Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kirkwall and Glasgow

For one person, living is cheaper in Kirkwall: $2,121 a month against $2,425 in Glasgow, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

103

Cost of Living Index in Kirkwall
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Kirkwall Living Index
117

Cost of Living Index in Glasgow
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Glasgow Living Index

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Kirkwall

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,121

/mo nomad

Glasgow

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,425

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kirkwall and in Glasgow

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

A single person spends $2,121 per month in Kirkwall vs $2,425 in Glasgow, rent included.

Kirkwall $2,121
Glasgow $2,425

A couple spends around $3,026 per month in Kirkwall vs $3,644 in Glasgow, rent included.

Kirkwall $3,026
Glasgow $3,644

A family of three spends $3,931 per month in Kirkwall vs $4,864 in Glasgow, rent included.

Kirkwall $3,931
Glasgow $4,864

Kirkwall is about 13% cheaper than Glasgow, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Kirkwall and Glasgow sit above the global median – Kirkwall by 57%, Glasgow by 79%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.63 £17.73

$21.03 £15.78

12.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$94.8 £71.1

$66.7 £50.1

42.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.57 £7.93

$10.56 £7.92

0.09%

Cappuccino

$3.92 £2.94

$4.78 £3.59

-17.99%

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

$3.26 £2.44

$2.27 £1.70

43.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 £0.98

$1.90 £1.42

-31.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.20 £4.65

$5.43 £4.08

14.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.47 £6.36

$6.76 £5.07

25.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.79 £0.59

$1.65 £1.24

-52.12%

White Bread (500g)

$1.58 £1.19

$1.69 £1.27

-6.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.05 £1.54

$1.98 £1.49

3.54%

Eggs

$3.22 £2.42

$3.93 £2.95

-18.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.59 £4.95

$9.24 £6.93

-28.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.97 £6.73

$9.29 £6.97

-3.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.90 £11.92

$16.82 £12.62

-5.47%

Apples (1kg)

$2.20 £1.65

$2.99 £2.24

-26.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.97 £1.48

$1.49 £1.12

32.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 £1.18

$2.89 £2.17

-45.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.32 £0.99

$3.22 £2.42

-59.01%

Potato (1kg)

$1.11 £0.83

$1.97 £1.47

-43.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 £0.82

$1.59 £1.19

-31.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.77 £0.58

$1.19 £0.89

-35.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 £0.81

$1.64 £1.23

-34.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.10 £15.08

$23.68 £17.76

-15.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.18 £6.89

$11.13 £8.35

-17.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.71 £2.03

$3.39 £2.54

-20.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 £2.16

$3.44 £2.58

-16.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$10.51 £7.89

$4.07 £3.05

158.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$107 £80.4

$103 £77.5

3.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.19 £3.90

$6.03 £4.52

-13.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.58 £1.93

$1.16 £0.87

122.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.06 £20.30

$62.0 £46.48

-56.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.05 £1.54

$2.15 £1.62

-4.65%

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

$37.8K £28.4K

$39.3K £29.5K

-3.61%

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

$41.2K £30.9K

$39.7K £29.8K

3.75%

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

$282 £212

$315 £236

-10.22%

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

$30.12 £22.60

$20.19 £15.15

49.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.04 £24.79

$43.28 £32.47

-23.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.73 £31.31

$46.26 £34.71

-9.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.34 £15.26

Cinema Ticket

$11.46 £8.60

$16.23 £12.17

-29.39%

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

$1,237 £928

$905 £679

36.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.6K £16.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.5 £68.7

$135 £102

-32.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.72 £32.80

$46.32 £34.75

-5.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.0 £71.3

$108 £80.9

-11.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$138 £103

$93.1 £69.9

47.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$935 £701

$1,350 £1,013

-30.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$792 £594

$1,036 £778

-23.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,182 £887

$2,680 £2,011

-55.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$966 £725

$1,941 £1,456

-50.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,064 £3,049

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,073 £2,306

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,914 £1,436

$3,420 £2,566

-44.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.07

4.79

5.85%

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

Last update for Kirkwall: October 19, 2026

Last update for Glasgow: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kirkwall

$792 37.3%

Glasgow

$1K 42.8% 30.9% $245

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kirkwall

$346 16.3%

Glasgow

$378 15.6% 9.4% $32

Eating Out

Kirkwall

$334 15.8%

Glasgow

$315 13% 5.8% $19

Groceries & Markets

Kirkwall

$252 11.9%

Glasgow

$313 12.9% 24.1% $61

Getting Around

Kirkwall

$167 7.9%

Glasgow

$131 5.4% 21.4% $36

Clothing & Footwear

Kirkwall

$165 7.8%

Glasgow

$172 7.1% 4.1% $6.7

Sport & Entertainment

Kirkwall

$65 3.1%

Glasgow

$79 3.3% 21.7% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $935 in Kirkwall versus $1,350 in Glasgow. 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 79% higher in Glasgow, 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 $95.0 in Kirkwall versus $67.0 in Glasgow. Groceries tell a different story – $252 in Kirkwall vs $313 in Glasgow – so Kirkwall wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇬🇧 Kirkwall

🇬🇧 Glasgow

🕒 Local time

12:10 12:10 PM

Same time as Kirkwall

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

7,500

606,340

💱 Currency

British Pound GBP £

📈 Exchange rate

1 GBP = 1.33 USD

1 GBP = 1.19 EUR

1 GBP = 1.33 USD

1 GBP = 1.19 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Kirkwall Glasgow 360 km

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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

Kirkwall vs Glasgow: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,121 in Kirkwall, $2,425 in Glasgow – roughly 14% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,182 per month in Kirkwall and $3,637 in Glasgow. 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.

Kindergarten costs $1,237 per month in Kirkwall and $905 in Glasgow. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 24% more in Glasgow, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Kirkwall, where all-in costs run around $2,121, than in Glasgow at $2,425. In Kirkwall it covers expenses comfortably, while in Glasgow it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Glasgow has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,121 in Kirkwall to $2,425 in Glasgow. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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, Glasgow makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.