Cost of Living Comparison Between Cork and Ennis Cost of Living Comparison Between Cork and Ennis

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,976 in Cork versus $2,450 in Ennis.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,449 in Cork versus $3,427 in Ennis.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,921 in Cork versus $4,404 in Ennis.

Living in Cork is roughly 21% more expensive than Ennis, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cork 122% above, Ennis 83% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.02 €17.99

$17.15 €14.68

22.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$96.1 €82.3

$86.5 €74.1

11.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.60 €9.93

$11.42 €9.77

1.58%

Cappuccino

$4.71 €4.03

$4.03 €3.45

16.87%

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

$2.91 €2.49

$2.43 €2.08

19.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 €1.86

$1.60 €1.37

35.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.80 €5.82

$6.57 €5.62

3.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.00 €6.00

$6.82 €5.84

2.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 €1.33

$1.38 €1.18

12.32%

White Bread (500g)

$2.06 €1.76

$2.02 €1.73

1.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 €1.88

$1.69 €1.45

30.18%

Eggs

$4.34 €3.72

$4.35 €3.72

-0.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.70 €10.01

$7.01 €6.00

66.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.58 €10.77

$11.70 €10.01

7.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.81 €12.67

$15.11 €12.94

-1.99%

Apples (1kg)

$3.42 €2.93

$1.14 €0.97

200.00%

Banana (1kg)

$3.17 €2.72

$1.69 €1.45

87.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.71 €3.17

$3.68 €3.15

0.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.43 €4.65

$5.53 €4.73

-1.81%

Potato (1kg)

$2.74 €2.35

$2.77 €2.37

-1.08%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 €1.88

$2.13 €1.82

2.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.64 €1.40

$1.61 €1.38

1.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 €1.77

$1.18 €1.01

75.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.02 €17.14

$17.46 €14.95

14.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.27 €12.22

$14.18 €12.14

0.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.75 €3.21

$3.86 €3.31

-2.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 €3.19

$3.77 €3.22

-1.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 €2.06

$2.93 €2.51

-18.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$97.9 €83.8

$57.0 €48.78

71.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.08 €4.35

$5.24 €4.49

-3.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.77 €2.37

$2.13 €1.82

30.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.88 €29.86

$35.91 €30.74

-2.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.78

$2.01 €1.72

3.48%

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

$43.2K €37.0K

$39.0K €33.4K

10.64%

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

$40.4K €34.5K

$28.0K €24.0K

44.23%

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

$242 €207

$247 €212

-2.15%

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

$21.87 €18.72

$17.08 €14.62

28.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.44 €41.46

$38.84 €33.24

24.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.9 €57.3

$64.6 €55.3

3.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.17 €30.11

Cinema Ticket

$13.76 €11.78

$14.13 €12.10

-2.62%

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

$1,326 €1,135

$1,351 €1,157

-1.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,226 €6,186

$7,398 €6,333

-2.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €87.7

$105 €89.6

-2.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.75 €41.73

$49.26 €42.17

-1.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €86.8

$100 €85.8

1.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 €98.5

0.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,786 €1,529

$1,335 €1,143

33.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,313

$1,172 €1,003

30.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,189 €2,730

$2,282 €1,953

39.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,660 €2,277

$1,550 €1,327

71.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,038 €4,312

$3,585 €3,069

40.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,224 €2,760

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,070 €3,484

$3,795 €3,248

7.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.6

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

Last update for Cork: April 25, 2026

Last update for Ennis: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,786 in Cork and $1,335 in Ennis. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cork pays 7% 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: $96.0 in Cork vs $87.0 in Ennis for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $382 vs $330 per month, with Ennis cheaper across the board.

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 Ennis: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cork and Ennis differ by about 21% in total monthly costs ($2,976 vs $2,450 including rent). Ennis is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Cork pays 7% more on average, 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: $1,786 in Cork versus $1,335 in Ennis. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 16% higher in Cork. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Ennis – a meal for two runs $87.0 versus $96.0 in Cork. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,450 in Ennis versus $2,976 in Cork, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Ennis but tight or insufficient in Cork. The gap between the two cities makes Ennis the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 Ennis 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 Ennis gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Cork. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.