Cost of Living Comparison Between Cork and Wexford Cost of Living Comparison Between Cork and Wexford

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,879 in Cork versus $2,131 in Wexford.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,301 in Cork versus $2,874 in Wexford.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,722 in Cork versus $3,617 in Wexford.

Living in Cork is roughly 35% more expensive than in Wexford, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cork 116% above, Wexford 59% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.53 €17.93

$17.05 €14.89

20.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$96.3 €84.2

$69.5 €60.8

38.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.77 €10.28

$10.56 €9.23

11.46%

Cappuccino

$4.63 €4.05

$3.84 €3.36

20.57%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$2.14 €1.87

31.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 €1.96

$1.60 €1.40

40.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.02 €6.13

$6.96 €6.09

0.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 €5.93

$6.27 €5.48

8.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 €1.36

$1.51 €1.32

2.65%

White Bread (500g)

$2.09 €1.82

$1.75 €1.53

19.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.27 €1.98

$2.10 €1.83

8.10%

Eggs

$4.18 €3.65

$3.91 €3.42

6.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.85 €10.35

$8.74 €7.64

35.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.57 €10.98

$9.29 €8.12

35.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.82 €12.95

$11.68 €10.21

26.88%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 €2.87

$2.86 €2.50

15.03%

Banana (1kg)

$3.32 €2.90

$2.02 €1.76

64.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.65 €3.19

$2.79 €2.44

30.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.48 €4.79

$3.43 €3.00

59.77%

Potato (1kg)

$2.80 €2.45

$1.43 €1.25

95.80%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.85

$1.48 €1.29

43.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.63 €1.43

$1.43 €1.25

13.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 €1.81

$1.59 €1.39

30.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.63 €18.02

$17.30 €15.12

19.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.61 €11.89

$8.85 €7.73

53.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.82 €3.33

$2.69 €2.35

42.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.64 €3.18

$4.92 €4.30

-26.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.07

$2.90 €2.53

-18.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$99.9 €87.3

$34.86 €30.46

186.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.13 €4.48

$3.95 €3.45

29.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.78 €2.43

$1.53 €1.33

81.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.71 €31.20

$35.05 €30.62

1.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 €1.83

$2.02 €1.76

3.47%

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

$42.4K €37.0K

$41.5K €36.2K

2.15%

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

$40.1K €35.0K

$39.5K €34.5K

1.54%

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

$242 €211

$129 €113

87.30%

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

$21.95 €19.18

$21.55 €18.83

1.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.79 €43.50

$53.0 €46.27

-5.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.7 €56.5

$42.55 €37.18

52.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.19 €29.87

$28.41 €24.82

20.34%

Cinema Ticket

$14.01 €12.24

$12.76 €11.15

9.80%

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

$1,355 €1,184

$916 €801

47.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,473 €6,529

$8,171 €7,139

-8.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €91.3

$90.8 €79.4

15.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.1 €43.76

$40.25 €35.17

24.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 €87.8

$87.3 €76.3

15.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €101

$106 €92.8

8.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,787 €1,561

$1,263 €1,103

41.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,493 €1,305

$1,103 €964

35.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,162 €2,763

$1,651 €1,442

91.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,630 €2,298

$1,273 €1,112

106.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,926 €4,304

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,121 €2,727

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,167 €3,641

$2,437 €2,129

70.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.6

4.8

-4.17%

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

Last update for Cork: July 12, 2026

Last update for Wexford: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,787 in Cork and $1,263 in Wexford. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cork pays 71% 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 $70.0 in Wexford for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $381 vs $292 per month, with Wexford 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 Wexford: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cork and Wexford differ by about 35% in total monthly costs ($2,879 vs $2,131 including rent). Wexford is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 71% 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: $1,787 in Cork versus $1,263 in Wexford. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 30% higher in Cork. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Wexford – a meal for two runs $70.0 versus $96.0 in Cork. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,131 in Wexford versus $2,879 in Cork, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Wexford but tight or insufficient in Cork. The gap between the two cities makes Wexford 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 Wexford 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 Wexford gentler on the wallet – expenses run 35% less than in Cork. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.