Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Carlow and Cork

For one person, living is cheaper in Carlow: $2,548 a month against $3,217 in Cork, rent and utilities included – about $8,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

124

Cost of Living Index in Carlow
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Carlow Living Index
155

Cost of Living Index in Cork
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Cork Living Index

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Carlow

🇮🇪 Ireland

$2,548

/mo nomad

Cork

🇮🇪 Ireland

$3,217

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Carlow 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 Carlow and in Cork actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,548 per month in Carlow vs $3,217 in Cork, rent included.

Carlow $2,548
Cork $3,217

A couple spends around $3,814 per month in Carlow vs $4,578 in Cork, rent included.

Carlow $3,814
Cork $4,578

A family of three spends $5,081 per month in Carlow vs $5,938 in Cork, rent included.

Carlow $5,081
Cork $5,938

Carlow is about 21% cheaper than Cork, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Carlow and Cork sit above the global median – Carlow by 88%, Cork by 137%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.01 €18.69

$22.47 €19.99

-6.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.7 €80.7

$90.4 €80.4

0.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.10 €11.65

$12.84 €11.42

2.02%

Cappuccino

$4.25 €3.78

$4.36 €3.88

-2.52%

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

$2.67 €2.37

$2.97 €2.64

-10.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 €1.97

$2.24 €1.99

-0.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.41 €6.59

$7.35 €6.53

0.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.54 €5.82

$7.36 €6.55

-11.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 €1.46

$1.66 €1.48

-1.20%

White Bread (500g)

$1.99 €1.77

$2.28 €2.03

-12.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 €1.69

$1.97 €1.75

-3.05%

Eggs

$4.35 €3.87

$4.42 €3.93

-1.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.47 €11.98

$13.88 €12.35

-2.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.81 €11.39

$12.93 €11.50

-0.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.43 €12.84

$16.93 €15.06

-14.77%

Apples (1kg)

$3.19 €2.84

$3.30 €2.94

-3.33%

Banana (1kg)

$3.00 €2.67

$3.01 €2.68

-0.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.33 €2.96

$3.30 €2.94

0.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.29 €2.92

$4.66 €4.15

-29.40%

Potato (1kg)

$2.37 €2.11

$2.34 €2.08

1.28%

Onion (1kg)

$1.76 €1.57

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.28

$1.41 €1.26

2.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.19

$2.11 €1.87

-36.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.84 €16.76

$19.93 €17.73

-5.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.53 €12.04

$13.51 €12.02

0.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.27 €3.80

$4.13 €3.68

3.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.43 €3.05

$3.62 €3.22

-5.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 €1.11

$1.60 €1.42

-21.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.3 €67.0

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.11 €4.55

$5.11 €4.54

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 €1.37

$1.52 €1.35

1.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.43 €28.85

$33.02 €29.37

-1.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 €1.86

$2.14 €1.91

-2.34%

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

$38.6K €34.4K

$39.2K €34.9K

-1.46%

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

$38.1K €33.9K

$38.6K €34.3K

-1.16%

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

$243 €216

$242 €215

0.36%

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

$22.26 €19.80

$22.31 €19.85

-0.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.4 €50.2

$56.8 €50.5

-0.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$78.8 €70.1

$53.0 €47.14

48.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$56.1 €49.93

$15.50 €13.79

262.13%

Cinema Ticket

$13.59 €12.09

$13.62 €12.12

-0.22%

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

$1,052 €936

$1,100 €979

-4.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,449 €4,847

$5,388 €4,793

1.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.3 €84.8

$95.7 €85.1

-0.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.63 €37.92

$43.20 €38.43

-1.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €89.8

$108 €95.8

-6.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 €90.3

$120 €107

-15.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,441 €1,282

$2,122 €1,887

-32.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,261 €1,121

$1,824 €1,622

-30.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,596 €2,310

$3,236 €2,878

-19.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,152 €1,914

$2,824 €2,512

-23.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,664 €5,038

$4,979 €4,429

13.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,675 €5,937

$3,093 €2,751

115.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,351 €2,091

$3,922 €3,488

-40.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.14

-3.38%

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

Last update for Carlow: October 18, 2026

Last update for Cork: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Carlow

$1.3K 49.5%

Cork

$1.8K 56.7% 44.7% $563

Groceries & Markets

Carlow

$361 14.2%

Cork

$390 12.1% 8.1% $29

Eating Out

Carlow

$328 12.9%

Cork

$343 10.7% 4.5% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Carlow

$322 12.6%

Cork

$321 10% 0.1% $0.4

Clothing & Footwear

Carlow

$153 6%

Cork

$165 5.1% 7.7% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Carlow

$106 4.2%

Cork

$80 2.5% 24.3% $26

Getting Around

Carlow

$18 * 0.7%

Cork

$94 2.9% 430% $77

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,441 in Carlow versus $2,122 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 67% higher in Cork, 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 $91.0 in Carlow versus $90.0 in Cork. Groceries tell a different story – $361 in Carlow vs $390 in Cork – so Carlow wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇮🇪 Carlow

🇮🇪 Cork

🕒 Local time

11:34 11:34 AM

Same time as Carlow

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

27,351

210,000

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Carlow Cork 150 km

From you

Carlow
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

Carlow vs Cork: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Cork is pricier by about 26%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,822 per month in Carlow and $4,826 in Cork. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Carlow, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,548 in Carlow and $3,217 in Cork. That's a gap of about 26%.

Kindergarten costs $1,052 per month in Carlow and $1,100 in Cork. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Carlow, where all-in costs run around $2,548, than in Cork at $3,217. In Carlow it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cork it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Carlow – 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 Carlow. 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.