On the first day of the 2026 market I paid £11.10 for a sausage in a bread roll. Let me explain.
The market had just opened, Christmas music was playing, and I wanted to start the season properly.
So I went to a BBQ stall and ordered the original bratwurst (£9.50) with caramelised onion (£1.60).
Yes, the price made me wince.
And yes, I would do it again.
The sausage was properly good, and the onions and the soft roll made it a surprisingly filling lunch. It tastes best with Christmas music in the background, standing in the middle of a Christmas market. I can’t prove that scientifically, but I stand by it.
While I was there, I took notes of the price boards at the stalls I passed.
This gives you the actual 2026 food and drink prices from opening day, not last year’s guesses.
Edinburgh Christmas Market Prices at a Glance
- Sausage in a roll: £9–£10 (onions or cheese £1.60 extra)
- Pizza: £4.50–£5.50 a slice
- Chips: £5–£7
- Pie with a side: £13.50
- Hot chocolate: from £5
- Mulled wine: £6.50–£7.70
- Pint of beer: £7–£9.80
A rough rule: about £10 for a snack, £16–£17 for a sausage and a mulled wine, and around £35 if you go all in.
Two things before you start budgeting. Prices are set stall by stall, mostly on handwritten boards, so the same item can cost quite different amounts depending on where you queue.
A standard mulled wine ranged from £6.50 to £7.70 between the stalls I checked. That £1.20 gap buys you a pig in a blanket, with change. Use the tables below as a guide to what to budget, not as a menu.
Edinburgh Christmas Market Food Prices
A few things the table doesn’t say. “Dirty fries” sounds like a warning but is simply chips with chilli con carne and cheese. And the pigs in blankets are the only bargain at the market that works in your favour: six for £6, or twelve for £10.
Edinburgh Christmas Market Drinks Prices
The £11.50 Super Deluxe hot chocolate is technically a dessert, a cocktail and a small financial decision.
Local tip: Glance at two or three boards before you queue. I saw the same drink priced more than a pound apart at different stalls. I also spotted a deposit sign at one glühwein stall, so ask when you order whether your mug comes with one.
What a Visit Actually Costs
Per person, using prices from the boards above (the stalls are different, so you would mix and match):
- A quick treat, about £10: pizza slice (£4.50) plus a simple hot chocolate (£5) = £9.50
- A classic market lunch, about £16: bratwurst (£9.50) plus a regular glühwein (£6.95) = £16.45
- A proper treat, about £35: a pie with a side (£13.50), a large glühwein (£9.70) and a Super Deluxe hot chocolate (£11.50) = £34.70
Add £5–£5.50 if you want chips on the side. My own £11.10 sausage sits happily between the first two.
Edinburgh Christmas Market on a Small Budget
The best part of the market is walking around in the lights, and that doesn’t need a big budget. With a bit of planning you can eat and drink here for under £15.
The cheapest bites I found:
- Pigs in blankets: 6 for £6, or 12 for £10
- Pizza slice: £4.50 (Margherita) to £5.50 (slice of the day)
- Frankfurter: £5
- Chips: £5–£5.50, or £6–£7 with curry or cheese
- Crispy bacon and cheese bap: £6
- Plain hot chocolate: about £5. Coffee or tea £3.30–£4.80
- Hot spiced apple (alcohol-free): £4.50, the cheapest warm festive drink I saw
A budget plan for about £14: Margherita slice (£4.50), chips (£5) and a hot spiced apple (£4.50).
Ways to spend less:
- Share. A 12″ Margherita is £13, so £6.50 each between two.
- Skip the extras. Toppings are £1.60 each and they add up.
- Pick one thing per stall rather than a full meal, and treat the market as a snack stop.
- Take your own water bottle. Bottled water was £2–£2.60.
- Choose a warm drink over a pint, since a pint can hit £9.80.
Vegetarian and Vegan Options
Meat-free choices were easy to find on the boards: a Margherita slice (£4.50), the cranberry and brie “Merry Brie-mas” pizza (£15), a vegan sausage dog (£10), vegan pies (mushroom, chestnut and truffle oil, or plant-based Macsween haggis, £13.50 with a side), veggie soup (£6.70) and classic mac and cheese (£9.50). Most boards ask you to tell the staff about allergies, so do.
The Most Expensive Things I Saw
- Salmon with mac and cheese: £16.50
- Naughty Pigs pizza (whole 12″): £16, about £8 each if you share
- Highland Fling pizza: £15.50
- Spaetzle or rosti with 12-hour cooked Scottish beef ragout: £15
- Schnitzel or currywurst in a pretzel bun: £13.50–£14.50
- Wallace or Edinburgh gourmet cheeseburger: £14
- Handcrafted pie with a side: £13.50
- Super Deluxe hot chocolate: £11.50
- A large glühwein (£9.70) or a Paulaner pint (£9.80)
Is It Worth It?
For one or two things, yes. My advice is to treat the market as the dessert course of a day out, not the main meal: a sausage, a mulled wine, a hot chocolate, and a proper sit-down dinner afterwards. If you want a real meal, see where to eat in Edinburgh. Planning the rest of your visit? Start with the Edinburgh Christmas Market guide, then read about Christmas in Edinburgh and hotels near the Christmas Market.
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