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Cheapest place to live in Scotland

Inverclyde is the cheapest place to live in Scotland for buying a home: £114,526 on average, against £198,397 across Scotland. Here is every council area, with rent, council tax and how many years of local pay a home costs.

Last updated · Figures checked

Quick answer · Cheapest place to live in Scotland

Inverclyde

The average home in Inverclyde costs £114,526, 42% less than the Scottish average of £198,397. West Dunbartonshire and Aberdeen are next cheapest.

1. Inverclyde
£114,526
2. West Dunbartonshire
£132,345
3. Aberdeen
£133,782
4. East Ayrshire
£138,206
5. North Ayrshire
£140,577

Average house prices, August 2026Source HM Land Registry and Registers of Scotland, with the Office for National Statistics

The full ranking

All 32 areas, cheapest first

Ranked by the average price paid for a home. “Years of pay” is the price divided by a year's full time pay for people living there: the lower it is, the easier a home is to afford on a local wage.

  1. 1
    Inverclyde

    Average house price£114,526

    Private rent
    £805 a month
    Council tax, Band D
    £1,674
    Years of pay
    3.0 years
  2. 2
    West Dunbartonshire

    Average house price£132,345

    Private rent
    £923 a month
    Council tax, Band D
    £1,682
    Years of pay
    3.5 years
  3. 3
    Aberdeen

    Average house price£133,782

    Private rent
    £844 a month
    Council tax, Band D
    £1,748
    Years of pay
    3.3 years
  4. 4
    East Ayrshire

    Average house price£138,206

    Private rent
    £642 a month
    Council tax, Band D
    £1,717
    Years of pay
    3.6 years
  5. 5
    North Ayrshire

    Average house price£140,577

    Private rent
    £642 a month
    Council tax, Band D
    £1,686
    Years of pay
    3.4 years
  6. 6
    Western Isles

    Average house price£147,416

    Private rent
    £736 a month
    Council tax, Band D
    £1,506
    Years of pay
    3.6 years
  7. 7
    Dundee

    Average house price£147,974

    Private rent
    £826 a month
    Council tax, Band D
    £1,730
    Years of pay
    4.2 years
  8. 8
    Renfrewshire

    Average house price£157,738

    Private rent
    £805 a month
    Council tax, Band D
    £1,691
    Years of pay
    3.8 years
  9. 9
    North Lanarkshire

    Average house price£161,163

    Private rent
    £800 a month
    Council tax, Band D
    £1,555
    Years of pay
    4.0 years
  10. 10
    Clackmannanshire

    Average house price£171,154

    Private rent
    £881 a month
    Council tax, Band D
    £1,684
    Years of pay
    4.3 years
  11. 11
    Dumfries and Galloway

    Average house price£171,854

    Private rent
    £556 a month
    Council tax, Band D
    £1,579
    Years of pay
    4.6 years
  12. 12
    South Ayrshire

    Average house price£173,126

    Private rent
    £642 a month
    Council tax, Band D
    £1,695
    Years of pay
    3.8 years
  13. 13
    Falkirk

    Average house price£174,164

    Private rent
    £881 a month
    Council tax, Band D
    £1,715
    Years of pay
    4.5 years
  14. 14
    Angus

    Average house price£178,424

    Private rent
    £826 a month
    Council tax, Band D
    £1,599
    Years of pay
    4.6 years
  15. 15
    Shetland

    Average house price£180,869

    Private rent
    £736 a month
    Council tax, Band D
    £1,488
    Years of pay
    4.0 years
  16. 16
    Fife

    Average house price£182,463

    Private rent
    £847 a month
    Council tax, Band D
    £1,574
    Years of pay
    4.6 years
  17. 17
    South Lanarkshire

    Average house price£186,196

    Private rent
    £894 a month
    Council tax, Band D
    £1,468
    Years of pay
    4.5 years
  18. 18
    Argyll and Bute

    Average house price£192,735

    Private rent
    £806 a month
    Council tax, Band D
    £1,783
    Years of pay
    5.1 years
  19. 19
    Glasgow

    Average house price£194,382

    Private rent
    £1,266 a month
    Council tax, Band D
    £1,706
    Years of pay
    5.0 years
  20. 20
    Scottish Borders

    Average house price£195,045

    Private rent
    £715 a month
    Council tax, Band D
    £1,619
    Years of pay
    5.3 years
  21. 21
    Aberdeenshire

    Average house price£200,965

    Private rent
    £844 a month
    Council tax, Band D
    £1,686
    Years of pay
    4.7 years
  22. 22
    Moray

    Average house price£203,371

    Private rent
    £736 a month
    Council tax, Band D
    £1,731
    Years of pay
    5.9 years
  23. 23
    Orkney

    Average house price£216,479

    Private rent
    £736 a month
    Council tax, Band D
    £1,669
    Years of pay
    5.3 years
  24. 24
    Highland

    Average house price£224,574

    Private rent
    £736 a month
    Council tax, Band D
    £1,634
    Years of pay
    5.6 years
  25. 25
    West Lothian

    Average house price£225,439

    Private rent
    £914 a month
    Council tax, Band D
    £1,628
    Years of pay
    5.6 years
  26. 26
    Perth and Kinross

    Average house price£231,646

    Private rent
    £749 a month
    Council tax, Band D
    £1,674
    Years of pay
    5.9 years
  27. 27
    Stirling

