Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cork and Derry, Ireland

For one person, living is cheaper in Derry: $2,515 a month against $3,214 in Cork, rent and utilities included – about $8,400 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
120

Cost of Living Index in Derry
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Derry Living Index

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Cork

🇮🇪 Ireland

$3,214

/mo nomad

Derry

🇮🇪 Ireland

$2,515

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cork and in Derry

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,214 in Cork versus $2,515 in Derry.

Cork $3,214
Derry $2,515

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,510 in Cork versus $3,028 in Derry.

Cork $4,510
Derry $3,028

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,807 in Cork versus $3,541 in Derry.

Cork $5,807
Derry $3,541

Living in Cork is roughly 28% more expensive than in Derry, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cork 136% above, Derry 85% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.95 €19.66

$20.72 €18.55

5.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.5 €79.2

$52.6 €47.14

68.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.85 €11.51

$9.12 €8.17

40.90%

Cappuccino

$4.45 €3.98

$4.50 €4.03

-1.11%

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

$2.86 €2.56

$1.67 €1.49

71.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 €2.01

$1.61 €1.44

39.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.35 €6.58

$5.28 €4.73

39.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.25 €6.49

$6.62 €5.93

9.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 €1.52

$1.54 €1.38

10.39%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 €2.08

$1.48 €1.33

57.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.86 €1.66

$2.01 €1.80

-7.46%

Eggs

$4.42 €3.96

$3.45 €3.09

28.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.15 €12.67

$13.14 €11.76

7.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.73 €11.40

$9.96 €8.92

27.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.37 €14.66

$13.20 €11.82

24.02%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 €2.94

$2.96 €2.65

10.81%

Banana (1kg)

$2.89 €2.59

$1.56 €1.40

85.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.37 €3.02

$3.15 €2.82

6.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.80 €4.30

$4.04 €3.62

18.81%

Potato (1kg)

$2.25 €2.02

$1.05 €0.94

114.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.75 €1.57

$1.36 €1.22

28.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.38 €1.23

$1.04 €0.93

32.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.92

$1.84 €1.65

16.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.31 €18.19

$20.70 €18.54

-1.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.54 €12.13

$10.27 €9.20

31.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.14 €3.70

$2.31 €2.07

79.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 €3.17

$2.57 €2.30

37.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.71 €1.53

$2.51 €2.25

-31.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 €69.4

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.23 €4.68

$5.26 €4.71

-0.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.49 €1.34

$1.44 €1.29

3.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.62 €29.22

$56.8 €50.9

-42.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 €1.90

$2.08 €1.86

2.40%

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

$38.3K €34.3K

-1.84%

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

$235 €211

$244 €219

-3.61%

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

$21.68 €19.41

$21.20 €18.99

2.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.8 €49.94

$50.4 €45.15

10.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.7 €48.97

$34.99 €31.34

56.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.40 €13.79

$25.97 €23.26

-40.70%

Cinema Ticket

$13.24 €11.86

$12.98 €11.63

2.00%

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

$1,071 €959

$1,180 €1,056

-9.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,278 €4,727

$5,539 €4,961

-4.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.2 €85.3

$101 €90.7

-5.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.83 €37.46

$47.33 €42.39

-11.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 €94.6

$97.5 €87.4

8.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 €106

$72.2 €64.7

63.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,207 €1,976

$1,599 €1,432

37.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,833 €1,642

$1,365 €1,223

34.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,210 €2,874

$1,344 €1,204

138.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,723 €2,439

$1,103 €988

146.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,257 €4,708

$2,303 €2,062

128.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,407 €3,052

$3,403 €3,048

0.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,787 €3,391

$2,650 €2,374

42.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.14

3.68

12.50%

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

Last update for Cork: October 24, 2026

Last update for Derry: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cork

$1.8K 57%

Derry

$1.4K 54.3% 25.5% $468

Groceries & Markets

Cork

$388 12.1%

Derry

$307 12.2% 20.8% $81

Eating Out

Cork

$339 10.6%

Derry

$300 11.9% 11.6% $39

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cork

$313 9.7%

Derry

$316 12.6% 1% $3

Clothing & Footwear

Cork

$162 5.1%

Derry

$143 5.7% 11.8% $19

Getting Around

Cork

$97 3%

Derry

$22 * 0.9% 76.8% $74

Sport & Entertainment

Cork

$81 2.5%

Derry

$61 2.4% 24.9% $20

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,207 in Cork and $1,599 in Derry. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cork pays 43% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $88 in Cork vs $53 in Derry for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $388 vs $307 per month, with Derry cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇪 Cork

🇮🇪 Derry

🕒 Local time

13:51 1:51 PM

Same time as Cork

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

210,000

85,016

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cork Derry 350 km

From you

Cork
Derry

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 Derry: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $3,214 in Cork and $2,515 in Derry, so Derry is about 22% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 43% higher in Cork, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,207 in Cork versus $1,599 in Derry. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 26% higher in Cork. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $3,214 per month in Cork versus $2,515 in Derry – Derry is about 22% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Derry is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Cork and Derry are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Derry wins on affordability, Cork on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.