Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cork and Drogheda

For one person, living is cheaper in Drogheda: $3,029 a month against $3,202 in Cork, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Cork outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

155

Cost of Living Index in Cork
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Cork Living Index
147

Cost of Living Index in Drogheda
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Drogheda Living Index

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Cork

🇮🇪 Ireland

$3,202

/mo nomad

Drogheda

🇮🇪 Ireland

$3,029

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cork and in Drogheda

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,202 in Cork versus $3,029 in Drogheda.

Cork $3,202
Drogheda $3,029

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,537 in Cork versus $4,445 in Drogheda.

Cork $4,537
Drogheda $4,445

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,872 in Cork versus $5,861 in Drogheda.

Cork $5,872
Drogheda $5,861

Living in Cork is roughly 6% more expensive than in Drogheda, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cork 137% above, Drogheda 124% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.38 €19.90

$18.73 €16.66

19.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.2 €80.2

$90.8 €80.8

-0.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.59 €11.20

$11.59 €10.31

8.63%

Cappuccino

$4.24 €3.77

$4.14 €3.68

2.42%

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

$2.90 €2.58

$2.92 €2.60

-0.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 €1.93

$2.22 €1.97

-2.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.30 €6.49

$6.73 €5.99

8.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.20 €6.41

$6.68 €5.94

7.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 €1.47

$1.69 €1.50

-2.37%

White Bread (500g)

$2.35 €2.09

$2.25 €2.00

4.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.96 €1.74

$1.07 €0.95

83.18%

Eggs

$4.41 €3.92

$4.52 €4.02

-2.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.09 €12.53

$10.14 €9.02

38.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.71 €11.30

$13.11 €11.66

-3.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.49 €14.67

$16.15 €14.37

2.11%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 €2.92

$2.96 €2.63

10.81%

Banana (1kg)

$2.94 €2.62

$1.92 €1.71

53.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.39 €3.01

$1.75 €1.55

93.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.83 €4.30

$4.76 €4.23

1.47%

Potato (1kg)

$2.24 €2.00

$1.75 €1.56

28.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.76 €1.57

$1.03 €0.92

70.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.41 €1.25

$1.07 €0.95

31.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.17 €1.93

$1.56 €1.39

39.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.11 €17.89

$20.24 €18.00

-0.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.44 €11.95

$13.45 €11.96

-0.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.23 €3.76

$3.38 €3.01

25.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.47 €3.09

$3.58 €3.18

-3.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.66 €1.48

$3.00 €2.67

-44.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.3 €68.8

$210 €186

-63.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.25 €4.67

$5.00 €4.45

5.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 €1.38

$1.52 €1.35

1.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.91 €29.27

$32.62 €29.01

0.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.07 €1.84

$2.12 €1.88

-2.36%

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

$39.2K €34.8K

$39.2K €34.9K

-0.12%

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

$37.3K €33.2K

$37.5K €33.4K

-0.59%

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

$242 €216

$243 €216

-0.34%

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

$22.05 €19.62

$22.08 €19.64

-0.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.2 €49.08

$44.35 €39.45

24.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.3 €47.36

$75.6 €67.2

-29.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.21 €13.53

$66.3 €58.9

-77.04%

Cinema Ticket

$13.36 €11.88

$13.45 €11.96

-0.67%

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

$1,061 €944

$1,091 €970

-2.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,355 €4,763

$1,983 €1,764

170.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$96.3 €85.7

$93.7 €83.4

2.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.16 €37.51

$42.24 €37.57

-0.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 €95.1

$106 €94.7

0.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €107

$121 €108

-0.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 €1,901

$1,823 €1,621

17.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,812 €1,612

$1,573 €1,399

15.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,277 €2,914

$3,212 €2,857

2.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,767 €2,461

$2,569 €2,285

7.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,889 €4,349

$3,945 €3,509

23.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,095 €2,753

$2,866 €2,549

7.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,873 €3,445

$3,463 €3,080

11.84%

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 11, 2026

Last update for Drogheda: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cork

$1.8K 56.6%

Drogheda

$1.6K 51.9% 13.2% $240

Groceries & Markets

Cork

$389 12.2%

Drogheda

$345 11.4% 11.5% $45

Eating Out

Cork

$339 10.6%

Drogheda

$302 10% 10.9% $37

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cork

$320 10%

Drogheda

$310 10.2% 3.1% $10

Clothing & Footwear

Cork

$165 5.1%

Drogheda

$164 5.4% 0.6% $1

Getting Around

Cork

$97 3%

Drogheda

$234 7.7% 141% $137

Sport & Entertainment

Cork

$80 2.5%

Drogheda

$102 3.4% 28.2% $23

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,137 in Cork and $1,823 in Drogheda. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cork pays 12% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $90.0 in Cork vs $91.0 in Drogheda. Groceries flip the comparison at $389 vs $345, with Drogheda cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇮🇪 Cork

🇮🇪 Drogheda

🕒 Local time

20:24 8:24 PM

Same time as Cork

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

210,000

44,135

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Cork Drogheda 250 km

From you

Cork
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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 Drogheda: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cork and Drogheda differ by about 6% in total monthly costs ($3,202 vs $3,029 including rent). Drogheda is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 12% 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: $2,137 in Cork versus $1,823 in Drogheda. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 13% higher in Cork. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Drogheda – a meal for two runs $91.0 versus $90.0 in Cork. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Drogheda 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 Drogheda are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Drogheda gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Cork. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.