Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cork and Arklow

For one person, living is cheaper in Arklow: $2,554 a month against $3,214 in Cork, rent and utilities included – about $7,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

154

Cost of Living Index in Cork
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Cork Living Index
127

Cost of Living Index in Arklow
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Arklow Living Index

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Cork

🇮🇪 Ireland

$3,214

/mo nomad

Arklow

🇮🇪 Ireland

$2,554

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cork and in Arklow

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

A single person spends $3,214 per month in Cork vs $2,554 in Arklow, rent included.

Cork $3,214
Arklow $2,554

A couple spends around $4,510 per month in Cork vs $3,690 in Arklow, rent included.

Cork $4,510
Arklow $3,690

A family of three spends $5,807 per month in Cork vs $4,827 in Arklow, rent included.

Cork $5,807
Arklow $4,827

Cork costs about 26% more than Arklow, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Cork and Arklow sit above the global median – Cork by 136%, Arklow by 88%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.95 €19.67

$22.19 €19.88

-1.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.5 €79.3

$88.4 €79.3

0.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.85 €11.52

$11.33 €10.15

13.42%

Cappuccino

$4.45 €3.98

$4.20 €3.76

5.95%

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

$2.86 €2.57

$2.95 €2.64

-3.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 €2.01

$2.22 €1.99

0.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.35 €6.59

$5.38 €4.82

36.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.25 €6.50

$5.37 €4.81

35.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 €1.52

$1.71 €1.54

-0.58%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 €2.09

$2.27 €2.04

2.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.86 €1.67

Eggs

$4.42 €3.96

$4.48 €4.02

-1.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.15 €12.68

$14.23 €12.75

-0.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.73 €11.40

$12.88 €11.54

-1.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.37 €14.67

$16.78 €15.03

-2.44%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 €2.94

$3.32 €2.97

-1.20%

Banana (1kg)

$2.89 €2.59

$3.00 €2.69

-3.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.37 €3.02

$3.35 €3.01

0.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.80 €4.30

$4.72 €4.23

1.69%

Potato (1kg)

$2.25 €2.02

$2.36 €2.11

-4.66%

Onion (1kg)

$1.75 €1.57

$1.82 €1.63

-3.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.38 €1.23

$1.40 €1.26

-1.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.92

$2.10 €1.88

2.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.31 €18.20

$19.86 €17.79

2.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.54 €12.13

$13.35 €11.96

1.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.14 €3.71

$4.06 €3.64

1.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 €3.17

$3.58 €3.21

-1.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.71 €1.53

$2.27 €2.04

-24.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 €69.4

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.23 €4.68

$5.18 €4.64

0.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.49 €1.34

$1.54 €1.38

-3.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.62 €29.23

$32.70 €29.30

-0.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 €1.91

$2.14 €1.92

-0.47%

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

$38.6K €34.6K

$38.3K €34.3K

0.75%

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

$37.6K €33.7K

$37.5K €33.6K

0.20%

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

$235 €211

$244 €219

-3.65%

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

$21.68 €19.42

$21.79 €19.53

-0.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.8 €49.97

$55.4 €49.62

0.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.7 €49.00

$59.4 €53.2

-7.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.40 €13.80

Cinema Ticket

$13.24 €11.87

$13.29 €11.91

-0.38%

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

$1,071 €960

$1,077 €965

-0.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,278 €4,730

$5,279 €4,731

-0.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.2 €85.3

$95.8 €85.8

-0.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.83 €37.48

$43.42 €38.90

-3.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 €94.6

$106 €95.2

-0.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 €106

$121 €108

-2.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,207 €1,977

$1,484 €1,330

48.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,833 €1,643

$1,250 €1,120

46.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,210 €2,876

$2,796 €2,505

14.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,723 €2,440

$1,909 €1,711

42.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,257 €4,711

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,407 €3,053

$3,844 €3,445

-11.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,787 €3,393

$4,869 €4,363

-22.23%

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 Cork: October 24, 2026

Last update for Arklow: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cork

$1.8K 57%

Arklow

$1.2K 48.9% 31.8% $584

Groceries & Markets

Cork

$388 12.1%

Arklow

$390 15.3% 0.4% $1.7

Eating Out

Cork

$339 10.6%

Arklow

$320 12.5% 5.6% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cork

$313 9.7%

Arklow

$321 12.6% 2.8% $8.6

Clothing & Footwear

Cork

$162 5.1%

Arklow

$165 6.5% 1.6% $2.5

Getting Around

Cork

$97 3%

Arklow

$22 * 0.9% 77.4% $75

Sport & Entertainment

Cork

$81 2.5%

Arklow

$86 3.4% 5.9% $4.8

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,207 in Cork versus $1,484 in Arklow. 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 29% 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 $88 in Cork versus $88 in Arklow. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $388 vs $390 – making Cork the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇪 Cork

🇮🇪 Arklow

🕒 Local time

07:59 7:59 AM

Same time as Cork

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

210,000

13,399

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cork Arklow 190 km

From you

Cork
Arklow

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

Cork vs Arklow: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,214 in Cork, $2,554 in Arklow – Arklow comes out roughly 21% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,821 per month in Cork and $3,831 in Arklow. 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,484 there versus $2,207 in Cork.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,214 in Cork and $2,554 in Arklow. That makes Arklow about 21% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $1,071 per month in Cork and $1,077 in Arklow. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Arklow, where all-in costs run around $2,554, than in Cork at $3,214. In Arklow it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cork it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Cork has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,554 in Arklow to $3,214 in Cork. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.