Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Kirkwall

For one person, living is cheaper in Kirkwall: $2,121 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
103

Cost of Living Index in Kirkwall
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Kirkwall Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Kirkwall

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,121

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Kirkwall

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Austin, TX and in Kirkwall actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $2,121 in Kirkwall.

Austin, TX $2,698
Kirkwall $2,121

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $3,026 in Kirkwall.

Austin, TX $4,160
Kirkwall $3,026

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $3,931 in Kirkwall.

Austin, TX $5,622
Kirkwall $3,931

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 27% more expensive than in Kirkwall, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 99% above, Kirkwall 57% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$23.63 £17.73

-12.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$94.8 £71.1

-10.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$10.57 £7.93

14.19%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$3.92 £2.94

39.80%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 $3.80

$3.26 £2.44

16.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.31 £0.98

88.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$6.20 £4.65

29.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$8.47 £6.36

4.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$0.79 £0.59

40.51%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$1.58 £1.19

135.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$2.05 £1.54

64.39%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$3.22 £2.42

34.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$6.59 £4.95

99.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$8.97 £6.73

57.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$15.90 £11.92

2.70%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$2.20 £1.65

106.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.97 £1.48

-25.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$1.57 £1.18

200.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$1.32 £0.99

214.39%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.11 £0.83

132.43%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.09 £0.82

115.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$0.77 £0.58

129.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$1.08 £0.81

98.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$20.10 £15.08

-49.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$9.18 £6.89

65.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$2.71 £2.03

4.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$2.88 £2.16

19.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

$10.51 £7.89

-85.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

$107 £80.4

-61.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$5.19 £3.90

-46.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$2.58 £1.93

-37.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

$27.06 £20.30

26.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$2.05 £1.54

-54.15%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$34.0K $34.0K

$37.8K £28.4K

-10.22%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$26.8K $26.8K

$41.2K £30.9K

-34.96%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$223 $223

$282 £212

-21.17%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$58.9 $58.9

$30.12 £22.60

95.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$33.04 £24.79

113.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

$41.73 £31.31

38.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$11.46 £8.60

24.43%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,511 $1,511

$1,237 £928

22.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$91.5 £68.7

-43.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$43.72 £32.80

1.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$95.0 £71.3

-8.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$138 £103

-24.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

$935 £701

107.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$792 £594

66.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$1,182 £887

209.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$966 £725

165.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

$1,914 £1,436

176.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

5.07

33.93%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Last update for Kirkwall: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8%

Kirkwall

$792 37.3% 39.8% $524

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

Kirkwall

$252 11.9% 37.9% $154

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

Kirkwall

$346 16.3% 1.9% $6.5

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

Kirkwall

$334 15.8% 4.6% $16

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

Kirkwall

$165 7.8% 28.2% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Kirkwall

$65 3.1% 25% $22

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

Kirkwall

$167 7.9% 189% $109

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,940 in Austin, TX and $935 in Kirkwall. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 176% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $95.0 in Kirkwall. Groceries flip the comparison at $406 vs $252, with Kirkwall cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇬🇧 Kirkwall

🕒 Local time

14:24 2:24 PM

20:24 8:24 PM

6 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

7,500

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

British Pound GBP £

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 GBP = 1.33 USD

1 GBP = 1.19 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇬🇧 British Pound (£)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

British Pound exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

GBP to USD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Kirkwall 7,420 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Kirkwall

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Austin, TX vs Kirkwall: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kirkwall wins on cost – living expenses run 27% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Kirkwall the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 176% higher in Austin, TX, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,940 in Austin, TX versus $935 in Kirkwall. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,698 per month in Austin, TX versus $2,121 in Kirkwall – a 27% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Kirkwall runs roughly 161% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $2,121 in Kirkwall versus $2,698 in Austin, TX, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Kirkwall but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Kirkwall the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Austin, TX and Kirkwall are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Kirkwall gentler on the wallet – expenses run 27% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.