Living in Edinburgh

In Edinburgh, the median gross salary is €3,730 a month (2025) and unemployment is 2.2% (2026).

Edinburgh is one of the cities recorded in the United Kingdom.

Last checked 2026-10-0223 sources

Population488,050people30 Jun 2016Official source · National Records of Scotland — Settlements and Localities Population

Median gross salary3,730EUR/month31 Dec 2025Official source · ONS ASHE workplace analysis — exact city gross salary

Average rent1,653EUR/month31 Aug 2026Regional figureOfficial source · ONS Price Index of Private Rents, UK: monthly price statistics, Table 1, Rental price

Unemployment rate2.2%country median 3.4% — 35% belowOfficial source · www.nomisweb.co.uk

Recorded crime549.5offences per 100,000country median 9,646 — 94% belowOfficial source · Scottish Government

PM2.5, annual mean5.38µg/m³country median 6.5 — 17% belowOfficial source · DEFRA UK air quality statistics — annual mean PM2.5 station tables 2025

Lower unemployment than 94% of United Kingdom cities that publish it, less recorded crime than any other United Kingdom city that publishes it and cleaner air than 91% of United Kingdom cities that publish it.

Which United Kingdom-wide rules apply when you move to Edinburgh?

National rules stay on the country page instead of being relabelled as city data.

Visa and entry rulesPassport-specific entry and national residence context.BenefitsCountry-wide eligibility and official application routes.Taxes in United KingdomNational rates and thresholds that apply in Edinburgh.Healthcare eligibilityCountry-wide insurance and residence conditions.

Housing and cost

No city-level rent figure is published for Edinburgh. The available city-level cost figures remain below.

What recurs every month4 published recurring costs, € per month

€ / month

Utilities, 85 m² flat€292

Transport pass€85

Internet, 60 Mbps€37

Mobile plan, 10 GB€14

Supplemental estimate lane; these items are not official statistics.

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited	37.34 EUR/month	30 Sept 2026	Numbeo city cost-of-living page — /cities/uk/edinburgh/²³Community estimate · Supplemental context
Mobile plan, 10 GB	14.28 EUR/month	30 Sept 2026	Numbeo city cost-of-living page — /cities/uk/edinburgh/²³Community estimate · Supplemental context
Monthly transport pass	84.52 EUR/month	30 Sept 2026	Numbeo city cost-of-living page — /cities/uk/edinburgh/²³Community estimate · Supplemental context
Basic utilities, 85 m² home	291.7 EUR/month	30 Sept 2026	Numbeo city cost-of-living page — /cities/uk/edinburgh/²³Community estimate · Supplemental context
Average monthly rent (whole dwelling)	1,653 EUR/month	31 Aug 2026	ONS Price Index of Private Rents, UK: monthly price statistics, Table 1, Rental price⁶Official · regional context

Is Edinburgh a good place to live?

There is no universal answer. The profile scores below show who the available published evidence may suit; they are a decision aid, not a personal recommendation.

Try your profile

Remote worker38%strong on work, weak on legal route · range 28–48%

Skilled employee50%strong on work, weak on housing · range 41–59%

Student47%strong on education, weak on work · range 38–56%

Family71%strong on family, weak on cost · range 62–80%

Retirement41%strong on safety, weak on admin · range 31–51%

Work and income

What is the typical salary in Edinburgh?

The median gross salary is about 3,730 EUR/month (2025). Source: ONS ASHE workplace analysis — exact city gross salary⁵

City-scope median, gross, before tax and social contributions.

What is the unemployment rate in Edinburgh?

The unemployment rate is 2.2 % (2026-03). Source: www.nomisweb.co.uk¹³

Unemployment across cities in United KingdomUnemployment in Edinburgh is 2.2%. Of 999 cities with data, 652 have unemployment of 2 to under 4%.

652

263

0–22–44–66–88–1010–1216–18

Edinburgh 2.2%

Unemployment rate (%)

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Median gross salary	3,730 EUR/month	31 Dec 2025	ONS ASHE workplace analysis — exact city gross salary⁵Official
Average net monthly salary	3,055 EUR/month	30 Sept 2026	Numbeo city cost-of-living page — /cities/uk/edinburgh/²³Community estimate · Supplemental context
Unemployment rate	2.2 %country median 3.4%	27 Aug 2026	www.nomisweb.co.uk¹³Official

What does a salary buy in Edinburgh?

Take-home pay after tax, minus rent and the everyday bills this city publishes. Each line names its source.