    Average house price£236,541

    Private rent
    £881 a month
    Council tax, Band D
    £1,753
    Years of pay
    5.5 years
  28. 28
    East Dunbartonshire

    Average house price£273,891

    Private rent
    £1,170 a month
    Council tax, Band D
    £1,752
    Years of pay
    5.8 years
  29. 29
    Midlothian

    Average house price£277,939

    Private rent
    £1,411 a month
    Council tax, Band D
    £1,816
    Years of pay
    7.0 years
  30. 30
    East Lothian

    Average house price£286,314

    Private rent
    £1,411 a month
    Council tax, Band D
    £1,698
    Years of pay
    7.5 years
  31. 31
    Edinburgh

    Average house price£301,313

    Private rent
    £1,411 a month
    Council tax, Band D
    £1,626
    Years of pay
    7.1 years
  32. 32
    East Renfrewshire

    Average house price£303,413

    Private rent
    £1,266 a month
    Council tax, Band D
    £1,620
    Years of pay
    6.5 years

Rents are published for 18 areas rather than 32 councils, so some neighbouring councils share a figure.

Renting

Cheapest places to rent

  1. 1
    Dumfries and Galloway

    Average private rent£556 a month

  2. 2
    East Ayrshire

    Shared figure for the Ayrshires rental area

    Average private rent£642 a month

  3. 2
    North Ayrshire

    Shared figure for the Ayrshires rental area

    Average private rent£642 a month

  4. 2
    South Ayrshire

    Shared figure for the Ayrshires rental area

    Average private rent£642 a month

  5. 5
    Scottish Borders

    Average private rent£715 a month

  6. 6
    Highland

    Shared figure for the Highland and Islands rental area

    Average private rent£736 a month

  7. 6
    Moray

    Shared figure for the Highland and Islands rental area

    Average private rent£736 a month

  8. 6
    Western Isles

    Shared figure for the Highland and Islands rental area

    Average private rent£736 a month

Affordability

Cheapest compared with local pay

A low price is only cheap if local wages go far. These are the areas where the average home costs the fewest years of a local full time worker's pay.

  1. 1
    Inverclyde

    Years of pay3.0 years

    Average house price
    £114,526
    Full time weekly pay
    £733
  2. 2
    Aberdeen

    Years of pay3.3 years

    Average house price
    £133,782
    Full time weekly pay
    £782
  3. 3
    North Ayrshire

    Years of pay3.4 years

    Average house price
    £140,577
    Full time weekly pay
    £791
  4. 4
    West Dunbartonshire

    Years of pay3.5 years

    Average house price
    £132,345
    Full time weekly pay
    £737
  5. 5
    East Ayrshire

    Years of pay3.6 years

    Average house price
    £138,206
    Full time weekly pay
    £733
  6. 6
    Western Isles

    Years of pay3.6 years

    Average house price
    £147,416
    Full time weekly pay
    £780
  7. 7
    Renfrewshire

    Years of pay3.8 years

    Average house price
    £157,738
    Full time weekly pay
    £797
  8. 8
    South Ayrshire

    Years of pay3.8 years

    Average house price
    £173,126
    Full time weekly pay
    £870

Council tax

Lowest council tax

Band D bills for 2026-27, before water and sewerage. For every band in every council, see council tax bands in Scotland.

  1. 1
    South Lanarkshire

    Band D, a year£1,468

  2. 2
    Shetland

    Band D, a year£1,488

  3. 3
    Western Isles

    Band D, a year£1,506

  4. 4
    North Lanarkshire

    Band D, a year£1,555

  5. 5
    Fife

    Band D, a year£1,574

Method

Worth knowing

  • House prices are the UK House Price Index average for August 2026, from HM Land Registry and Registers of Scotland. The newest month is a first estimate and is often revised.
  • Rents are the ONS average private rent for September 2026, mostly from advertised new lets.
  • Averages hide a lot. Each council covers towns and villages with very different prices, and an average moves with the mix of homes sold. The island councils sell only a few homes a month, so their figures jump around.
  • Cheap is not the whole story. See the best places to live in Scotland for pay, jobs, crime, health and schools.

More rankings

Keep exploring

Straight answers

Questions people ask

What is the cheapest place to live in Scotland?

Inverclyde has the lowest average house price of Scotland's 32 council areas: £114,526 in August 2026, 42% below the Scottish average of £198,397. West Dunbartonshire and Aberdeen are next.

What is the cheapest city to live in Scotland?

Of the four cities, Aberdeen has the lowest average house price, £133,782. Dundee is £147,974, Glasgow is £194,382, Edinburgh is £301,313.

Where is the cheapest place to rent in Scotland?

Dumfries and Galloway, where the average private rent is £556 a month, against £1,011 a month across Scotland. Rents are published for 18 areas, so some neighbouring councils share a figure.

Which council has the lowest council tax in Scotland?

South Lanarkshire, where a Band D home pays £1,468 a year in 2026-27, before water and sewerage charges. The highest is Midlothian at £1,816.

What is the most expensive place to live in Scotland?

East Renfrewshire, where the average house price is £303,413, more than 2.6 times the price in Inverclyde.

Where are homes most affordable compared with local pay?

Inverclyde. The average home there costs 3.0 years of a local full time worker's pay, the lowest in Scotland. East Lothian is the least affordable at 7.5 years.