat/Alcoholic Beverage | £3 - 7 |
This means an average spend of between £80-100 per day including accommodation.
Lowest Spend - Budget Backpacker
If looking to avoid spending money at as many points as possible during your trip is the goal, then you can consider budgeting for less paid experiences and treats. To achieve this, you'd likely need to ensure you book a hostel with a well-equipped kitchen:
Accommodation in Hostel Dorm (excluding August and Hogmanay) | £14 - £25 |
No Public Transport Day Ticket - Edinburgh is very walkable | £0 |
Entry to Free Attractions | £0 |
Hostel Breakfast | £4 |
Lunch from a Supermarket (see about 'Meal Deals' in the Food section below) | £4-5 |
Dinner from a Supermarket cooked in Hostel Kitchen | £4-5 |
Sweet Treats/Alcoholic Beverages | £0 |
This means an average spend of around £24-£28 per day including accommodation.
Middle Ground - Social, Sightseeing Backpacker
If looking to avoid spending money at as many points as possible during your trip is the goal, then you can consider budgeting for less paid experiences and treats. To achieve this, you'd likely need to ensure you book a hostel with a well-equipped kitchen:
Accommodation in Hostel Dorm (excluding August and Hogmanay) | £14 - £25 |
No Public Transport Day Ticket - Edinburgh is very walkable | £0 |
One Paid Attraction during your visit (such as Edinburgh Castle or Mary King's Close) + visits to Edinburgh's many Free Attractions | £8 (per day, split over 2 days) |
Hostel Breakfast | £4 |
Lunch from a Supermarket (see about 'Meal Deals' in the Food section below) or from one of Scotland's Top Hostels Discounted Partner Cafes | £4-7 |
Dinner from a Supermarket cooked in Hostel Kitchen | £4-5 |
2x Sweet Treats/Alcoholic Beverages | £8 |
This means an average spend of around £35-45 per day including accommodation.
How Much Do Hostels Cost in Edinburgh in 2026?
Beds in a hostel start from as low as £14 per night in the low season in Edinburgh in 2026, and savvy backpackers will usually be able to find affordable beds ranging up to a maximum of £25-£35 per night even in the high season.
The two exceptions to this rule are during much of the month of August, when Edinburgh is completely absorbed by the world's largest arts festival, the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, among a string of other cultural festivals happening at the same time, and over 'Hogmanay', the festivities celebrating New Year's Eve (especially on the nights of the 30th December through to 1st January). Prices in these periods will spike and you can expect to pay significantly more, up to £50-55 per night at some hostels.
A new 5% tourist tax on overnight stays will be introduced in Edinburgh from July 2026. It's worth noting this may slightly increase your accommodation budget.
When considering your hostel choice, it is important to note the amenities and facilities on offer that can help make your stay more affordable elsewhere. For example, if a hostel has a well-equipped kitchen you'll avoid spending money on eating out. Similarly, if a hostel offers a wide range of social activities that don't all require spending money on alcohol then you can also save while still being able to make new friends during your trip.
Some hostels in Edinburgh will include breakfast in the price of your stay, while others such as Castle Rock Hostel, High Street Hostel and Royal Mile Backpackers will allow you to pay-as-you-go each morning and add a continental breakfast buffet for just £4.
How Expensive is Food in Edinburgh in 2026?
Depending on your choices, backpackers should find it simple enough to eat affordably if they take advantage of low-cost supermarkets like Lidl or Aldi (both have shops close to the City Centre hostels), or by taking advantage of offers at other supermarkets too.
Across the UK, you can get an affordable lunch by taking advantage of many supermarkets offer of a 'Meal Deal' - that includes a sandwich/similar main option, a snack, and a drink, all for just £4-5! You'll find these positioned close to the doors of most supermarkets when you arrive.
