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What Salary Do You Need to Live in Leith, Edinburgh?

Based on 2026 cost of living data, here's how much you need to earn (before tax) in Leith, Edinburgh, United Kingdom — from bare minimum to living well.

Get By
£22,186
Covers rent & essentials. No savings, tight budget.
Comfortable
£45,780
50/30/20 rule. Savings, dining out, some travel.
Live Well
£59,342
Premium lifestyle with strong savings & flexibility.

Monthly Cost Breakdown

Rent (1BR)£881/mo
Groceries + Utilities + Transport + Healthcare£535/mo
Total essentials£1,416/mo
Effective tax + deductions rate25.8%

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How We Calculate This

We start with actual monthly costs in Leith, Edinburgh: rent for a 1-bedroom apartment, groceries, utilities, transport, and healthcare. For the "comfortable" tier, we apply the 50/30/20 rule — your essentials should be 50% of take-home pay, leaving 30% for wants and 20% for savings.

We then reverse-calculate the gross (pre-tax) salary you'd need, using United Kingdom's progressive tax brackets and mandatory deductions (including local taxes for Edinburgh). All figures are in GBP for 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions

What salary do you need to live in Leith, Edinburgh?

To live comfortably in Leith, Edinburgh in 2026, you need a gross annual salary of approximately £45,780. This covers rent, groceries, utilities, transport, healthcare, and leaves 30% for wants and 20% for savings (50/30/20 rule). The minimum to get by is £22,186.

What is the cost of living in Leith, Edinburgh?

Monthly rent for a 1-bedroom apartment in Leith, Edinburgh is approximately £881. Essential monthly expenses (groceries, utilities, transport, healthcare) add roughly £535. The effective tax rate is 25.8%.

Is £22,186 enough to live in Leith, Edinburgh?

£22,186 is the bare minimum salary to get by in Leith, Edinburgh — it covers rent and essential expenses with very little left over. For a comfortable lifestyle with savings, you'd want at least £45,780.

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Data Sources: Cost of living data from Numbeo · Expatistan. Rent from Numbeo Property Prices. Tax rates from OECD Taxing Wages · UK Office for National Statistics · HM Revenue & Customs. Salary data from BLS · Glassdoor. Exchange rates from the ECB. Updated 2026-02-28. All figures are estimates.