Cost of Living Comparison Between Cork and Wicklow Cost of Living Comparison Between Cork and Wicklow

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,287 in Cork versus $2,606 in Wicklow.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,750 in Cork versus $3,857 in Wicklow.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,213 in Cork versus $5,107 in Wicklow.

Living in Cork is roughly 26% more expensive than in Wicklow, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cork 138% above, Wicklow 89% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.41 €19.27

$16.05 €13.80

39.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$93.7 €80.6

$91.7 €78.8

2.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.47 €11.58

$9.13 €7.85

47.54%

Cappuccino

$4.63 €3.98

$4.25 €3.65

8.94%

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

$2.94 €2.53

$2.60 €2.24

13.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 €1.98

$2.05 €1.77

12.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.64 €6.56

$6.85 €5.89

11.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.41 €6.37

$6.05 €5.20

22.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.49

$1.76 €1.51

-1.70%

White Bread (500g)

$2.36 €2.03

$1.68 €1.45

40.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.71

$1.97 €1.70

0.51%

Eggs

$4.65 €4.00

$4.85 €4.17

-4.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.75 €12.68

$14.64 €12.59

0.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.42 €11.54

$10.55 €9.07

27.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.45 €15.00

$7.91 €6.80

120.61%

Apples (1kg)

$3.42 €2.94

$3.39 €2.92

0.88%

Banana (1kg)

$2.97 €2.55

$3.04 €2.62

-2.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.40 €2.92

$3.43 €2.95

-0.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.06 €4.35

$5.05 €4.34

0.20%

Potato (1kg)

$2.34 €2.01

$2.41 €2.07

-2.90%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.56

$1.79 €1.54

1.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 €1.26

$1.50 €1.29

-2.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.21 €1.90

$2.17 €1.87

1.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.68 €17.78

$21.05 €18.10

-1.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.21 €12.21

$13.84 €11.90

2.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.28 €3.68

$2.38 €2.05

79.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 €3.14

$3.56 €3.06

2.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.68 €1.44

$3.11 €2.67

-45.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.3 €69.1

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.25 €4.51

$2.61 €2.24

101.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 €1.32

$1.59 €1.36

-3.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.55 €28.84

$34.26 €29.46

-2.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.15 €1.85

$2.16 €1.86

-0.46%

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

$39.7K €34.1K

$38.3K €32.9K

3.73%

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

$39.1K €33.6K

$38.8K €33.4K

0.66%

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

$253 €218

$235 €202

7.72%

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

$22.61 €19.44

$22.55 €19.39

0.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.0 €49.00

$35.39 €30.43

61.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.5 €47.70

$59.8 €51.4

-7.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.04 €13.79

Cinema Ticket

$13.84 €11.90

$13.88 €11.94

-0.29%

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

$1,109 €954

$1,123 €966

-1.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,493 €4,723

$5,603 €4,818

-1.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$97.1 €83.5

-0.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.67 €37.55

$34.98 €30.07

24.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 €92.3

$69.0 €59.3

55.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €108

$126 €109

-0.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,238 €1,924

$1,770 €1,522

26.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,820 €1,565

$1,393 €1,198

30.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,432 €2,951

$3,178 €2,732

8.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,937 €2,525

$2,415 €2,077

21.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,977 €4,279

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,238 €2,784

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,142 €3,561

$5,873 €5,049

-29.47%

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: September 8, 2026

Last update for Wicklow: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,238 in Cork and $1,770 in Wicklow. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Wicklow pays 42% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $94.0 in Cork vs $92.0 in Wicklow for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $346 per month, with Wicklow 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 Wicklow: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cork and Wicklow differ by about 26% in total monthly costs ($3,287 vs $2,606 including rent). Wicklow is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 42% lower in Wicklow. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,238 in Cork versus $1,770 in Wicklow. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 17% higher in Cork. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $3,287 per month in Cork versus $2,606 in Wicklow – a 26% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Wicklow 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 Wicklow 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 Wicklow gentler on the wallet – expenses run 26% less than in Cork. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.