Cost of Living Comparison Between Edinburgh and Kirkwall Cost of Living Comparison Between Edinburgh and Kirkwall

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,767 per month in Edinburgh vs $2,295 in Kirkwall, rent included.

A couple spends around $4,064 per month in Edinburgh vs $3,429 in Kirkwall, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,361 per month in Edinburgh vs $4,564 in Kirkwall, rent included.

Edinburgh costs about 21% more than Kirkwall, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Edinburgh and Kirkwall sit above the global median – Edinburgh by 106%, Kirkwall by 71%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.73 £15.54

$24.70 £18.52

-16.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$104 £77.6

$81.3 £61.0

27.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.95 £7.46

$9.89 £7.41

0.61%

Cappuccino

$5.32 £3.99

$3.98 £2.98

33.67%

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

$2.61 £1.96

$2.33 £1.75

12.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 £1.51

$1.67 £1.25

20.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.64 £5.73

$5.45 £4.09

40.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.93 £5.20

$6.42 £4.81

7.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 £1.24

$1.58 £1.19

4.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.73 £1.30

$1.63 £1.22

6.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 £1.64

$2.21 £1.66

-1.36%

Eggs

$4.37 £3.28

$4.01 £3.00

8.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.93 £8.94

$9.71 £7.28

22.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.25 £7.68

$8.64 £6.48

18.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.87 £14.15

$14.12 £10.59

33.64%

Apples (1kg)

$3.22 £2.42

$3.03 £2.27

6.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 £1.12

$1.64 £1.23

-9.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.14 £3.11

$2.80 £2.10

47.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.74 £3.55

$3.48 £2.61

36.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.82 £1.37

$1.63 £1.22

11.66%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 £1.06

$1.53 £1.15

-7.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.16 £0.87

$1.11 £0.83

4.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 £1.00

$1.52 £1.14

-12.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.21 £15.16

$18.95 £14.21

6.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.36 £8.52

$11.05 £8.29

2.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.50 £1.87

$2.70 £2.02

-7.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 £2.46

$3.11 £2.33

5.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.64 £1.98

$3.29 £2.47

-19.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.4 £67.1

$88.8 £66.6

0.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.58 £4.18

$5.55 £4.16

0.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.15 £2.36

$1.60 £1.20

96.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.77 £32.07

$22.74 £17.05

88.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.95 £1.46

$1.94 £1.46

0.52%

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

$38.2K £28.7K

$38.3K £28.7K

-0.21%

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

$38.8K £29.1K

$41.3K £30.9K

-5.87%

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

$381 £286

$297 £223

28.10%

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

$17.32 £12.99

$16.85 £12.63

2.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.43 £33.32

$43.20 £32.39

2.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.5 £40.87

$26.11 £19.58

108.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.51 £18.38

Cinema Ticket

$14.73 £11.05

$13.75 £10.31

7.13%

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

$1,944 £1,458

$1,565 £1,173

24.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.1K £18.1K

$18.4K £13.8K

31.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$118 £88.7

$83.7 £62.8

41.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.6 £41.70

$42.92 £32.18

29.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 £87.2

$92.5 £69.4

25.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 £94.2

$99.6 £74.7

26.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,653 £1,239

$1,204 £903

37.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,201 £901

$1,003 £752

19.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,062 £2,296

$2,028 £1,520

51.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,168 £1,626

$1,726 £1,294

25.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,616 £4,961

$5,112 £3,833

29.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,869 £3,651

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,659 £2,743

$1,928 £1,445

89.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.63

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

Last update for Edinburgh: May 31, 2026

Last update for Kirkwall: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,653 in Edinburgh versus $1,204 in Kirkwall. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 90% higher in Edinburgh, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $104 in Edinburgh versus $81.0 in Kirkwall. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $340 vs $298 – making Kirkwall the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Edinburgh vs Kirkwall: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Edinburgh is pricier by about 21%, and the gap shows up most in Clothing & Footwear. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,150 per month in Edinburgh and $3,443 in Kirkwall. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kirkwall, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $104 in Edinburgh and $81.0 in Kirkwall. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,767 in Edinburgh and $2,295 in Kirkwall. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Kirkwall, where all-in costs run around $2,295, than in Edinburgh at $2,767. In Kirkwall it covers expenses comfortably, while in Edinburgh it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Kirkwall – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Kirkwall. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Edinburgh makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.