Many backpackers might find it difficult to fit eating out at pubs and restaurants into their budget, though as I've already mentioned, guests at Scotland's Top Hostels locations get amazing discounts like 20% off Food & Drink at traditional Scottish Pubs like George IV Bar, the Fiddlers Arms and the Royal Mile Tavern. This means even if you want to have one small splurge during your trip, you won't end up feeling like you're digging deep into your pockets! You can see the full list of discounts available here:
Cost of a Meal at a Pub/Restaurant/Bar | £16-20 |
Cost of a Meal at a Pub/Restaurant/Bar that offers Scotland's Top Hostels Discount | £11-£14 |
Cost of a Supermarket Ready Meal | £4-6 |
Cost of a Cheap Supermarket Meal Prepared Yourself | £2.50-£4.50 |
Cost of a Café Breakfast | £7 - £13 |
Cost of a Takeaway Bakery Breakfast | £2.50 - £6.50 |
How Much Does Alcohol Cost in Edinburgh?
Scotland is renowned for being one of the priciest places in the UK to drink alcohol due to tight laws around the sale and taxes charged on booze. This is unlikely to affect the average savvy backpacker however, as even if you're after a tipple of Whisky or a nice local Pint, there are still affordable places to have a drink with friends if you know where to look for them.
The average cost of a beer in a supermarket is anywhere between £1.50 - £3 depending on the brand, and whether you buy a 4 pack of cans or a bottle of local craft beer. You'll find Tennents, the national lager, available affordably throughout the country both in supermarkets and bars. Spirits are more costly, with the cheapest 70cl bottles setting you back at least £14.
Edinburgh is packed to the brim with historic, lively, and fun bars, but as a visiting backpacker it can be a dizzying range to choose from, and if you're not careful, you may end up being charged tourist prices of up to £7-8 for a pint of beer.
Luckily, Scotland's Top Hostels have partnered with a bunch of local pubs, bars and nightclubs to help our guests party affordably, safely, and enjoyably. This includes some our favourite venues like Bar Salsa, where a pint of Tennents or Outcider will cost you just £4, and Dropkick Murphys, where you'll get the same discounts as the students studying at the Universities around town!
To put that into perspective:
Cost of a 4-pack of beer/cider in a shop: £4.50-7.
Cost of a 70cl bottle of spirits: at least £14.
Cost of a pint in a tourist-heavy bar: £7-8.
Cost of a pint in a discounted bar: £4-5.
You can still join in with plenty of social activities without drinking or by bringing along your own booze, especially at High Street Hostel, where they regularly host events like quiz nights, pool tournaments, Scottish Folk Dance lessons, movie nights and more.
Alternatively, for an affordable night out in Edinburgh check out Castle Rock Hostel's free Weekly Thursday Night Pub Crawl, where you can make use of discounted drinks, free shots, karaoke, live music and more.
How much do Attractions (and the Public Transport to get to them) cost in Edinburgh?
Edinburgh's Old and New Towns are jam-packed with things to see-and-do, as a historic city that has been well preserved and boasts as being a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The good news is that many of these attractions are in very close proximity to each other and to hostels in the city centre, and as Edinburgh is a largely walkable (and scenic!) city, you won't need to spend much on transport.
If you do need to use buses or trams, Lothian Buses operate the well-oiled machine that makes up Edinburgh's bus network - often touted as among the best in Europe. In 2026 you'll find the prices reasonable at:
£2.40 for a single bus or tram ticket, where you can use contactless card, Apple Pay, Google Pay or cash on all buses to pay, and tap in/out on the trams.
This caps out at £6 per day, meaning you'll never overspend if you start needing to regularly take public transport to attractions like the Royal Yacht Britannia in Leith, or the National Galleries of Scotland: Modern One & Modern Two in Dean Village.
There are many Edinburgh attractions you can visit for free, check out our guide to Edinburgh's Free Attractions here.
If you're wanting to visit some of the big name attractions such as Edinburgh Castle or Mary King's Close, you can expect to pay between £16-20 for most in 2026, with some concessions available for students. Walking tours are readily available throughout the city, including free ones (though it's always important to tip your guides where possible!), which means you can see the highlights of the city for as little as £5.
So, should I plan my budget for my trip to Edinburgh?
In short, yes - if you give a little time and research to planning your trip then you'll find Edinburgh transforms from a city that seems expensive for backpackers on the face of it, but is actually full of places ready to help you not break the bank.
If you want to let us do the work, staying at a Scotland's Top Hostels location will give you the best of both worlds, as our partner venues give you discounts, and our friendly reception team will happily help you make the most of your time.
Photo by Joss Broward on Unsplash
Comments