City of Edinburgh: the market in figures
Scotland has 15 areas in this set, and Edinburgh is the first of them. Its £301,313 is 51.9% over the Scottish level of £198,397 and 10.4% over the UK level of £273,037, which sets it apart from the rest of Scotland, and it takes 47th place among all 135. Its rank within Scotland is 1st of 15.
Its decade is one of long growth interrupted once. The average started at £193,834 in 2016 and has risen by 55.4%, or £107,479, to the high of 2026. Both 2017 and 2021 brought 8.4%, 2018 brought 6.8%, and the single fall was 2.1% in 2023. The latest twelve months added 2.8%, which is very close to the 2.9% for Scotland, so the city is moving with its nation instead of ahead of it.
A detached house costs £691,415, a semi-detached home £454,000, a terraced home £381,227 and a flat £244,953. From flat to detached the distance is £446,462, or 182.3%. The first-time buyer average of £252,487 sits 16.2% lower than the all-buyer figure.
Land and Buildings Transaction Tax is levied in Scotland. The usual bill at the average price is £4,666 (1.5% of the price), while first-time buyers owe £4,066. An additional property owes £28,771. Scotland keeps its own register, so no HM Land Registry fee applies.
Not a single neighbour costs more than Edinburgh. West Lothian, at £225,439, is the closest, 25.2% lower. Fife (£182,463) trails by 39.4%, Falkirk (£174,164) by 42.2%, Clackmannanshire (£171,154) by 43.2% and North Lanarkshire (£161,163) by 46.5%. On twelve-month movement, Falkirk gained 5.3% and Fife 5.1%, more than the city's 2.8%; North Lanarkshire gained 3.9%, West Lothian 2.2% and Clackmannanshire lost 0.5%.
Edinburgh recorded 10,865 sales during the year to May 2026, a high count that supports the average and the spread between flats and detached houses. Because every neighbour listed costs less, much of that activity happens in a market priced above its surroundings, which is what the neighbour gaps above describe.
Payotte, from the UK HPI and the calculator.
Property professionals in City of Edinburgh
One firm per trade, selected by Payotte on public data (5 of 5 trades filled in City of Edinburgh). Companies, never individuals, with a regulator or register you can check with the official body.
| Trade | Firm | Google rating | Reviews | Score /100 | Status | Listing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Estate agent | Strutt & Parker Edinburgh Estate Agents | 4.7 | 83 | 76 | Selected | View |
| Mortgage adviser | Bespoke Home Finance | 5 | 115 | 71 | Selected | View |
| Conveyancer | McEwan Fraser Legal | 4.5 | 1172 | 78 | Selected | View |
| Surveyor | Allied Surveyors Scotland | 4.5 | 8 | 68 | Partial | View |
| Valuer | The Valuation Hub | 5 | 28 | 57 | Partial | View |
One firm per trade and per area, chosen on public data and scored out of 100 points — Google reviews (35), age of the company (30), checkable regulator or register (15), local anchoring (15), bonus (5). The ranking is never paid for. No firm can buy its place or its recommendation. How Payotte ranks firms
Calculate for City of Edinburgh
Frequently asked questions
What is the average house price in City of Edinburgh?
The average price of a home in City of Edinburgh was £301,313 in August 2026, +2.8% over twelve months (UK House Price Index).
Have house prices gone up in City of Edinburgh?
The average price in City of Edinburgh went from £193,834 in August 2016 to £301,313 in August 2026, a change of +55.4%; +2.8% over the last twelve months (UK House Price Index).
How much Land and Buildings Transaction Tax on an average-priced home in City of Edinburgh?
On £301,313, Land and Buildings Transaction Tax (LBTT) comes to £4,666 for a home mover, £4,066 for a first-time buyer and £28,771 for an additional property, at the rates in force in Scotland.
How much tax when you sell a home in City of Edinburgh?
None on your main home if it was your only home, lived in for all the time you owned it, not let out and not used exclusively for business (Private Residence Relief). A second home or a buy-to-let pays Capital Gains Tax above the £3,000 allowance (2026 to 2027; rates in the calculator above). Bought at the average price in City of Edinburgh in August 2016 (£193,834) and sold at the August 2026 average (£301,313), the gain of £107,479 costs a higher rate taxpayer £25,075, before deducting the costs of buying, selling and improving. The tax is reported and paid within 60 days of completion (HMRC).
Is City of Edinburgh expensive?
City of Edinburgh ranks 47th of the 135 areas Payotte covers for the average price in August 2026, from £1,204,072 in Kensington and Chelsea to £133,782 in City of Aberdeen.
Prices by property type, August 2026
| Type | Average price | Scotland |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £691,415 | £365,984 |
| Semi-detached | £454,000 | £226,592 |
| Terraced | £381,227 | £184,396 |
| Flat or maisonette | £244,953 | £138,886 |
| All types | £301,313 | £198,397 |
| First-time buyers | £252,487 | £162,166 |
The UK HPI is a mix-adjusted average (a hedonic model), not the price of the homes sold in the month. Northern Ireland figures are quarterly.
The trend, August of each year
| Year | Average price | Change on the year before |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | £193,834 | — |
| 2017 | £210,090 | +8.4% |
| 2018 | £224,351 | +6.8% |
| 2019 | £234,686 | +4.6% |
| 2020 | £246,382 | +5% |
| 2021 | £267,109 | +8.4% |
| 2022 | £281,994 | +5.6% |
| 2023 | £276,171 | -2.1% |
| 2024 | £279,316 | +1.1% |
| 2025 | £293,049 | +4.9% |
| 2026 | £301,313 | +2.8% |
Sources
- Prices and sales: UK House Price Index, file UK-HPI-full-file-2026-08.csv. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2020. This data is licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
- Purchase tax: rates and sources of the calculator (Revenue Scotland).
- Tax when you sell: Capital Gains Tax rates, Tax when you sell your home and Report and pay your Capital Gains Tax (GOV.UK, HMRC).