Cost of Living Comparison Between Kirkwall and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Kirkwall and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,123 in Kirkwall versus $2,316 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,009 in Kirkwall versus $3,361 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,895 in Kirkwall versus $4,405 in Lisbon.

Living in Kirkwall costs roughly 8% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Kirkwall 55% above, Lisbon 69% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.90 £16.94

$17.30 €14.89

32.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$94.1 £69.6

$63.3 €54.5

48.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.26 £7.59

$11.39 €9.81

-9.92%

Cappuccino

$4.14 £3.07

$3.19 €2.75

29.78%

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

$3.05 £2.26

$2.45 €2.11

24.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.34 £0.99

$1.76 €1.52

-23.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.36 £4.71

$3.59 €3.09

77.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.95 £5.14

$3.39 €2.92

105.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.85 £0.63

$1.24 €1.06

-31.45%

White Bread (500g)

$1.69 £1.25

$1.98 €1.71

-14.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.44 £1.80

$1.52 €1.31

60.53%

Eggs

$3.31 £2.45

$4.04 €3.48

-18.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.67 £4.94

$13.54 €11.65

-50.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.94 £6.61

$8.39 €7.22

6.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.60 £12.28

$18.25 €15.71

-9.04%

Apples (1kg)

$2.49 £1.84

$2.29 €1.97

8.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.96 £1.45

$1.74 €1.50

12.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 £1.57

$1.86 €1.60

13.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.32 £0.98

$2.63 €2.26

-49.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 £1.45

$1.92 €1.65

2.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 £0.82

$2.09 €1.80

-46.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.79 £0.59

$1.44 €1.24

-45.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 £0.79

$0.84 €0.72

26.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.41 £15.10

$6.78 €5.84

201.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.26 £6.85

$5.71 €4.92

62.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.71 £2.00

$1.38 €1.18

96.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 £2.30

$2.22 €1.91

40.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.64 £2.69

$2.40 €2.07

51.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$94.8 £70.1

$46.78 €40.27

102.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.60 £4.14

$4.17 €3.59

34.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.58 £1.91

$1.14 €0.98

126.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.53 £20.37

$17.68 €15.22

55.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.03 £1.50

$2.32 €2.00

-12.50%

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

$39.1K £28.9K

$35.3K €30.4K

10.61%

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

$42.4K £31.4K

$41.4K €35.7K

2.39%

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

$290 £215

$170 €147

70.38%

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

$31.88 £23.58

$19.34 €16.65

64.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.32 £25.39

$33.64 €28.96

2.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.91 £28.05

$48.10 €41.40

-21.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.90 €17.13

Cinema Ticket

$10.60 £7.84

$9.92 €8.54

6.85%

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

$1,265 £935

$717 €617

76.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.0K £16.3K

$17.5K €15.0K

25.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.1 £68.1

$105 €90.2

-12.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.83 £33.90

$46.95 €40.41

-2.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.8 £70.9

$103 €89.0

-7.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$146 £108

$124 €107

17.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$969 £717

$1,677 €1,443

-42.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$819 £606

$1,271 €1,094

-35.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,181 £874

$2,985 €2,569

-60.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$997 £737

$1,992 €1,715

-49.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,312 £3,930

$7,826 €6,737

-32.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,986 £2,949

$4,658 €4,010

-14.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,997 £1,478

$1,583 €1,362

26.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.07

3.79

33.77%

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

Last update for Kirkwall: August 29, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $969 in Kirkwall and $1,677 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kirkwall pays 26% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $94.0 in Kirkwall vs $63.0 in Lisbon. Groceries flip the comparison at $264 vs $283, with Kirkwall cheaper for home cooking.

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 Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kirkwall and Lisbon differ by about 9% in total monthly costs ($2,123 vs $2,316 including rent). Kirkwall is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 26% higher in Kirkwall, 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: $969 in Kirkwall versus $1,677 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Kirkwall – a meal for two runs $94.0 versus $63.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,123 per month in Kirkwall versus $2,316 in Lisbon – a 9% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,123 in Kirkwall versus $2,316 in Lisbon, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Kirkwall but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. 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, Kirkwall and Lisbon 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 9% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.