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Buy or rent / Edinburgh

Buy or rent in Edinburgh?

A typical home in Edinburgh costs around £335,000, and renting one costs around £1,450 a month. That's 19.3 years of rent to buy outright. A first-time buyer with a 15% deposit would need £58,650 in cash, including £6,250 of LBTT. Over 10 years, with the calculator's starting assumptions, buying comes out £32,998 ahead.

These local figures are rough starting points, last updated 16 October 2026. Change them to match the homes you're actually looking at.

£
%

£50,250

£/month

After 10 years

Buying leaves you £32,998 better off

Buying gets ahead of renting in year 4, after selling costs. Renting here assumes you invest whatever buying would have cost you extra.

£0£50k£100k£150k£200k£250kYr 2Yr 4Yr 6Yr 8Yr 10RentingBuyingBuying ahead from year 4
Net worth each year. Buying: home equity after selling costs, plus anything invested. Renting: investments plus the tenancy deposit.
years
Mortgage
%
years
%

Most people remortgage instead, so this is a cautious guess.

years
Growth and returns
% a year
% a year
% a year

What the renter earns on money not spent on the home, after fees. Assumed tax-free, as in an ISA.

% a year
Running and one-off costs
£/month

Paid whether you buy or rent.

£/month
% of value a year
£/month
£/month
£
£
% of price
Cash needed to buy
£58,650Deposit £50,250, LBTT £6,250, fees £2,150
First month's costs
£2,429 vs £1,655Buying (mortgage £1,835 plus running costs) vs renting
What if your assumptions are wrong?
ScenarioBetter off after 10 yrsBuying ahead from
Your assumptionsBuying by £32,998Year 4
Mortgage rates 1.5 points higherRenting by £20,990Not within the period
House prices don't growRenting by £94,681Not within the period
Rent rises 2.5 points fasterBuying by £63,571Year 3
Investments return 2 points lessBuying by £61,688Year 3

Before you decide

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