Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cork and Bray

For one person, living costs are similar in Cork and in Bray: $3,217 and $3,126 a month, rent and utilities included.

155

Cost of Living Index in Cork
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Cork Living Index
151

Cost of Living Index in Bray
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Bray Living Index

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Cork

🇮🇪 Ireland

$3,217

/mo nomad

Bray

🇮🇪 Ireland

$3,126

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cork and in Bray

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 Bray actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,217 per month in Cork vs $3,126 in Bray, rent included.

Cork $3,217
Bray $3,126

A couple spends around $4,578 per month in Cork vs $4,556 in Bray, rent included.

Cork $4,578
Bray $4,556

A family of three spends $5,938 per month in Cork vs $5,986 in Bray, rent included.

Cork $5,938
Bray $5,986

Cork costs about 3% more than Bray, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Cork and Bray sit above the global median – Cork by 137%, Bray by 131%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.47 €19.99

$23.73 €21.11

-5.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.4 €80.4

$101 €90.2

-10.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.84 €11.42

$13.57 €12.07

-5.38%

Cappuccino

$4.36 €3.88

$4.83 €4.30

-9.73%

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

$2.97 €2.64

$2.99 €2.66

-0.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 €1.99

$2.20 €1.96

1.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.35 €6.53

$7.94 €7.06

-7.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.36 €6.55

$7.02 €6.25

4.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 €1.48

$1.62 €1.44

2.47%

White Bread (500g)

$2.28 €2.03

$2.29 €2.04

-0.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 €1.75

$2.07 €1.84

-4.83%

Eggs

$4.42 €3.93

$4.40 €3.92

0.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.88 €12.35

$10.04 €8.93

38.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.93 €11.50

$11.01 €9.79

17.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.93 €15.06

$13.34 €11.87

26.91%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 €2.94

$2.76 €2.46

19.57%

Banana (1kg)

$3.01 €2.68

$2.24 €1.99

34.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.30 €2.94

$2.77 €2.46

19.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.66 €4.15

$4.02 €3.58

15.92%

Potato (1kg)

$2.34 €2.08

$1.91 €1.70

22.51%

Onion (1kg)

$1.76 €1.57

$1.55 €1.37

13.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.41 €1.26

$1.26 €1.12

11.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.11 €1.87

$1.83 €1.63

15.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.93 €17.73

$20.38 €18.13

-2.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.51 €12.02

$13.72 €12.20

-1.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.13 €3.68

$3.51 €3.12

17.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.62 €3.22

$3.46 €3.08

4.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.60 €1.42

$2.54 €2.26

-37.01%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.3 €67.0

$110 €97.9

-31.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.11 €4.54

$5.25 €4.67

-2.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.52 €1.35

$1.44 €1.28

5.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.02 €29.37

$38.24 €34.01

-13.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.14 €1.91

$2.06 €1.84

3.88%

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

$39.2K €34.9K

$39.5K €35.1K

-0.62%

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

$38.6K €34.3K

$38.4K €34.1K

0.55%

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

$242 €215

$271 €241

-10.62%

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

$22.31 €19.85

$20.64 €18.36

8.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.8 €50.5

$50.8 €45.20

11.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.0 €47.14

$65.5 €58.3

-19.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.50 €13.79

$17.04 €15.15

-9.04%

Cinema Ticket

$13.62 €12.12

$15.76 €14.01

-13.58%

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

$1,100 €979

$1,004 €893

9.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,388 €4,793

$14.5K €12.9K

-62.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.7 €85.1

$99.0 €88.1

-3.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.20 €38.43

$48.70 €43.32

-11.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 €95.8

$109 €96.7

-0.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €107

$113 €101

5.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,122 €1,887

$2,222 €1,977

-4.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,824 €1,622

$1,689 €1,502

8.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,236 €2,878

$3,799 €3,379

-14.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,824 €2,512

$2,766 €2,460

2.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,979 €4,429

$10.2K €9,101

-51.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,093 €2,751

$6,718 €5,976

-53.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,922 €3,488

$3,150 €2,802

24.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.14

3.82

8.38%

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

Last update for Cork: October 17, 2026

Last update for Bray: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cork

$1.8K 56.7%

Bray

$1.7K 54% 7.4% $135

Groceries & Markets

Cork

$390 12.1%

Bray

$336 10.8% 13.7% $53

Eating Out

Cork

$343 10.7%

Bray

$363 11.6% 5.9% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cork

$321 10%

Bray

$342 11% 6.6% $21

Clothing & Footwear

Cork

$165 5.1%

Bray

$166 5.3% 0.8% $1.4

Getting Around

Cork

$94 2.9%

Bray

$133 4.2% 40.6% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Cork

$80 2.5%

Bray

$97 3.1% 20.9% $17

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,122 in Cork versus $2,222 in Bray. 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 24% 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 $90.0 in Cork versus $101 in Bray. Groceries tell a different story – $390 in Cork vs $336 in Bray – so Bray wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇮🇪 Cork

🇮🇪 Bray

🕒 Local time

09:14 9:14 AM

Same time as Cork

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

210,000

33,512

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cork Bray 220 km

From you

Cork
Bray

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 Bray: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Cork is pricier by about 3%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,826 per month in Cork and $4,690 in Bray. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bray, 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 $3,217 in Cork and $3,126 in Bray. That's a gap of about 3%.

Public transport costs about 46% less in Bray. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,217 in Cork and $3,126 in Bray. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Bray – 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 Bray. 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.