Cost of living in Scottish Borders
Data last updated: 12 May 2026
Rent in Scottish Borders
Source: ONS Private Rental Market Statistics
Earnings in Scottish Borders
The average annual salary for residents of Scottish Borders is £28,796.
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)
House prices in Scottish Borders
Source: ONS / HM Land Registry
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 DBenchmark£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.
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).
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
Compare Scottish Borders with another area
Data on this page is sourced from: ONS Private Rental Market 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.