Left over each month€947of €3,028 take-home

Rent
Utilities
Transport
Internet
Mobile
Left over

Line-by-line breakdown and sources

Each month	€
Take-home payOECD Taxing Wages 2025, single, no children. Includes central and local income tax and employee social contributions; euro amounts at the ECB average for 2026-08.	€3,028
Rentaverage rent of a whole dwelling · official · ONS Price Index of Private Rents, UK: monthly price statistics, Table 1, Rental price · 2026-08-31	− €1,653
Public transport pass€85 · market price · Numbeo city cost-of-living page · 2026-09-30	− €85
Utilities, 85 m²€292 · market price · Numbeo city cost-of-living page · 2026-09-30	− €292
Internet€37 · market price · Numbeo city cost-of-living page · 2026-09-30	− €37
Mobile plan€14 · market price · Numbeo city cost-of-living page · 2026-09-30	− €14
Left over	€947

Take-home pay for other salaries and households Compare with another city Check a job offer in Edinburgh Salary needed to live in Edinburgh

Public employment service

No exact public employment office is currently linked to Edinburgh. The verified national service may still offer online registration, job search or an official office finder.

Country-level information

Jobcentre Plus — Public employment service

Department for Work and Pensions

Job SearchUnemployment Claim

Open official service

Open the United Kingdom service overview

Country-level service information is not treated as proof of a physical office in Edinburgh. Sources checked through 10 Aug 2026.

Family and education

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Public language course providers	12 count	30 Sept 2026	ESOL classes - The City of Edinburgh Council²Official
Primary schools	88 count	3 Aug 2026	Scottish Government¹¹Official
Schools	122 count	3 Aug 2026	Scottish Government¹¹Official

School for children who move here. School is compulsory from age 5 to 16, and public school is free.

A country-wide rule for United Kingdom; Edinburgh's school authority applies it locally.

Sources: legislation.gov.uk · 1996–2026.

Healthcare

Metric	Value	Period	Source
GP practices	2 count	30 Sept 2026	ODS GP Practices report (epraccur)⁴Official

Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Edinburgh under the national coverage rules.

Healthcare access follows the country-wide insurance rules; local capacity facts remain city data and are not used as proof of eligibility.

Open the official coverage guide

Country rule verified 2026-08-03.

Safety

Edinburgh recorded a crime rate of 549.5 incidents per 100,000 residents at the end of 2024.

How safe is Edinburgh?

Police recorded about 549 incidents per 100,000 (2024). This counts all offences, so it is not comparable with a violent-crime-only rate from another source.

Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents: 549.5 offences per 100,000 · Scottish Government¹⁰

Recorded crime across major citiesEdinburgh highlighted among comparable cities

recorded incidents per 100k residents

Manchester14,267

Bristol13,099

Liverpool12,409

Leeds11,462

Birmingham11,416

Leicester11,001

Sheffield9,693

Cardiff9,379

Belfast9,156

Coventry8,836

Glasgow757

Edinburgh549

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents	549.5 offences per 100,000country median 9,646	31 Dec 2024	Scottish Government¹⁰Official

Mobility and administration

Edinburgh's nearest airport was EDI, 11 km away and offered 88 direct destinations.

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Direct destinations from the nearest major airport	88 count	3 Aug 2026	OpenFlights⁷Official
Distance to the nearest major airport	11 km	3 Aug 2026	OurAirports⁸Official
Nearest major airport (IATA code)	EDI	3 Aug 2026	OurAirports⁸Official

Climate and air quality

Is the air quality good in Edinburgh?

The annual PM2.5 mean is about 5.4 µg/m³ (2024) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³.

Annual mean at the measuring site(s) serving the city; current-day readings differ.

PM2.5 — annual mean: 5.38 µg/m³ · DEFRA UK air quality statistics — annual mean PM2.5 station tables 2025¹

Air quality vs health guidelinesAnnual means against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limits

Within WHO 2021 guidelineAbove WHO, within EU limitAbove EU legal limitCity annual mean · µg/m³

PM2.55.4WHO 5 · EU 25

City values from the published air-quality observations. WHO 2021 guidelines and EU limit values are published constants.

PM2.5 across cities in United KingdomAnnual PM2.5 in Edinburgh is 5.4 µg/m³. Of 941 cities with data, 487 have annual PM2.5 of 6 to under 7 µg/m³.

211

487

200

3–44–55–66–77–88–99–1013–14

Edinburgh 5.4

Annual PM2.5 (µg/m³)

Metric	Value	Period	Source
PM2.5 — annual mean	5.38 µg/m³country median 6.5	31 Dec 2024	DEFRA UK air quality statistics — annual mean PM2.5 station tables 2025¹Official

Population and city profile

How many people live in Edinburgh?

The published population was 488,050 people in June 2016. Source: National Records of Scotland — Settlements and Localities Population³

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Population	488,050 people	30 Jun 2016	National Records of Scotland — Settlements and Localities Population³Official · locality

Additional context

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Universities	4 count	3 Aug 2026	Scottish Funding Council⁹Official

Alternatives for people set on Edinburgh

Nothing here reaches an argued comparison yet: no other published city shares enough metrics with Edinburgh from the same source, period and grain. What is collected is below.

