How much does it cost to live in Edinburgh?

Typical monthly costs in Edinburgh are approximately £1,300 in rent and £1,200 in other expenses, totalling around £2,500/month.

How much should I save in Edinburgh?

Based on ONS Living Costs & Food Survey FYE2024, people at mid-range incomes in United Kingdom typically save 12–20% of gross income. In a high cost city like Edinburgh, housing costs can reduce this, particularly for renters.

Edinburgh · GBP · high cost city

Cost of living in Edinburgh — is your salary enough?

Edinburgh rents average £1,300/month, driven by constrained supply and strong professional and tourist demand. Edinburgh earners at mid-income levels face a tighter cost ratio than other Scottish cities due to housing scarcity.

Rent in Edinburgh

Budget£1,000 – £1,150/mo

Typical£1,300 – £1,500/mo

Premium£1,700+/mo

Other monthly costs

Food, transport, bills, going out~£1,200/mo

Total typical monthly spend~£2,500/mo

How different incomes stack up

At typical Edinburgh costs (£1,300 rent)

£25,000 – £35,000→ saving -28.2%

Critical

£35,000 – £50,000→ saving 9.5%

Under-Saving

£50,000 – £70,000→ saving 27.5%

On Track

See your personal verdict for Edinburgh

Country

Annual income (gross)£42,500

£10,000£155,000£300,000+

Monthly rent or mortgage£1,300/mo

£0£4,000£8,000+

Other monthly expenses

Food, transport, subscriptions, going out — everything except rent

£1,400/mo

£0£3,000£6,000+

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Cost figures are estimates based on reported median rents and typical spending patterns. Savings benchmarks from ONS Living Costs & Food Survey FYE2024. Figures in GBP.

Check your savings rate in Edinburgh →

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Also in the Verdict suite

SalaryVerdict — Is your Edinburgh salary competitive?SpendVerdict — Is your Edinburgh rent too high?