Cost of living in East Lothian
Data last updated: 12 May 2026
Rent in East Lothian
Source: ONS Private Rental Market Statistics
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)
House prices in East Lothian
Source: ONS / HM Land Registry
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
Compare East Lothian 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.