Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Derry and Cork

For one person, living is cheaper in Derry: $2,484 a month against $3,202 in Cork, rent and utilities included – about $8,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

121

Cost of Living Index in Derry
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Derry Living Index
155

Cost of Living Index in Cork
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Cork Living Index

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Derry

🇮🇪 Ireland

$2,484

/mo nomad

Cork

🇮🇪 Ireland

$3,202

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Derry and in Cork

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Derry and in Cork actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,484 in Derry versus $3,202 in Cork.

Derry $2,484
Cork $3,202

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,000 in Derry versus $4,537 in Cork.

Derry $3,000
Cork $4,537

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,516 in Derry versus $5,872 in Cork.

Derry $3,516
Cork $5,872

Living in Derry costs roughly 22% less than in Cork, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Derry 84% above, Cork 137% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.52 €18.25

$22.38 €19.90

-8.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.2 €45.58

$90.2 €80.2

-43.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.39 €8.35

$12.59 €11.20

-25.42%

Cappuccino

$4.44 €3.95

$4.24 €3.77

4.72%

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

$1.64 €1.46

$2.90 €2.58

-43.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 €1.45

$2.17 €1.93

-24.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.17 €4.60

$7.30 €6.49

-29.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.68 €5.94

$7.20 €6.41

-7.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.48 €1.31

$1.65 €1.47

-10.30%

White Bread (500g)

$1.49 €1.33

$2.35 €2.09

-36.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.06 €1.83

$1.96 €1.74

5.10%

Eggs

$3.40 €3.02

$4.41 €3.92

-22.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.23 €11.77

$14.09 €12.53

-6.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.04 €8.93

$12.71 €11.30

-21.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.19 €11.73

$16.49 €14.67

-20.01%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 €2.61

$3.28 €2.92

-10.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 €1.43

$2.94 €2.62

-45.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.03 €2.70

$3.39 €3.01

-10.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 €3.69

$4.83 €4.30

-14.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.02 €0.90

$2.24 €2.00

-54.46%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 €1.26

$1.76 €1.57

-19.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 €0.91

$1.41 €1.25

-27.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 €1.65

$2.17 €1.93

-14.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.71 €18.42

$20.11 €17.89

2.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.27 €9.14

$13.44 €11.95

-23.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.24 €1.99

$4.23 €3.76

-47.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.62 €2.33

$3.47 €3.09

-24.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.60 €2.32

$1.66 €1.48

56.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.3 €68.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.20 €4.63

$5.25 €4.67

-0.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.41 €1.26

$1.55 €1.38

-9.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$56.0 €49.78

$32.91 €29.27

70.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.97 €1.75

$2.07 €1.84

-4.83%

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

$38.6K €34.3K

$39.2K €34.8K

-1.49%

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

$36.9K €32.8K

$37.3K €33.2K

-1.15%

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

$243 €216

$242 €216

0.09%

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

$21.14 €18.81

$22.05 €19.62

-4.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.5 €44.90

$55.2 €49.08

-8.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.93 €31.96

$53.3 €47.36

-32.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.84 €22.99

$15.21 €13.53

69.89%

Cinema Ticket

$13.02 €11.58

$13.36 €11.88

-2.54%

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

$1,196 €1,064

$1,061 €944

12.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,163 €4,592

$5,355 €4,763

-3.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €89.9

$96.3 €85.7

5.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.64 €43.26

$42.16 €37.51

15.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 €87.9

$107 €95.1

-7.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.9 €64.8

$120 €107

-39.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,574 €1,400

$2,137 €1,901

-26.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,335 €1,187

$1,812 €1,612

-26.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,322 €1,176

$3,277 €2,914

-59.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,085 €965

$2,767 €2,461

-60.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,310 €2,055

$4,889 €4,349

-52.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,702 €1,514

$3,095 €2,753

-45.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,599 €2,312

$3,873 €3,445

-32.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.68

4.14

-11.11%

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

Last update for Derry: October 12, 2026

Last update for Cork: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Derry

$1.3K 53.8%

Cork

$1.8K 56.6% 35.8% $478

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Derry

$314 12.7%

Cork

$320 10% 1.7% $5.4

Groceries & Markets

Derry

$307 12.4%

Cork

$389 12.2% 26.7% $82

Eating Out

Derry

$298 12%

Cork

$339 10.6% 13.7% $41

Clothing & Footwear

Derry

$145 5.8%

Cork

$165 5.1% 13.8% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Derry

$62 2.5%

Cork

$80 2.5% 29.1% $18

Getting Around

Derry

$23 * 0.9%

Cork

$97 3% 328% $74

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 $1,574 in Derry and $2,137 in Cork. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cork pays 49% 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: $51.0 in Derry vs $90.0 in Cork for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $307 vs $389 per month, with Derry cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇪 Derry

🇮🇪 Cork

🕒 Local time

13:34 1:34 PM

Same time as Derry

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

85,016

210,000

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Derry Cork 350 km

From you

Derry
Cork

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

Derry vs Cork: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Derry and Cork differ by about 29% in total monthly costs ($2,484 vs $3,202 including rent). Derry is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 49% lower in Cork. 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: $1,574 in Derry versus $2,137 in Cork. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 27% higher in Cork. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,484 per month in Derry versus $3,202 in Cork – a 29% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,484 in Derry versus $3,202 in Cork, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Derry but tight or insufficient in Cork. The gap between the two cities makes Derry 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, Derry and Cork 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 Derry gentler on the wallet – expenses run 29% less than in Cork. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.