Cost of Living Comparison Between Athlone and Cork Cost of Living Comparison Between Athlone and Cork

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,142 in Athlone versus $2,976 in Cork.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,106 in Athlone versus $4,449 in Cork.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,070 in Athlone versus $5,921 in Cork.

Living in Athlone is roughly 6% more expensive than Cork, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Athlone 135% above, Cork 122% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.01 €17.09

$21.02 €17.95

-4.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$93.8 €80.1

$96.1 €82.1

-2.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.37 €8.86

$11.60 €9.90

-10.60%

Cappuccino

$4.58 €3.91

$4.71 €4.02

-2.76%

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

$2.49 €2.13

$2.91 €2.49

-14.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 €1.93

$2.17 €1.85

4.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.06 €6.03

$6.80 €5.81

3.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.71 €5.73

$7.00 €5.98

-4.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 €1.17

$1.55 €1.33

-11.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 €1.11

$2.06 €1.76

-36.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.73 €1.48

$2.20 €1.88

-21.36%

Eggs

$4.10 €3.50

$4.34 €3.71

-5.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.36 €9.70

$11.70 €9.99

-2.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.67 €9.97

$12.58 €10.74

-7.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.19 €10.41

$14.81 €12.64

-17.69%

Apples (1kg)

$2.77 €2.37

$3.42 €2.92

-19.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 €1.27

$3.17 €2.71

-53.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.42 €2.07

$3.71 €3.17

-34.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.71 €2.32

$5.43 €4.64

-50.09%

Potato (1kg)

$2.70 €2.30

$2.74 €2.34

-1.46%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.79

$2.19 €1.87

-4.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 €1.38

$1.64 €1.40

-1.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 €1.69

$2.07 €1.76

-4.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.14 €17.20

$20.02 €17.10

0.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.64 €9.94

$14.27 €12.19

-18.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.49 €2.98

$3.75 €3.20

-6.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.70 €3.16

$3.73 €3.19

-0.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.81 €1.55

$2.40 €2.05

-24.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$97.4 €83.1

$97.9 €83.6

-0.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.18 €4.42

$5.08 €4.34

1.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.75 €2.35

$2.77 €2.37

-0.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.13 €24.87

$34.88 €29.79

-16.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 €1.78

$2.08 €1.78

0.48%

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

$42.3K €36.1K

$43.2K €36.9K

-1.98%

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

$39.2K €33.5K

$40.4K €34.5K

-2.86%

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

$239 €204

$242 €207

-1.22%

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

$22.00 €18.79

$21.87 €18.68

0.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.02 €41.01

$48.44 €41.36

-0.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 €51.8

$66.9 €57.2

-9.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.21 €14.70

$35.17 €30.04

-51.07%

Cinema Ticket

$14.16 €12.09

$13.76 €11.75

2.91%

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

$1,365 €1,166

$1,326 €1,133

2.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,200 €6,148

$7,226 €6,171

-0.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €88.1

$102 €87.5

0.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.86 €36.60

$48.75 €41.63

-12.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.9 €76.0

$101 €86.6

-12.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.4 €67.8

$115 €98.3

-30.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,475 €1,260

$1,786 €1,525

-17.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,813 €1,548

$1,534 €1,310

18.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,466 €2,106

$3,189 €2,724

-22.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,249 €1,921

$2,660 €2,272

-15.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,518 €3,005

$5,038 €4,302

-30.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,578 €3,056

$3,224 €2,753

10.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,375 €2,882

$4,070 €3,476

-17.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.6

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

Last update for Athlone: April 27, 2026

Last update for Cork: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,475 in Athlone and $1,786 in Cork. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cork pays 21% 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 Athlone vs $96.0 in Cork for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $316 vs $382 per month, with Athlone cheaper across the board.

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

Athlone vs Cork: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Athlone and Cork differ by about 6% in total monthly costs ($3,142 vs $2,976 including rent). Cork is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Cork earns 21% less. 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: $1,475 in Athlone versus $1,786 in Cork. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,365 in Athlone versus $1,326 in Cork. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Athlone pay roughly 21% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Cork is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both work as nomad bases, but Cork delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,976 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Cork hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Athlone and Cork 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 Cork gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Athlone. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.