Cost of living in Edinburgh
Data last updated: 14 May 2026
Page last reviewed: 24 June 2026
Edinburgh is the most expensive Scottish city by some margin, although it remains noticeably cheaper than London or Bristol. Average overall rent is £1,432/month, a one-bed averages £1,035, and a typical single-person basket comes to around £1,614. Average earnings of £37,380/year are the highest of any Scottish city we cover and comfortably above the UK average, which pulls the affordability score back to 50.3% (rank #230 of 348): mid-range, broadly comparable to Leeds or Manchester. The economy leans heavily on financial services (Edinburgh is the second-largest financial centre in the UK), legal and professional services, tech, government and the public sector, and a major tourism and festival industry. The University of Edinburgh, Heriot-Watt, and Napier add a substantial student population. Honest downsides: the August Fringe inflates short-term costs significantly. Rent has climbed sharply in the past five years. And Scottish income tax rates differ from the rest of the UK, which is worth knowing if you're moving from England. The weather, especially the January wind off the Forth, is what you'd expect.
- Known for:
- Scottish capital; financial-services centre; the Festival and Fringe; UNESCO Old Town and New Town; Edinburgh Castle and Arthur's Seat.
- Transport:
- Trains to London King's Cross take about 4hr 20min. Excellent local bus network run by Lothian Buses; trams to the airport. Easy onward connections to Glasgow (50 minutes).
- Character:
- Compact, walkable, historic, and increasingly expensive. Strong professional and tourism economy, dense student presence, and a genuine cultural calendar that runs year-round.
Rent in Edinburgh
The average monthly rent in Edinburgh is £1,432.
- 1 Bed£1,035 /mo
- 2 Bed£1,328 /mo
- 3 Bed£1,705 /mo
- 4+ Bed£2,739 /mo
Source: ONS Price Index of Private Rents (PIPR)
Scottish rent figures are based on Broad Rental Market Area (BRMA) averages from the Scottish Government Private Sector Rent Statistics and ONS PIPR, not directly at council level. Councils within the same BRMA share the same headline figure.
Edinburgh's £1,614/month basket sits below Bristol and well below London, but it is the highest in Scotland. Council tax (Band D) at £1,626/year is one of the lower figures in our data, which softens the picture. The rent figures are doing most of the work: at £1,035/month a one-bed is roughly £150 more than Glasgow, although still cheaper than most English cities of comparable size.
Earnings in Edinburgh
The average annual salary for residents of Edinburgh is £37,380.
We use the median (middle value) as the average throughout this site. This is more representative than the mean, which can be skewed by extremely high or low values.
Source: ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE)
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Average house prices in Edinburgh
Source: ONS / HM Land Registry. Historical trend based on quarterly rolling-year median prices.
Council tax in Edinburgh
Band D council tax in Edinburgh is £1,626 per year.
- Band A£1,084
- Band B£1,265
- Band C£1,445
- Band DBenchmark£1,626
- Band E£2,136
- Band F£2,642
- Band G£3,184
- Band H£3,984
Source: MHCLG / Scottish Government / Welsh Government
Energy costs in Edinburgh
A typical household in Edinburgh pays approximately £1,641/year (£137/month) for gas and electricity.
Energy region: South Scotland
This estimate is based on the Ofgem price cap for a typical dual-fuel household using 2,700 kWh of electricity and 11,500 kWh of gas per year, paying by Direct Debit. Your actual costs will depend on your usage, tariff, and whether you're on a fixed deal.
Source: Ofgem Energy Price Cap, Q2 2026
Water costs in Edinburgh
The average annual water and sewerage bill for Scottish Water customers is £480/year (£40/month).
Water company: Scottish Water
Water bills vary based on whether you have a meter and your household's water usage. This figure is the company average for unmetered customers.
Source: Water UK / Discover Water, 2026-27
Want a personalised estimate?
Adjust for your household size, housing type and transport to get a monthly cost tailored to you.
Crime in Edinburgh
There were 728 recorded crimes per 10,000 people in Edinburgh, which is below the national average of 813.2. Edinburgh ranks #163 out of 303 areas for lowest crime rate.
Recorded crime statistics reflect crimes reported to and recorded by police. They may not capture the full picture of crime in an area, and recording practices vary between forces.
Source: Home Office police recorded crime, 2024-25
Compare Edinburgh with another area
How does Edinburgh compare?
Side-by-side comparisons against three other UK areas, using the same single-person basket as the rest of the site.
Glasgow costs around £189/month less than Edinburgh on the same basket (£1,425/month vs £1,614/month).
See the full comparison Edinburgh vs ManchesterManchester costs around £6/month more than Edinburgh on the same basket (£1,620/month vs £1,614/month).
See the full comparison Edinburgh vs BristolBristol costs around £288/month more than Edinburgh on the same basket (£1,902/month vs £1,614/month).
See the full comparisonOr compare Edinburgh with any UK area using the comparison tool.
Nearby areas
Explore the cost of living in areas close to Edinburgh.
Frequently asked questions about Edinburgh
Data on this page is sourced from: ONS Price Index of Private Rents (PIPR), Scottish Government Private Sector Rent Statistics, ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, ONS / HM Land Registry House Price Statistics, MHCLG / Scottish Government / Welsh Government council tax data, Ofgem Energy Price Cap, and Water UK / Discover Water. All official data is published under the Open Government Licence.