City in United Kingdom
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital of Scotland, on the Firth of Forth, with 531,370 people in the council area at mid-2025. About 23.5% of its residents at Scotland's Census 2022 were born outside the United Kingdom. The Royal Botanic Garden station (Met Office, 1991-2020) has 2 comfortable months a year by the program's test. Every other factor is the country figure. [N3] [N4] [W1]
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Region
- City of Edinburgh council area, Scotland
Why it is here
Why Edinburgh is on the list.
A city is listed when there is evidence that people move there. This is the evidence.
- The City of Edinburgh council area had 531,370 people at mid-2025 (National Records of Scotland), above the 500,000 line on the council area alone and the second-largest in Scotland after Glasgow City (654,330). [N3]
- At Scotland's Census 2022, 61.5% of Edinburgh's 514,512 usual residents were born in Scotland and 15% in other parts of the UK, which leaves about 23.5% born outside the UK (my arithmetic from the council's rounded percentages; 1.3% were born in the USA). The share is not a stated figure, and it counts country of birth, not how long anyone has lived there or why they came. [N4]
- InterNations, a private expat network, runs an Edinburgh community that lists 9,415 members, 4 monthly events and 8 interest groups (page read 16 October 2026); members may not all live in the city. [E1]
The Fernshore Index
How it grades, factor by factor.
Each grade is against a published measure, with its source and the date we checked it. It is research information, not advice. Where we have no figure, the row says Unknown.
Cost of living
14 of 100WeakCountry figure
Price level 0.892 of United States prices (2025), over the 0.75 line.
Source: Price level index (GDP), United Kingdom. Checked 16 October 2026.
Climate
8 of 100WeakOwn figure
Edinburgh, Royal Botanic Garden No 2 (Met Office, 1991-2020): 2 comfortable months a year (Jul 19.29 C, Aug 19.07 C). Rain is under 150 mm in every month (the wettest is 75.7 mm). June (17.43 C) misses the 18 C line by 0.6 C and September (16.88 C) by 1.1 C. Gogarbank, the Met Office's other Edinburgh station (west of the city), also has 2 (July 19.40 C and August 19.17 C).
Source: Edinburgh, Royal Botanic Garden No 2 1991-2020 averages. Checked 16 October 2026.
Safety
61 of 100MixedCountry figure
Global Peace Index 2026: 39th of 163 (score 1.730).
Source: Global Peace Index 2026, overall rank. Checked 16 October 2026.
Healthcare
92 of 100StrongCountry figure
WHO UHC service coverage index 88 (2023). Expat Insider 2026 ranks the United Kingdom last of 31 for the quality of medical care, which this index does not measure.
Source: UHC service coverage index (SDG 3.8.1). Checked 16 October 2026.
Schools
UnknownCountry figure
Our research doesn't cover schools yet.
Community
51 of 100MixedCountry figure
Expat Insider 2026: 21st of 31 for Ease of Settling In (22nd for Local Friendliness).
Source: Expat Insider 2026: Ease of Settling In. Checked 16 October 2026.
Lifestyle
38 of 100MixedCountry figure
Expat Insider 2026: 28th of 31 for Quality of Life.
Source: Expat Insider 2026: Quality of Life. Checked 16 October 2026.
Work and career
50 of 100MixedCountry figure
Mixed: one of the two tests holds. Fixed broadband is 42.2 per 100 people (2024), over the 30 line. But GOV.UK's work visa page names no digital nomad, remote worker or self-employed route, and the visitor rules allow remote work for an overseas employer only if it is not the primary purpose of the visit (a stay of up to 6 months, with no living in the UK through frequent or successive visits).
Source: Work visas; Immigration Rules Appendix Visitor: Permitted Activities; Standard Visitor visa: what you can do; Fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, United Kingdom. Checked 16 October 2026.
Retirement
15 of 100WeakCountry figure
Weak. The retired person of independent means route is closed to new applicants (GOV.UK, update of 13 June 2019) and its guidance was withdrawn on 9 November 2022 without replacement. GOV.UK's visa topics name no retirement or passive-income route.
Source: Extend your stay as a retired person of independent means; Browse: visas and immigration. Checked 16 October 2026.
Internet
95 of 100StrongCountry figure
42.16 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people (2024), over the 30 line.
Source: Fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, United Kingdom. Checked 16 October 2026.
English
100 of 100StrongCountry figure
The UK has no official language in law. In England and Wales 91.1% of residents aged three and over had English (or Welsh in Wales) as a main language in Census 2021. EF EPI doesn't cover the UK, so the official-language rule applies.
Source: Language, England and Wales: Census 2021. Checked 16 October 2026.
Visa, United States passport
UnknownCountry figure
Research for US passports is being checked
Visa, Canada passport
UnknownCountry figure
Research for Canadian passports is being checked
Visa, Australia passport
UnknownCountry figure
Research for Australian passports is being checked
Visa, New Zealand passport
UnknownCountry figure
Research for New Zealand passports is being checked
The country
More on United Kingdom.
