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

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

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

Living in Lisbon is roughly 9% more expensive than in Kirkwall, driven mainly by Eating Out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.30 €14.89

$22.90 £16.94

-24.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €54.5

$94.1 £69.6

-32.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.39 €9.81

$10.26 £7.59

11.01%

Cappuccino

$3.19 €2.75

$4.14 £3.07

-22.95%

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

$2.45 €2.11

$3.05 £2.26

-19.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 €1.52

$1.34 £0.99

31.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.59 €3.09

$6.36 £4.71

-43.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 €2.92

$6.95 £5.14

-51.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.06

$0.85 £0.63

45.88%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 €1.71

$1.69 £1.25

17.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 €1.31

$2.44 £1.80

-37.70%

Eggs

$4.04 €3.48

$3.31 £2.45

22.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.54 €11.65

$6.67 £4.94

103.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 €7.22

$8.94 £6.61

-6.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.25 €15.71

$16.60 £12.28

9.94%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.97

$2.49 £1.84

-8.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 €1.50

$1.96 £1.45

-11.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.60

$2.12 £1.57

-12.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.63 €2.26

$1.32 £0.98

99.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.96 £1.45

-2.04%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.80

$1.12 £0.82

86.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$0.79 £0.59

82.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.72

$1.06 £0.79

-20.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.84

$20.41 £15.10

-66.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.71 €4.92

$9.26 £6.85

-38.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$2.71 £2.00

-49.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 €1.91

$3.11 £2.30

-28.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 €2.07

$3.64 £2.69

-34.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.78 €40.27

$94.8 £70.1

-50.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.17 €3.59

$5.60 £4.14

-25.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.98

$2.58 £1.91

-55.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.68 €15.22

$27.53 £20.37

-35.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 €2.00

$2.03 £1.50

14.29%

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

$35.3K €30.4K

$39.1K £28.9K

-9.60%

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

$41.4K €35.7K

$42.4K £31.4K

-2.33%

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

$170 €147

$290 £215

-41.31%

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

$19.34 €16.65

$31.88 £23.58

-39.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.64 €28.96

$34.32 £25.39

-1.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.10 €41.40

$37.91 £28.05

26.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.90 €17.13

Cinema Ticket

$9.92 €8.54

$10.60 £7.84

-6.42%

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

$717 €617

$1,265 £935

-43.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.5K €15.0K

$22.0K £16.3K

-20.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.2

$92.1 £68.1

13.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.95 €40.41

$45.83 £33.90

2.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.0

$95.8 £70.9

7.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €107

$146 £108

-15.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 €1,443

$969 £717

73.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 €1,094

$819 £606

55.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,985 €2,569

$1,181 £874

152.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,992 €1,715

$997 £737

99.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,826 €6,737

$5,312 £3,930

47.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,658 €4,010

$3,986 £2,949

16.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,583 €1,362

$1,997 £1,478

-20.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

5.07

-25.25%

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

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Last update for Kirkwall: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,677 in Lisbon and $969 in Kirkwall. 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: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $94.0 in Kirkwall. Groceries flip the comparison at $283 vs $264, 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

Lisbon vs Kirkwall: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

On paper, salaries run 26% lower in Kirkwall. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,677 in Lisbon versus $969 in Kirkwall. 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 $2,316 per month in Lisbon versus $2,123 in Kirkwall – 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, Lisbon 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 9% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.