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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,976 per month in Cork vs $3,101 in Cambridge, rent included.

A couple spends around $4,449 per month in Cork vs $4,435 in Cambridge, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,921 per month in Cork vs $5,770 in Cambridge, rent included.

Cork is about 4% cheaper than Cambridge, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Cork and Cambridge sit above the global median – Cork by 122%, Cambridge by 132%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.02 €17.95

$26.75 £19.79

-21.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$96.1 €82.1

$96.7 £71.6

-0.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.60 €9.90

$11.01 £8.15

5.36%

Cappuccino

$4.71 €4.02

$4.84 £3.58

-2.69%

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

$2.91 €2.49

$2.84 £2.10

2.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 €1.85

$2.00 £1.48

8.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.80 €5.81

$8.06 £5.97

-15.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.00 €5.98

$7.90 £5.85

-11.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 €1.33

$1.93 £1.43

-19.69%

White Bread (500g)

$2.06 €1.76

$2.27 £1.68

-9.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 €1.88

$2.80 £2.07

-21.43%

Eggs

$4.34 €3.71

$4.68 £3.46

-7.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.70 €9.99

$12.54 £9.28

-6.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.58 €10.74

$10.00 £7.40

25.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.81 €12.64

$17.86 £13.22

-17.08%

Apples (1kg)

$3.42 €2.92

$3.19 £2.36

7.21%

Banana (1kg)

$3.17 €2.71

$1.90 £1.41

66.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.71 €3.17

$3.65 £2.70

1.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.43 €4.64

$3.51 £2.60

54.70%

Potato (1kg)

$2.74 €2.34

$1.89 £1.40

44.97%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 €1.87

$2.03 £1.50

7.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.64 €1.40

$1.39 £1.03

17.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 €1.76

$1.53 £1.13

35.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.02 €17.10

$20.56 £15.22

-2.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.27 €12.19

$11.39 £8.43

25.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.75 €3.20

$3.53 £2.61

6.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 €3.19

$4.11 £3.04

-9.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 €2.05

$2.74 £2.02

-12.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$97.9 €83.6

$80.3 £59.4

21.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.08 €4.34

$6.84 £5.06

-25.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.77 €2.37

$2.48 £1.83

11.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.88 €29.79

$55.1 £40.76

-36.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.78

$1.95 £1.44

6.67%

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

$43.2K €36.9K

$38.9K £28.8K

11.00%

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

$40.4K €34.5K

$43.5K £32.2K

-7.27%

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

$242 €207

$342 £253

-29.23%

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

$21.87 €18.68

$15.86 £11.74

37.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.44 €41.36

$39.10 £28.93

23.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.9 €57.2

$73.3 £54.2

-8.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.17 €30.04

$14.40 £10.66

144.24%

Cinema Ticket

$13.76 €11.75

$16.03 £11.86

-14.16%

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

$1,326 €1,133

$2,284 £1,690

-41.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,226 €6,171

$23.3K £17.3K

-69.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €87.5

$85.5 £63.3

19.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.75 €41.63

$56.8 £42.01

-14.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €86.6

$87.0 £64.4

16.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 €98.3

$124 £91.8

-7.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,786 €1,525

$1,939 £1,435

-7.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,310

$1,621 £1,199

-5.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,189 €2,724

$3,641 £2,694

-12.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,660 €2,272

$2,553 £1,889

4.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,038 €4,302

$9,310 £6,889

-45.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,224 €2,753

$6,309 £4,669

-48.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,070 €3,476

$4,098 £3,033

-0.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.6

5.54

-16.97%

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

Last update for Cork: April 25, 2026

Last update for Cambridge: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,786 in Cork versus $1,939 in Cambridge. 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 $96.0 in Cork versus $97.0 in Cambridge. Groceries tell a different story – $382 in Cork vs $355 in Cambridge – so Cambridge wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Cambridge: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Cambridge is pricier by about 4%, 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 $4,464 per month in Cork and $4,651 in Cambridge. 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 $96.0 in Cork and $97.0 in Cambridge. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,976 in Cork and $3,101 in Cambridge. 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 $2,976 in Cork and $3,101 in Cambridge. 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.