Scotland

Cost of living in Scottish Borders

Data last updated: 14 May 2026

Page last reviewed: 14 May 2026

£707/mo
Average rent
£28,796/yr
Average earnings
£1,619/yr
Council tax (Band D)
£177/mo
Est. energy & water

Rent in Scottish Borders

The average monthly rent in Scottish Borders is £707.

  • 1 Bed
    £473 /mo
  • 2 Bed
    £629 /mo
  • 3 Bed
    £820 /mo
  • 4+ Bed
    £1,358 /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 Scottish Borders

The average annual salary for residents of Scottish Borders is £28,796.

Median
£28,796
per year
Mean
£32,784
per year

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 Scottish Borders

House price data is not currently available for Scottish Borders.

Source: ONS / HM Land Registry. Historical trend based on quarterly rolling-year median prices.

Climate and weather in Scottish Borders

Summer daytime highs in Scottish Borders typically reach 18.3°C in July, dropping to around 5.3°C in January. Scottish Borders gets a fairly typical amount of rain for the UK, with rain falling on about 3.1 days a week. The area gets a typical amount of sunshine for the UK, averaging around 4.8 hours per day in summer. Expect frost on around 119 days per year, mostly between October and May.

Month Daytime high Rainfall Rain days Sunshine Frost days
Jan 5.3°C 111mm 16 46h 20
Feb 5.9°C 92mm 13 73h 18
Mar 7.9°C 80mm 13 101h 17
Apr 10.7°C 69mm 12 142h 12
May 13.8°C 66mm 12 179h 7
Jun 16.4°C 80mm 12 149h 1
Jul 18.3°C 87mm 14 152h 0
Aug 17.9°C 96mm 14 144h 1
Sep 15.4°C 82mm 12 116h 2
Oct 11.6°C 116mm 15 84h 8
Nov 8.0°C 114mm 16 60h 14
Dec 5.6°C 119mm 16 43h 19
How this is calculated

Climate data is based on Met Office 30-year averages (1991-2020), calculated from 187 observation grid points covering the Scottish Borders local authority area.

Source: Met Office HadUK-Grid , 1991-2020 averages. Crown copyright. Open Government Licence v3.0.

Council tax in Scottish Borders

Band D council tax in Scottish Borders is £1,619 per year.

  • Band A
    £1,079
  • Band B
    £1,259
  • Band C
    £1,439
  • Band D
    Benchmark
    £1,619
  • Band E
    £2,127
  • Band F
    £2,630
  • Band G
    £3,170
  • Band H
    £3,965

Source: MHCLG / Scottish Government / Welsh Government

Energy costs in Scottish Borders

A typical household in Scottish Borders pays approximately £1,641/year (£137/month) for gas and electricity.

Annual
£1,641
per year
Monthly
£137
per month

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 Scottish Borders

The average annual water and sewerage bill for Scottish Water customers is £480/year (£40/month).

Annual
£480
per year
Monthly
£40
per 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 Scottish Borders

There were 390 recorded crimes per 10,000 people in Scottish Borders, which is below the national average of 813.2. Scottish Borders ranks #12 out of 303 areas for lowest crime rate.

Violence & sexual offences
147/10k
(1,710 offences)
Burglary
11/10k
(125 offences)
Theft
100/10k
(1,166 offences)
Criminal damage
62/10k
(718 offences)
Drug offences
29/10k
(337 offences)
Public order
0/10k
(0 offences)
Other
43/10k
(498 offences)

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

Explore the cost of living in areas close to Scottish Borders.

Midlothian 36.6 km away Scotland Affordability: 59.6% East Lothian 47.0 km away Scotland Affordability: 56.0% Edinburgh 50.3 km away Scotland Affordability: 50.3% Northumberland 55.5 km away North East Affordability: 34.7% South Lanarkshire 61.9 km away Scotland Affordability: 35.2% West Lothian 62.7 km away Scotland Affordability: 37.7% North Lanarkshire 78.3 km away Scotland Affordability: 33.1% Fife 78.8 km away Scotland Affordability: 34.9%

Frequently asked questions about Scottish Borders

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.