Cities
Other cities in United Kingdom.
Questions about Edinburgh.
How much does it cost to rent a flat in Edinburgh?
The ONS put Scotland's average private rent at £1,013 a month in August 2026 (all sizes; £702 for a one-bedroom), a series it says to compare with caution against the rest of the UK. The one advert we found, an unfurnished one-bedroom in Canonmills, asked £1,275 with a £1,275 deposit and no agent fees.
Does Edinburgh have different income tax?
Yes. Scotland sets its own bands. For 2026 to 2027, after the £12,570 allowance: 19% to £16,537, 20% to £29,526, 21% to £43,662, 42% to £75,000, 45% to £125,140 and 48% above. The rest of the UK pays 20%, 40% and 45%. Dividends and savings interest are taxed as elsewhere in the UK.
What do I need to rent a home in Edinburgh as a newcomer?
You do not need to prove your right to rent in Scotland; those checks apply in England. Scotland has its own deposit protection schemes, which we have not read. The Canonmills advert asked a deposit equal to one month's rent. Whether a landlord accepts a new arrival with no UK credit history is unconfirmed.
How big is Edinburgh, and how many people were born abroad?
The City of Edinburgh council area had 531,370 people at mid-2025 (National Records of Scotland), the second largest in Scotland after Glasgow City. At the 2022 census about 23.5% were born outside the UK (our arithmetic from rounded percentages); 1.3% were born in the USA. InterNations lists 9,415 members.
What is the weather like in Edinburgh?
Edinburgh is cool and mild all year. The Met Office station at the Royal Botanic Garden shows 1991-2020 average highs of 7.3 °C in January and 19.3 °C in July, with 40.8 to 75.7 mm of rain a month. Fernshore counts 2 comfortable months (July and August, highs of 18 to 30 °C).
Sources
Where each figure comes from.
Every figure on this page links to the page we read, with the date we checked it.
- [N3] Mid-2025 population estimates Scotland, National Records of Scotland. Checked 16 October 2026. Published 14 July 2026, read on 16 October 2026. Scotland 5,545,500 at 30 June 2025; City of Edinburgh 531,370 (second-largest council area after Glasgow City, 654,330). The release's council area tables were not opened; the figures are from the page text.
- [N4] Census 2022: Edinburgh summary, City of Edinburgh Council. Checked 16 October 2026. Read on 16 October 2026 (the council's own summary of Scotland's Census 2022, 20 March 2022, usual residents): '514,512 people live in Edinburgh'; 61.5% were born in Scotland, 15% in other parts of the UK (13.3% in England); 2.7% in Poland, 1.8% in India, 1.6% in China, 1.3% in the USA. The page does not state the share born outside the UK; 100 less 61.5 less 15 is 23.5% (about 120,900 people; my arithmetic from rounded percentages). The National Records of Scotland census tables were not opened.
- [W1] Edinburgh, Royal Botanic Garden No 2 1991-2020 averages, Met Office (UK national meteorological service). Checked 16 October 2026. Read on 16 October 2026 (the Met Office's location-specific long-term averages page for the station, period 1991-2020). Mean daily maximum (C): Jan 7.29, Feb 7.96, Mar 9.71, Apr 12.15, May 14.91, Jun 17.43, Jul 19.29, Aug 19.07, Sep 16.88, Oct 13.37, Nov 9.86, Dec 7.34. Monthly rainfall 40.8 to 75.7 mm, under 150 mm in every month. The Royal Botanic Garden (55.967 N, 3.211 W) is about 2 km north of the old town. The table gives maximum and minimum temperature but not mean temperature; the midpoint of the two puts the warmest month (Jul, 15.4 C) 11.0 C above the coolest (Dec, 4.5 C). That is 1.0 C short of the 12 C 'seasons' test, and the coolest month's high (7.3 C) is under the 12 C 'mild' line and the 22 C 'warm' line, so Edinburgh fits none of the three weather types: its climate list is empty, which counts as a known non-match (program decision of 16 October 2026).
- [B1] Edinburgh, Wikipedia (secondary). Checked 16 October 2026. Wikipedia: Edinburgh 'lies on the southern shore of the Firth of Forth' and is 'bounded to the north by the Firth of Forth and to the south by the Pentland Hills'; a 'Capital city, lieutenancy and council area'; coordinates 55 deg 57 min 12 sec N, 3 deg 11 min 21 sec W (read on 16 October 2026).
- [E1] Expats in Edinburgh, InterNations (private network). Checked 16 October 2026. Read on 16 October 2026. 9,415 members in Edinburgh, 4 monthly events, 8 interest-based groups, 8 event hosts (the network's own count).
