Is there a way to perform edit distance(Levenshtein) character by character between two string columns?

I have two datasets: dataset1 & dataset2, which have a common column called SAX which is a string object.

dataset1=
         SAX
0    gangsyu
1    zicobgm
2    eerptow
3    cqbsynt
4    zvmqben
..       ...
475  rfikekw
476  bnbzvqx
477  rsuhgax
478  ckhloio
479  lbzujtw

480 rows × 2 columns

and

dataset2=
         SAX
0    gdmgsyu
1    zifgbgm
2    esdftow
3    cqtjgnt
4    znweben
..       ...
475  rfikekw
476  bnbzvqx
477  rsuhgax
478  ckhloio
479  lbzujtw

480 rows × 2 columns

I need the output to be a column which is the sum of the number of the edits/changes it takes for SAX(dataset1) to become SAX(dataset2).The variation is basically what I am considering as an “edit/change” . (Example shown below)

Taking the first row of SAX from dataset1 and dataset 2 and comparing.
"gangsyu" and "gdmgsyu"

First character "g" is a match, so move on.
Second character is not a match, it takes 3 edits to change "a" to "d". 
Third character is not a match, it takes 1 edit to change "n" to "m"
Rest of the characters match.
I want the column to be a sum of the edits/changes which is 3+1 = 4.(shown below)
dataset3= 
     sum_edits
0    4 (for the example shown right above)
1    0
2    1
3    2
4    0
..       ...
475  3
476  0
477  8
478  1
479  4

480 rows × 2 columns

Is there a function/method to accomplish this? Would appreciate it a lot.
Thanks.

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