Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Arklow and Cork

For one person, living is cheaper in Arklow: $2,624 a month against $3,202 in Cork, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

128

Cost of Living Index in Arklow
Learn more

Arklow Living Index
155

Cost of Living Index in Cork
Learn more

Cork Living Index

Jump to prices

Arklow

🇮🇪 Ireland

$2,624

/mo nomad

Cork

🇮🇪 Ireland

$3,202

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Arklow and in Cork

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

A single person spends $2,624 per month in Arklow vs $3,202 in Cork, rent included.

Arklow $2,624
Cork $3,202

A couple spends around $3,680 per month in Arklow vs $4,537 in Cork, rent included.

Arklow $3,680
Cork $4,537

A family of three spends $4,737 per month in Arklow vs $5,872 in Cork, rent included.

Arklow $4,737
Cork $5,872

Arklow is about 18% cheaper than Cork, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Arklow and Cork sit above the global median – Arklow by 94%, Cork by 137%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.34 €19.87

$22.38 €19.90

-0.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.5 €79.6

$90.2 €80.2

-0.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.25 €10.01

$12.59 €11.20

-10.64%

Cappuccino

$4.12 €3.67

$4.24 €3.77

-2.83%

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

$2.93 €2.60

$2.90 €2.58

1.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 €2.00

$2.17 €1.93

3.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.47 €4.86

$7.30 €6.49

-25.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.16 €4.58

$7.20 €6.41

-28.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 €1.50

$1.65 €1.47

2.42%

White Bread (500g)

$2.23 €1.99

$2.35 €2.09

-5.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.90 €1.69

$1.96 €1.74

-3.06%

Eggs

$4.64 €4.12

$4.41 €3.92

5.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.19 €12.62

$14.09 €12.53

0.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.17 €11.71

$12.71 €11.30

3.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.67 €14.83

$16.49 €14.67

1.09%

Apples (1kg)

$3.26 €2.90

$3.28 €2.92

-0.61%

Banana (1kg)

$2.90 €2.58

$2.94 €2.61

-1.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.42 €3.04

$3.39 €3.01

0.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.70 €4.18

$4.83 €4.29

-2.69%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 €2.10

$2.24 €2.00

5.36%

Onion (1kg)

$1.83 €1.62

$1.76 €1.56

3.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.29

$1.41 €1.25

2.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.91

$2.17 €1.93

-0.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.31 €18.07

$20.11 €17.89

0.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.59 €12.09

$13.44 €11.95

1.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.08 €3.63

$4.23 €3.76

-3.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 €3.21

$3.47 €3.09

4.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 €2.14

$1.66 €1.48

44.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.3 €68.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.18 €4.61

$5.25 €4.67

-1.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 €1.37

$1.55 €1.38

-0.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.30 €29.62

$32.91 €29.27

1.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.12 €1.89

$2.07 €1.84

2.42%

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

$38.8K €34.5K

$39.2K €34.8K

-0.95%

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

$37.3K €33.2K

0.06%

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

$240 €213

$242 €216

-1.05%

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

$22.10 €19.65

$22.05 €19.61

0.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.2 €49.08

$55.2 €49.07

0.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 €51.2

$53.3 €47.36

8.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.21 €13.53

Cinema Ticket

$13.58 €12.08

$13.36 €11.88

1.65%

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

$1,066 €948

$1,061 €944

0.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,404 €4,807

$5,355 €4,763

0.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.9 €83.5

$96.3 €85.6

-2.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.32 €38.53

$42.16 €37.50

2.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 €94.6

$107 €95.1

-0.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 €105

$120 €107

-1.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,566 €1,393

$2,137 €1,901

-26.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,325 €1,178

$1,812 €1,612

-26.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,857 €2,541

$3,277 €2,914

-12.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,819 €1,618

$2,767 €2,461

-34.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,889 €4,348

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,095 €2,752

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,863 €4,325

$3,873 €3,445

25.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.14

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

Last update for Arklow: October 11, 2026

Last update for Cork: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Arklow

$1.3K 50.5%

Cork

$1.8K 56.6% 36.8% $488

Groceries & Markets

Arklow

$392 14.9%

Cork

$389 12.2% 0.6% $2.4

Eating Out

Arklow

$320 12.2%

Cork

$339 10.6% 5.8% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Arklow

$317 12.1%

Cork

$320 10% 0.8% $2.5

Clothing & Footwear

Arklow

$163 6.2%

Cork

$165 5.1% 1.1% $1.9

Sport & Entertainment

Arklow

$85 3.2%

Cork

$80 2.5% 5.6% $4.7

Getting Around

Arklow

$23 * 0.9%

Cork

$97 3% 331% $74

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,566 in Arklow versus $2,137 in Cork. 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 26% higher in Arklow, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89.0 in Arklow versus $90.0 in Cork. Groceries tell a different story – $392 in Arklow vs $389 in Cork – so Cork wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇮🇪 Arklow

🇮🇪 Cork

🕒 Local time

12:32 12:32 PM

Same time as Arklow

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

13,399

210,000

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Arklow Cork 190 km

From you

Arklow
Cork

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Arklow vs Cork: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,624 in Arklow, $3,202 in Cork – roughly 22% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,936 per month in Arklow and $4,803 in Cork. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Arklow, 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 $89.0 in Arklow and $90.0 in Cork. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 1% cheaper in Cork – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,624 in Arklow and $3,202 in Cork. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Cork has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,624 in Arklow to $3,202 in Cork. 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 Arklow. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Cork makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.