Cost of Living Comparison Between Cambridge and Cork Cost of Living Comparison Between Cambridge and Cork

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $3,153 per month in Cambridge vs $2,952 in Cork, rent included.

A couple spends around $4,455 per month in Cambridge vs $4,344 in Cork, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,757 per month in Cambridge vs $5,735 in Cork, rent included.

Cambridge costs about 7% more than Cork, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Cambridge and Cork sit above the global median – Cambridge by 135%, Cork by 120%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.65 £19.81

$21.14 €18.18

26.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$94.8 £70.5

$97.4 €83.8

-2.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.89 £8.09

$11.60 €9.98

-6.12%

Cappuccino

$4.91 £3.65

$4.64 €3.99

5.82%

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

$2.87 £2.13

$2.89 €2.49

-0.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 £1.49

$2.16 €1.85

-6.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.93 £5.90

$7.04 €6.06

12.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.13 £6.05

$7.05 €6.06

15.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 £1.45

$1.58 €1.36

23.42%

White Bread (500g)

$2.23 £1.66

$2.13 €1.83

4.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.91 £2.16

$2.18 €1.88

33.49%

Eggs

$4.62 £3.43

$4.20 €3.61

10.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.63 £9.39

$11.75 €10.11

7.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.22 £7.60

$12.64 €10.88

-19.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.20 £13.53

$14.95 €12.86

21.74%

Apples (1kg)

$3.16 £2.35

$3.42 €2.94

-7.60%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 £1.49

$3.17 €2.73

-36.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.77 £2.80

$3.70 €3.18

1.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.55 £2.64

$5.71 €4.91

-37.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.95 £1.45

$2.80 €2.40

-30.36%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 £1.56

$2.11 €1.82

-0.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.38 £1.02

$1.70 €1.46

-18.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 £1.09

$2.03 €1.75

-28.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.53 £15.26

$20.44 €17.59

0.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.26 £8.37

$13.90 €11.96

-18.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.48 £2.58

$3.72 €3.20

-6.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.17 £3.10

$3.77 €3.24

10.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.68 £1.99

$2.38 €2.05

12.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$81.1 £60.3

$101 €86.9

-19.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.71 £4.99

$5.20 €4.47

29.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.50 £1.86

$2.68 €2.31

-6.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$53.3 £39.62

$35.71 €30.72

49.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.88 £1.40

$1.99 €1.71

-5.53%

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

$37.8K £28.1K

$43.2K €37.2K

-12.50%

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

$44.6K £33.1K

$39.5K €34.0K

12.83%

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

$341 £253

$248 €213

37.46%

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

$15.52 £11.54

$21.89 €18.83

-29.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.75 £28.80

$49.84 €42.87

-22.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.7 £54.8

$64.9 €55.9

13.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.71 £10.93

$34.23 €29.44

-57.03%

Cinema Ticket

$16.27 £12.09

$13.70 €11.78

18.76%

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

$2,297 £1,707

$1,363 €1,172

68.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K £17.3K

$7,303 €6,282

218.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.9 £63.9

$104 €89.1

-17.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.6 £42.07

$49.42 €42.51

14.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.1 £64.0

$101 €86.6

-14.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 £89.5

$117 €100

3.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,912 £1,421

$1,837 €1,580

4.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,573 £1,169

$1,500 €1,291

4.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,540 £2,632

$3,203 €2,755

10.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,484 £1,847

$2,575 €2,215

-3.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,341 £6,943

$4,879 €4,197

91.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,064 £4,507

$3,253 €2,798

86.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,417 £3,283

$4,354 €3,745

1.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.54

4.6

20.43%

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

Last update for Cambridge: May 31, 2026

Last update for Cork: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,912 in Cambridge versus $1,837 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 1% higher in Cambridge, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $95.0 in Cambridge versus $97.0 in Cork. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $358 vs $383 – making Cambridge the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Cambridge vs Cork: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Cambridge is pricier by about 7%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,730 per month in Cambridge and $4,429 in Cork. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cork, 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 $95.0 in Cambridge and $97.0 in Cork. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,153 in Cambridge and $2,952 in Cork. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,153 in Cambridge and $2,952 in Cork. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Cork – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Cork. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Cambridge makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.