- [C1] Price level index (GDP), United Kingdom, World Bank. Checked 16 October 2026. 2025: 89.16 (United States = 100), read from the World Bank API on 16 October 2026; 84.89 in 2024.
- [S1] Global Peace Index 2026, overall rank, Institute for Economics and Peace. Checked 16 October 2026. The United Kingdom ranks 39th of 163 countries, score 1.730 (the ranking table in the report PDF, read on 16 October 2026). The report says the UK fell 7 places on the 2026 index, driven by the Ongoing Conflict domain.
- [H1] UHC service coverage index (SDG 3.8.1), World Health Organization. Checked 16 October 2026. United Kingdom: 88 out of 100 (2023), read from the WHO Global Health Observatory data service (indicator UHC_INDEX_REPORTED, spatial code GBR) on 16 October 2026; 88 also in 2020 and 2022, 87 in 2019. The index measures service coverage, not waiting times or whether care is available when needed.
- [Q1] Expat Insider 2026: Ease of Settling In, InterNations (Expat Insider survey, private). Checked 16 October 2026. The UK is 21st of 31 destinations in the Ease of Settling In index (22nd for Local Friendliness, 21st for Culture & Welcome, 21st for Finding Friends). The rank is read from the full-ranking image on the page (Expat-Insider-2026_Ease-of-Settling.png) on 16 October 2026; the page text names only the top 10 and bottom 10. A private survey of expats; 31 destinations met the 50-respondent minimum.
- [Q2] Expat Insider 2026: Quality of Life, InterNations (Expat Insider survey, private). Checked 16 October 2026. The UK is 28th of 31 destinations in the Quality of Life index, read on 16 October 2026 (the page text says 'the United Kingdom (28th)' among the bottom 10; the full-ranking image agrees). The page also says the UK ranks last (31st) for the quality of medical care. A private survey of expats.
- [K1] Work visas, UK Visas and Immigration, GOV.UK. Checked 16 October 2026. Read on 16 October 2026. Routes named without a job offer: British National (Overseas), Graduate, Youth Mobility Scheme, India Young Professionals Scheme, Global Talent, UK Ancestry and High Potential Individual. With an employer or by invitation: Skilled Worker, Health and Care Worker, Global Business Mobility routes (Senior or Specialist Worker, Graduate Trainee, Secondment Worker, Service Supplier, UK Expansion Worker), Representative of an Overseas Business, Scale-up Worker, temporary work routes, and Innovator Founder (start a business). Closed to new applicants: Entrepreneur and Investor (Tier 1), Start-up and the Turkish routes. No digital nomad, remote worker or self-employed route is named. The page is the evidence of absence; GOV.UK does not state in words that no such route exists.
- [K3] Immigration Rules Appendix Visitor: Permitted Activities, Home Office, GOV.UK. Checked 16 October 2026. Read on 16 October 2026 (page updated 8 October 2026). PA 4, General Business Activities: a Visitor may '(h) undertake activities relating to their employment overseas remotely from within the UK, providing this is not the primary purpose of their visit'. That is a limited allowance for a visitor, not a residence route.
- [K4] Standard Visitor visa: what you can do, UK Visas and Immigration, GOV.UK. Checked 16 October 2026. Read on 16 October 2026. 'You can usually stay in the UK for up to 6 months.' A visitor cannot 'do paid or unpaid work for a UK company or as a self-employed person' (apart from permitted business activities and paid engagements) or 'live in the UK for long periods of time through frequent or successive visits'.
- [K2] Fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, United Kingdom, International Telecommunication Union, via the World Bank. Checked 16 October 2026. 2024: 42.16 per 100 people, read from the World Bank API on 16 October 2026 (the 2025 value is empty).
- [R1] Extend your stay as a retired person of independent means, UK Visas and Immigration, GOV.UK. Checked 16 October 2026. Read on 16 October 2026. 'This category is closed for new applicants' (update of 13 June 2019). The publication was withdrawn on 9 November 2022: 'This guidance is no longer in use and has not been replaced.' It applied only to people who already held permission as a retired person of independent means.
- [R2] Browse: visas and immigration, UK Visas and Immigration, GOV.UK. Checked 16 October 2026. Read on 16 October 2026. The topics are: Visit the UK, Work in the UK, Study in the UK, Family in the UK, EU, EEA and Swiss citizens, Ukrainians and their families, Commonwealth citizens and British nationals (overseas), Live permanently in the UK, seek protection or asylum, appeals and travelling to the UK. None names a retirement or independent means route.
- [L1] Language, England and Wales: Census 2021, Office for National Statistics. Checked 16 October 2026. England and Wales only (the United Kingdom has no official language in law): 91.1% (52.6 million) of usual residents aged three and over had English (English or Welsh in Wales) as a main language in 2021, and a further 7.1% were proficient in English but did not speak it as their main language. Read on 16 October 2026. Scotland and Northern Ireland were not read.