Cities near Edinburgh

Published cities within 25 km, nearest first. Distances are straight-line.

Alternative cities in United Kingdom

Other cities in United Kingdom to compare with Edinburgh, nearest in population first.

All United Kingdom cities

Sheffield500,535 residents Manchester470,405 residents Liverpool506,565 residents Leeds536,280 residents Bristol425,215 residents Croydon407,821 residents

How does Edinburgh compare?

Pick a city. The answer appears here and the address bar keeps it, so the comparison can be shared; the page stays Edinburgh's.

Open the full comparison

Edinburgh in rankings

#9 of 30 in Cities with cleanest air in United Kingdom #12 of 30 in Cities with lowest unemployment in United Kingdom #12 of 30 in Highest salary cities in United Kingdom

Common questions

Answered from the published values on this page, each with its source and date.

How many people live in Edinburgh?

The published population was 488,050 people in June 2016. Source: National Records of Scotland — Settlements and Localities Population.

Is the air quality good in Edinburgh?

The annual PM2.5 mean is about 5.4 µg/m³ (2024) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³. Source: DEFRA UK air quality statistics — annual mean PM2.5 station tables 2025.

How safe is Edinburgh?

Police recorded about 549 incidents per 100,000 (2024). This counts all offences, so it is not comparable with a violent-crime-only rate from another source. Source: Scottish Government.

What is the typical salary in Edinburgh?

The median gross salary is about 3,730 EUR/month (2025). Source: ONS ASHE workplace analysis — exact city gross salary.

What is the unemployment rate in Edinburgh?

The unemployment rate is 2.2 % (2026-03). Source: www.nomisweb.co.uk.

How much is public transport in Edinburgh?

A monthly transport pass is 84.52 EUR/month. This is a supplemental estimate, not an official municipal measurement. Source: Numbeo city cost-of-living page — /cities/uk/edinburgh/.

Is Edinburgh a good place to live?

Edinburgh may suit different people for different reasons. The page's profile scores compare published cost, work, housing, safety, healthcare and other available factors; they are a decision aid, not a universal recommendation.

Which cities are near Edinburgh?

Colinton, Loanhead, Currie, Dalkeith, Bonnyrigg are near Edinburgh. Typed relationship labels are shown where published; other rows use straight-line distance from admitted coordinates.

Cite this page

Open a format to select or copy this ImmigrationDB compilation citation. The native disclosure and text fallback work without JavaScript.

APA citation

ImmigrationDB. (2026, October 16). Edinburgh, United Kingdom: population, rent, salary, jobs [ImmigrationDB compilation; version bae6da15c85fd60b8da26506be94b9fc]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/uk/edinburgh/ Retrieved 2026-10-16. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

BibTeX citation

@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_edinburgh-united-kingdom-population-rent-salary-jobs_42fc62e3d97c,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Edinburgh, United Kingdom: population, rent, salary, jobs},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-10-16},
  version = {bae6da15c85fd60b8da26506be94b9fc},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/uk/edinburgh/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-10-16. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}

Markdown citation

[Edinburgh, United Kingdom: population, rent, salary, jobs](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/uk/edinburgh/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; version bae6da15c85fd60b8da26506be94b9fc; retrieved 2026-10-16; built 2026-10-16.

This citation identifies the ImmigrationDB compilation/page. Underlying source publishers and datasets retain their own terms; inspect the Sources section and cite those records separately. View the underlying source records.

Sources

JSON Markdown

DEFRA UK air quality statistics — annual mean PM2.5 station tables 2025 DEFRA UK air quality statistics · assets.publishing.service.gov.uk · checked 2026-09-28
ESOL classes - The City of Edinburgh Council edinburgh.gov.uk · checked 2026-09-19
National Records of Scotland — Settlements and Localities Population National Records of Scotland · data.gov.scot · checked 2026-09-11
ODS GP Practices report (epraccur) odsdatasearchandexport.nhs.uk · checked 2026-09-15
ONS ASHE workplace analysis — exact city gross salary ONS ASHE workplace analysis · nomisweb.co.uk · checked 2026-09-05
ONS Price Index of Private Rents, UK: monthly price statistics, Table 1, Rental price ons.gov.uk · checked 2026-09-25
OpenFlights raw.githubusercontent.com · checked 2026-08-03
OurAirports davidmegginson.github.io · checked 2026-08-03
Scottish Funding Council sfc.ac.uk · checked 2026-08-03
Scottish Government gov.scot · checked 2026-08-04

Show 13 more sources

Scottish Government gov.scot · checked 2026-08-03
Travel to Work Areas (December 2011) full extent boundaries in the United Kingdom services1.arcgis.com · checked 2026-09-19
www.nomisweb.co.uk nomisweb.co.uk · checked 2026-08-26
Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
Numbeo city cost-of-living page — /cities/uk/edinburgh/ Numbeo city cost-of-living page · de.numbeo.com · checked 2026-09-05

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