Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cork and Cambridge

For one person, living costs are similar in Cork and in Cambridge: $3,214 and $3,192 a month, rent and utilities included.

Cork, Ireland
Cambridge, United Kingdom
Cork
🇮🇪 Ireland
$3,214
/mo nomad
Cambridge
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$3,192
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cork and in Cambridge

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

A single person spends $3,214 per month in Cork vs $3,192 in Cambridge, rent included.

  • Cork $3,214
  • Cambridge $3,192

A couple spends around $4,510 per month in Cork vs $4,469 in Cambridge, rent included.

  • Cork $4,510
  • Cambridge $4,469

A family of three spends $5,807 per month in Cork vs $5,746 in Cambridge, rent included.

  • Cork $5,807
  • Cambridge $5,746

Cork and Cambridge have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Cork and Cambridge sit above the global median – Cork by 136%, Cambridge by 135%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Cork
Cambridge
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$21.95 €19.66
$21.53 £16.07
1.95%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$88.5 €79.2
$89.6 £66.9
-1.33%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.85 €11.51
$10.52 £7.86
22.15%
Cappuccino
$4.45 €3.98
$4.70 £3.51
-5.32%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.86 €2.56
$2.68 £2.00
6.72%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.24 €2.01
$1.85 £1.38
21.08%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.35 €6.58
$7.93 £5.92
-7.31%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.25 €6.49
$6.77 £5.05
7.09%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Cork
Cambridge
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.70 €1.52
$1.60 £1.19
6.25%
White Bread (500g)
$2.33 €2.08
$1.74 £1.30
33.91%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.86 €1.66
$2.51 £1.87
-25.90%
Eggs
$4.42 €3.96
$4.57 £3.41
-3.28%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$14.15 €12.67
$9.87 £7.37
43.36%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$12.73 €11.40
$9.79 £7.31
30.03%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.37 €14.66
$16.03 £11.97
2.12%
Apples (1kg)
$3.28 €2.94
$3.04 £2.27
7.89%
Banana (1kg)
$2.89 €2.59
$1.70 £1.27
70.00%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.37 €3.02
$3.66 £2.73
-7.92%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.80 €4.30
$3.58 £2.67
34.08%
Potato (1kg)
$2.25 €2.02
$1.82 £1.36
23.63%
Onion (1kg)
$1.75 €1.57
$1.89 £1.41
-7.41%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.38 €1.23
$1.24 £0.93
11.29%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.15 €1.92
$2.03 £1.51
5.91%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$20.31 €18.19
$22.71 £16.96
-10.57%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.54 €12.13
$10.91 £8.15
24.11%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$4.14 €3.70
$3.22 £2.40
28.57%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.53 €3.17
$4.10 £3.06
-13.90%
🚌 Getting Around
Cork
Cambridge
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.71 €1.53
$3.89 £2.90
-56.04%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$77.4 €69.4
$122 £91.2
-36.58%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.23 €4.68
$8.19 £6.11
-36.14%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.49 €1.34
$2.64 £1.97
-43.56%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$32.62 €29.22
$51.3 £38.34
-36.46%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.13 €1.90
$2.07 £1.55
2.90%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.6K €34.6K
$38.8K £29.0K
-0.45%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$37.6K €33.7K
$40.3K £30.1K
-6.79%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cork
Cambridge
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$235 €211
$338 £253
-30.44%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$21.68 €19.41
$18.64 £13.92
16.31%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$55.8 €49.94
$43.43 £32.43
28.41%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Cork
Cambridge
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$54.7 €48.97
$58.6 £43.75
-6.69%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$15.40 €13.79
$20.89 £15.60
-26.28%
Cinema Ticket
$13.24 €11.86
$17.04 £12.73
-22.30%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Cork
Cambridge
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,071 €959
$2,515 £1,878
-57.42%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,278 €4,727
$36.5K £27.2K
-85.52%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Cork
Cambridge
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$95.2 €85.3
$90.3 £67.4
5.47%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.83 €37.46
$48.31 £36.07
-13.41%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$106 €94.6
$93.3 £69.7
13.23%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$118 €106
$128 £95.6
-7.72%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Cork
Cambridge
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,207 €1,976
$2,102 £1,569
5.00%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,833 €1,642
$1,715 £1,281
6.88%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,210 €2,874
$3,163 £2,362
1.48%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,723 €2,439
$2,557 £1,909
6.50%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,257 €4,708
$9,228 £6,890
-43.03%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,407 €3,052
$6,031 £4,503
-43.50%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Cork
Cambridge
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,787 €3,391
$4,537 £3,387
-16.53%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.14
5.04
-17.86%

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

Last update for Cork: October 24, 2026

Last update for Cambridge: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Cork
$1.8K
Cambridge
$1.7K 6.4% $118
Groceries & Markets
Cork
$388
Cambridge
$331 14.7% $57
Eating Out
Cork
$339
Cambridge
$332 2.3% $7.6
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cork
$313
Cambridge
$400 28% $88
Clothing & Footwear
Cork
$162
Cambridge
$162 0.3% $0.4
Getting Around
Cork
$97
Cambridge
$159 64% $62
Sport & Entertainment
Cork
$81
Cambridge
$93 14.2% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,207 in Cork versus $2,102 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 20% higher in Cambridge. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $88 in Cork versus $90 in Cambridge. Groceries tell a different story – $388 in Cork vs $331 in Cambridge – so Cambridge wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇮🇪 Cork
🇬🇧 Cambridge
🕒 Local time
22:14 10:14 PM
22:14 10:14 PM
Same time as Cork
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
210,000
145,818
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

British Pound exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 0.747 GBP (1 GBP = 1.34 USD). 1 EUR = 0.834 GBP (1 GBP = 1.2 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Cork Cambridge 590 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Cork
  • Cambridge

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 Cambridge: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,821 per month in Cork and $4,788 in Cambridge. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
What is the rent difference between Cork and Cambridge?
A central 1-bedroom goes for about $2,207 in Cork and $2,102 in Cambridge. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 37% less in Cork. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $1,071 per month in Cork and $2,515 in Cambridge. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $2,500 enough to cover costs in Cork or in Cambridge?
$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,214 in Cork and $3,192 in Cambridge. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Which city suits remote workers better?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Cambridge costs $3,192 versus $3,214 in Cork. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
Which city is safer, Cork or Cambridge?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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