Cost of Living Comparison Between Cork and Mullingar Cost of Living Comparison Between Cork and Mullingar

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,976 in Cork versus $2,663 in Mullingar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,449 in Cork versus $3,818 in Mullingar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,921 in Cork versus $4,973 in Mullingar.

Living in Cork is roughly 12% more expensive than Mullingar, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cork 122% above, Mullingar 99% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.02 €17.99

$21.18 €18.13

-0.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$96.1 €82.3

$94.2 €80.6

2.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.60 €9.93

$11.44 €9.80

1.40%

Cappuccino

$4.71 €4.03

$4.67 €4.00

0.86%

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

$2.91 €2.49

$2.83 €2.42

2.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 €1.86

$2.27 €1.94

-4.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.80 €5.82

$6.93 €5.93

-1.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.00 €6.00

$6.90 €5.91

1.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 €1.33

$1.59 €1.36

-2.52%

White Bread (500g)

$2.06 €1.76

$2.11 €1.81

-2.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 €1.88

$2.30 €1.96

-4.35%

Eggs

$4.34 €3.72

$4.17 €3.57

4.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.70 €10.01

$11.79 €10.09

-0.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.58 €10.77

$12.26 €10.49

2.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.81 €12.67

$14.91 €12.76

-0.67%

Apples (1kg)

$3.42 €2.93

$3.31 €2.84

3.32%

Banana (1kg)

$3.17 €2.72

$3.16 €2.71

0.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.71 €3.17

$3.70 €3.17

0.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.43 €4.65

$5.57 €4.76

-2.51%

Potato (1kg)

$2.74 €2.35

$2.77 €2.37

-1.08%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 €1.88

$2.14 €1.83

2.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.64 €1.40

$1.67 €1.43

-1.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 €1.77

$2.15 €1.84

-3.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.02 €17.14

$17.21 €14.73

16.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.27 €12.22

$12.98 €11.11

9.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.75 €3.21

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 €3.19

$3.63 €3.11

2.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 €2.06

$2.48 €2.12

-3.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$97.9 €83.8

$98.3 €84.1

-0.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.08 €4.35

$4.72 €4.04

7.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.77 €2.37

$2.69 €2.31

2.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.88 €29.86

$35.59 €30.46

-1.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.78

$2.03 €1.74

2.46%

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

$43.2K €37.0K

$42.6K €36.4K

1.42%

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

$40.4K €34.5K

$40.4K €34.6K

-0.19%

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

$242 €207

$90.8 €77.7

166.67%

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

$21.87 €18.72

$21.72 €18.59

0.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.44 €41.46

$40.63 €34.78

19.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.9 €57.3

$46.97 €40.20

42.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.17 €30.11

$11.50 €9.84

205.83%

Cinema Ticket

$13.76 €11.78

$13.69 €11.72

0.51%

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

$1,326 €1,135

$1,339 €1,146

-0.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,226 €6,186

$7,247 €6,203

-0.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €87.7

$103 €88.0

-0.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.75 €41.73

$50.0 €42.82

-2.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €86.8

$98.7 €84.5

2.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 €98.5

$117 €99.8

-1.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,786 €1,529

$1,737 €1,487

2.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,313

$1,368 €1,171

12.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,189 €2,730

$2,145 €1,836

48.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,660 €2,277

$1,936 €1,657

37.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,038 €4,312

$4,153 €3,555

21.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,224 €2,760

$3,931 €3,365

-17.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,070 €3,484

$2,710 €2,320

50.17%

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 Mullingar: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,786 in Cork and $1,737 in Mullingar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cork pays 50% 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 $94.0 in Mullingar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $382 vs $379 per month, with Mullingar 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 Mullingar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cork and Mullingar differ by about 12% in total monthly costs ($2,976 vs $2,663 including rent). Mullingar is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Cork pays 50% 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 $1,737 in Mullingar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 1% higher in Cork. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Mullingar – a meal for two runs $94.0 versus $96.0 in Cork. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Mullingar 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 Mullingar 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 Mullingar gentler on the wallet – expenses run 12% less than in Cork. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.