Cost of Living: Edinburgh vs Perth (2026)

United Kingdom vs Australia — relocation comparison

Your passport:

Livability Score

Edinburgh

Perth

$1,620/mo

Rent

1BR centre

$1,821/mo

$40k/yr

Take-home savings

At each city's local median pay

$31k/yr

5 yr

PR path

—

4-year FIG regime (Foreign Income and Gains)

Tax breaks

Open incentive regimes for newcomers

—

Freelance setup

Sole Trader

VAT-free under €105k
9% social
€600/yr accountant

WiseStripe

Sole Trader with ABN

VAT-free under €46k
€600/yr accountant

WiseStripe

Sourced from Numbeo · Updated April 2026

TL;DREdinburgh is 11% cheaper on rent ($1,620/mo vs $1,821/mo). Perth summers average 84°F vs 63°F. Both countries will let you complain about the government in public — and mean it.

Too close to call — 72 vs 69. Edinburgh has a slight edge, but Perth might suit you better depending on your priorities.

How the livability score breaks down

Edinburgh

Perth

13.3/25

💰 Affordability

11.3/25

13.9/15

🔒 Violent Crime

14.2/15

7/10

🛡️ Perceived Safety

5.8/10

6.6/15

⚡ Internet

5.3/15

12.5/15

🗳️ Democracy

13.3/15

10/10

🗣️ English

10/10

6.2/10

☀️ Climate

8.2/10

6.7/10

📊 Stability

6.8/10

10/10

🚗 Road Safety

9.1/10

7.5/10

🕊️ Geopolitical Safety

5.9/10

Verdict delivered. Your move.

The winner's file

🇬🇧 Edinburgh

Full profile. Verify before you pack.

Due diligence

🇦🇺 Perth

Every verdict deserves an appeal.

Plot twist

London vs Edinburgh

Someone else's dilemma, equally unsolvable.

Household

Edinburgh

Metric

Perth

$902/mo

🛒

Living costs (no rent)

lower is better

$611/mo✓

✓$5,513

🧳

Cost to land

lower is better

$11,432

86 / 100

🛡️

Settler safety

higher is better

86 / 100

1.1 / 100k

🔒

Homicides

lower is better

0.8 / 100k✓

✓2.4 / 100k

🚗

Road deaths

lower is better

4.5 / 100k

✓70 / 100

🚨

Safety Index

higher is better

58 / 100

63°F

☀️

Summer high

personal taste

84°F

34°F

❄️

Winter low

personal taste

48°F

89 Mbps

⚡

Internet speed

higher is better

—

5.7 μg/m³

🌬️

Air quality (PM2.5)

lower is better

5.3 μg/m³✓

83 / 100

🏥

Healthcare

higher is better

86 / 100

8.3 / 10

🗳️

Democracy

higher is better

8.8 / 10✓

6.6 / 9

🤝

Migrant acceptance

higher is better

8.3 / 9✓

52 / 100

🏳️‍🌈

Rainbow Index

higher is better

78 / 100✓

100/100

🗣️

Street English

higher is better

100/100

$62k

💼

GDP per capita (PPP)

higher is better

$72k✓

3.3% · Boringly steady

📈

Inflation

lower is better

3.2% · Boringly steady

92/100 — Reliable

⚡

Grid reliability

higher is better

—

92/100

🗽

Freedom House

higher is better

95/100

A median Software Engineer in Edinburgh takes home $7,241/mo under Standard employee. In Perth: $6,333/mo under Standard employee.

$907/mo more in Edinburgh

🎯 Edinburgh's 4-year FIG regime (Foreign Income and Gains) isn't modelled above — if you qualify, take-home would be $6,522/mo instead.

Each city pays its own median — Software Engineer gross via Levels.fyi / Eurostat. Moving changes your salary too; that's the point.

$117k

💰

Gross income

$107k

−$26k

🏛️

Income tax

Standard employee

−$27k

−$5k

🛡️

Social contributions

−$4k

✓$87k/yr

$7k/mo

💵

Take-home pay

$76k/yr

$6k/mo

−$47k

🏠

Cost of living

−$45k

✓$40k/yr

🐖

Annual savings

$31k/yr

Swap the local medians for your actual number

Sources: Numbeo · UNODC · Ookla · WHO · EIU · Gallup · World Bank · Freedom House · Updated April 2026

💰

Cost of Living

Edinburgh

$201/mo cheaper on rent alone

🗳️

Democracy

Perth

8.8/10 EIU index

☀️

Weather

—

63°F vs 84°F summers

Sun

How much sky you actually get

41% clear

Win

Spr

Sum

Fall

Sky clear

avg daytime

78% clear

Win

Spr

Sum

Fall

7.0h

Shortest day

Dec

14.2h

17.6h

Longest day

Jun

10.1h

Sun clocks out early in Edinburgh's winter. Plan accordingly.

Source: WeatherSpark (clear-sky share of daytime hours)

Settler Essentials

stable →

Democracy trend

stable →

improving ↑

Inflation trend

improving ↑

fintechbiotechtourismeducation

Industries

—

active

Startup ecosystem

—

Moderate

🇺🇸 Your visa

—

Moderate

EU visa

—

Complex

RU visa

—

Moderate

UA visa

—

✅ Partner can work immediately

Spouse works

—

Recognized (2+ yr)

unmarried partner / civil partnership

Partner pathway

—

Visa stamps:Easy <90 daysModerate 3–6 moComplex 6+ mo

Sources: EIU · Freedom House · Startup Genome · official immigration portals

Reproductive Rights

Because your body shouldn't need a visa too

Broad social grounds

Abortion access

On request

24 wk

Gestational limit

24 wk

Requires two doctors' approval under Abortion Act 1967, but broadly available up to 24 weeks.

Legal in all states/territories; gestational limits vary by state (16-24 weeks on request).

Source: Center for Reproductive Rights

LGBTQ+ Rights

Can you hold hands without doing a risk assessment first

Legal

Marriage

Legal

Joint adoption

Adoption

Joint adoption

Yes

Job protection

Yes

Hate crime law

Yes

Edinburgh vs Perth — Common Questions

Is Edinburgh cheaper than Perth?▾

Edinburgh is cheaper. A 1-bedroom apartment in city centre costs around $1620/month there vs $1821/month in the other city (Numbeo data).

Which is safer, Edinburgh or Perth?▾

Perth is statistically safer based on UNODC homicide data. Edinburgh has a rate of 1.07 per 100,000 and Perth has 0.83 per 100,000.

Should I move to Edinburgh or Perth?▾

Too close to call — 72 vs 69. Edinburgh has a slight edge, but Perth might suit you better depending on your priorities. See the full comparison above for rent, safety, internet speed, climate, and democracy scores to decide which city fits your priorities.

Is it easier to get residency in Edinburgh or Perth?▾

Edinburgh: UK Skilled Worker Visa (complex process, Up to 5 years). Perth: no specific remote work visa. See each city's profile page for full requirements.

Which has better weather, Edinburgh or Perth?▾

Perth is warmer in summer (84°F vs 63°F). Edinburgh has milder summers, which suits those who prefer cooler weather. Climate preference is personal — use the weather section above to compare seasons.

What's the cost of rent in Edinburgh vs Perth?▾

A 1-bedroom in the centre: $1620/month in Edinburgh, $1821/month in Perth (Numbeo). That's 11% cheaper rent in Edinburgh.

Is Edinburgh or Perth better for democracy and rule of law?▾

Perth scores 8.8/10 on the EIU Democracy Index vs 8.3/10 for Edinburgh. That puts it in 'full democracy' territory — free press, independent courts, the works.