Cost of living in East Lothian
Data last updated: 14 May 2026
Page last reviewed: 14 May 2026
Rent in East Lothian
The average monthly rent in East Lothian 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.
Earnings in East Lothian
The average annual salary for residents of East Lothian is £33,737.
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 East Lothian
Source: ONS / HM Land Registry. Historical trend based on quarterly rolling-year median prices.
Climate and weather in East Lothian
Summer daytime highs in East Lothian typically reach 18.5°C in July, dropping to around 6.4°C in January. East Lothian is much drier than average for the UK, with rain falling on about 2.5 days a week. It gets around 32% less rainfall than the UK average. The area gets a typical amount of sunshine for the UK, averaging around 5.1 hours per day in summer. Expect frost on around 103 days per year, mostly between October and April.
| Month | Daytime high | Rainfall | Rain days | Sunshine | Frost days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 6.4°C | 64mm | 12 | 53h | 18 |
| Feb | 6.9°C | 54mm | 10 | 80h | 16 |
| Mar | 8.7°C | 51mm | 10 | 110h | 15 |
| Apr | 11.0°C | 47mm | 9 | 149h | 10 |
| May | 13.9°C | 53mm | 10 | 189h | 5 |
| Jun | 16.6°C | 74mm | 11 | 157h | 1 |
| Jul | 18.5°C | 72mm | 12 | 161h | 0 |
| Aug | 18.3°C | 75mm | 11 | 150h | 0 |
| Sep | 16.0°C | 61mm | 10 | 122h | 1 |
| Oct | 12.5°C | 82mm | 12 | 93h | 6 |
| Nov | 9.0°C | 76mm | 12 | 68h | 12 |
| Dec | 6.7°C | 72mm | 12 | 48h | 17 |
How this is calculated
Climate data is based on Met Office 30-year averages (1991-2020), calculated from 25 observation grid points covering the East Lothian local authority area.
Source: Met Office HadUK-Grid , 1991-2020 averages. Crown copyright. Open Government Licence v3.0.
Council tax in East Lothian
Band D council tax in East Lothian is £1,698 per year.
- Band A£1,132
- Band B£1,320
- Band C£1,509
- Band DBenchmark£1,698
- Band E£2,230
- Band F£2,759
- Band G£3,325
- Band H£4,159
Source: MHCLG / Scottish Government / Welsh Government
Energy costs in East Lothian
A typical household in East Lothian 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 East Lothian
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
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Crime in East Lothian
There were 418 recorded crimes per 10,000 people in East Lothian, which is below the national average of 813.2. East Lothian ranks #23 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
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Nearby areas
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Frequently asked questions about East Lothian
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.