Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cork and Swords

For one person, living is cheaper in Swords: $2,598 a month against $3,214 in Cork, rent and utilities included – about $7,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

154

Cost of Living Index in Cork
Learn more

Cork Living Index
125

Cost of Living Index in Swords
Learn more

Swords Living Index

Jump to prices

Cork

🇮🇪 Ireland

$3,214

/mo nomad

Swords

🇮🇪 Ireland

$2,598

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cork and in Swords

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,214 in Cork versus $2,598 in Swords.

Cork $3,214
Swords $2,598

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,510 in Cork versus $3,804 in Swords.

Cork $4,510
Swords $3,804

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,807 in Cork versus $5,010 in Swords.

Cork $5,807
Swords $5,010

Living in Cork is roughly 24% more expensive than in Swords, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cork 136% above, Swords 91% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.95 €19.72

$22.16 €19.91

-0.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.5 €79.5

$98.6 €88.6

-10.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.85 €11.55

$13.20 €11.86

-2.65%

Cappuccino

$4.45 €3.99

$4.93 €4.43

-9.74%

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

$2.86 €2.57

$2.98 €2.68

-4.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 €2.01

$2.16 €1.94

3.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.35 €6.61

$8.03 €7.21

-8.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.25 €6.51

$6.74 €6.05

7.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 €1.53

$1.58 €1.42

7.59%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 €2.09

$2.35 €2.11

-0.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.86 €1.67

$2.03 €1.83

-8.37%

Eggs

$4.42 €3.97

$4.24 €3.81

4.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.15 €12.71

$9.89 €8.89

43.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.73 €11.44

$10.86 €9.76

17.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.37 €14.71

$13.29 €11.94

23.18%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 €2.95

$2.75 €2.47

19.27%

Banana (1kg)

$2.89 €2.59

$2.27 €2.04

27.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.37 €3.03

$2.79 €2.51

20.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.80 €4.31

$4.17 €3.75

15.11%

Potato (1kg)

$2.25 €2.02

$1.87 €1.68

20.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.75 €1.57

$1.47 €1.33

19.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.38 €1.24

$1.30 €1.16

6.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.93

$1.90 €1.70

13.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.31 €18.24

$20.52 €18.44

-1.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.54 €12.17

$13.39 €12.03

1.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.14 €3.72

$3.35 €3.01

23.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 €3.18

$3.45 €3.10

2.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.71 €1.54

$2.26 €2.03

-24.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 €69.6

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.23 €4.70

$5.00 €4.49

4.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.49 €1.34

$1.47 €1.32

1.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.62 €29.31

$37.35 €33.55

-12.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 €1.91

$2.16 €1.94

-1.39%

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

$38.6K €34.7K

0.10%

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

$37.6K €33.8K

$38.0K €34.1K

-1.05%

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

$235 €211

$246 €221

-4.45%

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

$21.68 €19.48

$18.68 €16.78

16.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.8 €50.1

$51.2 €45.97

8.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.7 €49.13

$40.58 €36.46

34.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.40 €13.84

Cinema Ticket

$13.24 €11.90

$13.43 €12.07

-1.41%

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

$1,071 €962

$1,010 €907

6.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,278 €4,742

$5,183 €4,656

1.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.2 €85.6

$100 €90.0

-4.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.83 €37.58

$48.06 €43.18

-12.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 €94.9

$108 €97.1

-2.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 €106

$113 €101

4.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,207 €1,983

$1,556 €1,398

41.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,833 €1,647

$1,342 €1,206

36.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,210 €2,884

$2,584 €2,322

24.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,723 €2,447

$2,165 €1,945

25.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,257 €4,723

$4,721 €4,242

11.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,407 €3,062

$3,447 €3,097

-1.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,787 €3,402

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 Swords: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cork

$1.8K 57%

Swords

$1.3K 51.7% 26.8% $491

Groceries & Markets

Cork

$388 12.1%

Swords

$335 12.9% 13.8% $54

Eating Out

Cork

$339 10.6%

Swords

$350 13.5% 3.3% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cork

$313 9.7%

Swords

$316 12.2% 1.1% $3.4

Clothing & Footwear

Cork

$162 5.1%

Swords

$166 6.4% 2.3% $3.7

Getting Around

Cork

$97 3%

Swords

$21 * 0.8% 78% $76

Sport & Entertainment

Cork

$81 2.5%

Swords

$67 2.6% 16.9% $14

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 $1,556 in Swords. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $88 in Cork vs $99 in Swords. Groceries flip the comparison at $388 vs $335, with Swords cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇮🇪 Cork

🇮🇪 Swords

🕒 Local time

09:24 9:24 AM

Same time as Cork

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

210,000

40,776

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cork Swords 230 km

From you

Cork
Swords

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 Swords: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cork and Swords differ by about 24% in total monthly costs ($3,214 vs $2,598 including rent). Swords is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $4,821 in Cork and $3,897 in Swords to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,207 in Cork versus $1,556 in Swords. 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.

All in, you’ll spend $3,214 per month in Cork versus $2,598 in Swords – a 24% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,598 in Swords versus $3,214 in Cork, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Swords but tight or insufficient in Cork. The gap between the two cities makes Swords 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 Swords are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.