Cost of living in Orkney Islands
Single: 1-bed home. Couple: 2-bed home. Family: 3-bed home with one child. Estimates use average local rent, Band D council tax, and standard figures for groceries, transport and childcare.
Rent in Orkney Islands
The average monthly rent in Orkney Islands is £739.
Source: ONS Price Index of Private Rents (PIPR)
Scottish rent figures are based on Broad Rental Market Area (BRMA) averages from the Scottish Government Private Sector Rent Statistics and ONS PIPR, not directly at council level. Councils within the same BRMA share the same headline figure.
Earnings in Orkney Islands
The average annual salary for residents of Orkney Islands is £31,737.
The average salary is the middle value: half of residents earn more and half earn less. The mean salary adds up everyone's pay and divides it by the number of people, so a few very high earners pull it up. We use the middle value as the average throughout this site.
Source: ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE)
Got a job offer in Orkney Islands?
Use our salary calculator to see your take home pay and how it compares to the local average.
Average house prices in Orkney Islands
Source: ONS / HM Land Registry. Historical trend based on quarterly rolling-year average prices.
Buying in Orkney Islands? Check a specific property
Get a free preview for any home: last sale price, EPC rating, flood risk, crime and more, checked at that exact address.
Climate and weather in Orkney Islands
Summer daytime highs in Orkney Islands typically reach 16.0°C in August, dropping to around 6.5°C in January. Orkney Islands gets a fairly typical amount of rain for the UK, with rain falling on about 3.8 days a week. The area gets less sunshine than average for the UK, averaging around 4.7 hours per day in summer. Expect frost on around 76 days per year, mostly between November and April.
| Month | Daytime high | Rainfall | Rain days | Sunshine | Frost days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 6.5°C | 122mm | 21 | 32h | 13 |
| Feb | 6.6°C | 99mm | 18 | 62h | 13 |
| Mar | 7.7°C | 90mm | 17 | 102h | 11 |
| Apr | 9.7°C | 65mm | 14 | 147h | 7 |
| May | 12.0°C | 57mm | 12 | 200h | 5 |
| Jun | 13.9°C | 58mm | 11 | 148h | 1 |
| Jul | 15.9°C | 61mm | 12 | 142h | 0 |
| Aug | 16.0°C | 76mm | 13 | 139h | 0 |
| Sep | 14.2°C | 94mm | 16 | 108h | 1 |
| Oct | 11.4°C | 124mm | 20 | 75h | 3 |
| Nov | 8.8°C | 131mm | 21 | 41h | 8 |
| Dec | 7.0°C | 119mm | 21 | 24h | 13 |
Swipe sideways to see every column
How this is calculated
Climate data is based on Met Office 30-year averages (1991-2020), calculated from 42 observation grid points covering the Orkney Islands local authority area.
Source: Met Office HadUK-Grid , 1991-2020 averages. Crown copyright. Open Government Licence v3.0.
Council tax in Orkney Islands
Band D council tax in Orkney Islands is £1,669 per year.
Source: MHCLG / Scottish Government / Welsh Government
Energy costs in Orkney Islands
A typical household in Orkney Islands pays approximately £1,723/year (£144/month) for gas and electricity.
Energy region: North Scotland
This estimate is based on the Ofgem price cap for a typical dual-fuel household using 2,700 kWh of electricity and 11,500 kWh of gas per year, paying by Direct Debit. Your actual costs will depend on your usage, tariff, and whether you're on a fixed deal.
Source: Ofgem Energy Price Cap, Q4 2026
Water costs in Orkney Islands
The combined water and waste water charge from Scottish Water for a Band D home is £652/year (£54/month).
Water company: Scottish Water
In Scotland, water and waste water charges follow the council tax band and are billed with council tax. A lower band pays less and a higher band pays more. A home with one adult gets 25% off, as with council tax: £489 a year (£41 a month). Our single-person monthly cost uses that figure.
Source: Scottish Water 2026-27 charges for a Band D home (water £301.95 and waste water £350.37 a year, billed with council tax)
Want a personalised estimate?
Adjust for your household size, housing type and transport to get a monthly cost tailored to you.
Broadband in Orkney Islands
Orkney Islands has 25.4% full fibre coverage and 25.4% gigabit-capable coverage across residential premises.
Full fibre take-up: 39% of premises with full fibre available have taken it up.
"Gigabit-capable" means a connection of 1 Gbit/s or faster is available at the premises (full fibre or upgraded cable). "Full fibre" is fibre-to-the-premises specifically. "No decent broadband" counts premises below the 10 Mbit/s down / 1 Mbit/s up Universal Service Obligation.
See all UK areas ranked by broadband coverage →
Source: Ofcom Connected Nations 2025, July 2025
Crime in Orkney Islands
There were 245 recorded crimes per 10,000 people in Orkney Islands, which is below the Scotland average of 569. Orkney Islands ranks #3 out of 303 areas for lowest crime rate.
Recorded crime statistics reflect crimes reported to and recorded by police. They may not capture the full picture of crime in an area, and recording practices vary between forces.
Source: Home Office police recorded crime, 2025-26
Compare Orkney Islands with another area
Nearby areas
Explore the cost of living in areas close to Orkney Islands.