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: $2,952 in Cork versus $2,734 in Wicklow.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,344 in Cork versus $4,059 in Wicklow.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,735 in Cork versus $5,384 in Wicklow.

Living in Cork is roughly 8% more expensive than Wicklow, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cork 120% above, Wicklow 104% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.14 €18.18

$17.60 €15.14

20.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$97.4 €83.8

$94.8 €81.6

2.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.60 €9.98

$10.50 €9.03

10.48%

Cappuccino

$4.64 €3.99

$4.38 €3.76

5.94%

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

$2.89 €2.49

$2.33 €2.00

24.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.16 €1.85

$1.60 €1.38

35.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.04 €6.06

$6.87 €5.91

2.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.05 €6.06

$5.66 €4.87

24.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 €1.36

$1.27 €1.09

24.41%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.83

$1.92 €1.65

10.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 €1.88

$2.22 €1.91

-1.80%

Eggs

$4.20 €3.61

$4.06 €3.50

3.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.75 €10.11

$12.35 €10.62

-4.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.64 €10.88

$10.52 €9.05

20.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.95 €12.86

$9.82 €8.44

52.24%

Apples (1kg)

$3.42 €2.94

$3.01 €2.59

13.62%

Banana (1kg)

$3.17 €2.73

$2.10 €1.81

50.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.70 €3.18

$2.75 €2.36

34.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.71 €4.91

$3.45 €2.96

65.51%

Potato (1kg)

$2.80 €2.40

$1.38 €1.19

102.90%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$1.40 €1.20

50.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.42 €1.22

19.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.03 €1.75

$1.61 €1.38

26.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.44 €17.59

$18.75 €16.13

9.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.90 €11.96

$14.11 €12.14

-1.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.72 €3.20

$2.29 €1.97

62.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.77 €3.24

$3.39 €2.91

11.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.05

$2.42 €2.08

-1.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$101 €86.9

$100 €86.1

1.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.20 €4.47

$2.53 €2.18

105.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.68 €2.31

$2.66 €2.28

0.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.71 €30.72

$33.59 €28.90

6.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 €1.71

$2.08 €1.79

-4.33%

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

$43.2K €37.2K

$33.9K €29.2K

27.41%

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

$39.5K €34.0K

$39.7K €34.2K

-0.52%

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

$248 €213

$281 €241

-11.58%

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

$21.89 €18.83

$21.86 €18.80

0.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.84 €42.87

$49.58 €42.65

0.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.9 €55.9

$61.4 €52.8

5.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.23 €29.44

Cinema Ticket

$13.70 €11.78

$14.15 €12.18

-3.18%

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

$1,363 €1,172

$1,042 €896

30.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,303 €6,282

$8,045 €6,920

-9.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €89.1

$89.9 €77.3

15.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.42 €42.51

$39.98 €34.39

23.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €86.6

$93.4 €80.3

7.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 €100

$106 €91.3

9.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,837 €1,580

$1,756 €1,511

4.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,500 €1,291

$1,396 €1,201

7.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,203 €2,755

$3,170 €2,727

1.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,575 €2,215

$2,468 €2,123

4.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,879 €4,197

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,253 €2,798

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,354 €3,745

$5,688 €4,893

-23.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.6

3.77

22.02%

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

Last update for Cork: June 2, 2026

Last update for Wicklow: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,837 in Cork and $1,756 in Wicklow. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Wicklow pays 31% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $97.0 in Cork vs $95.0 in Wicklow for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $383 vs $310 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 8% in total monthly costs ($2,952 vs $2,734 including rent). Wicklow is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Wicklow earns 31% less. 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: $1,837 in Cork versus $1,756 in Wicklow. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 23% higher in Cork. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Wicklow – a meal for two runs $95.0 versus $97.0 in Cork. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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 8% less than in Cork. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.