Cost of Living Comparison Between Dun Laoghaire and Cork Cost of Living Comparison Between Dun Laoghaire and Cork

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,885 in Dun Laoghaire versus $2,954 in Cork.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,491 in Dun Laoghaire versus $4,391 in Cork.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,097 in Dun Laoghaire versus $5,828 in Cork.

Living in Dun Laoghaire costs roughly 2% less than in Cork, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Dun Laoghaire 117% above, Cork 122% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.27 €15.82

$21.06 €18.24

-13.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$95.1 €82.3

$94.3 €81.7

0.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.37 €8.98

$11.69 €10.12

-11.29%

Cappuccino

$4.25 €3.68

$4.67 €4.04

-8.99%

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

$2.44 €2.11

$2.92 €2.53

-16.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 €1.39

$2.24 €1.94

-28.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.43 €6.44

$6.99 €6.06

6.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.03 €6.09

$6.98 €6.05

0.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 €1.47

$1.55 €1.34

9.68%

White Bread (500g)

$2.27 €1.97

$2.09 €1.81

8.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.10 €1.82

$2.28 €1.97

-7.89%

Eggs

$3.91 €3.39

$4.24 €3.67

-7.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.58 €10.90

$11.68 €10.12

7.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.49 €9.08

$12.91 €11.18

-18.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.73 €10.15

$14.99 €12.98

-21.75%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 €2.60

$3.29 €2.85

-8.51%

Banana (1kg)

$2.00 €1.73

$3.30 €2.86

-39.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.85 €2.47

$3.66 €3.17

-22.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.54 €3.06

$5.56 €4.82

-36.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.45 €1.26

$2.74 €2.38

-47.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 €1.23

$2.11 €1.82

-32.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.26

$1.61 €1.39

-9.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 €1.38

$2.12 €1.83

-25.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.41 €16.81

$20.13 €17.43

-3.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.56 €11.74

$13.79 €11.94

-1.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.52 €3.05

$3.80 €3.29

-7.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 €3.38

$3.72 €3.22

4.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.06 €1.78

$2.49 €2.16

-17.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$69.5 €60.2

$100 €86.9

-30.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.99 €4.32

$5.19 €4.50

-3.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 €1.16

$2.67 €2.31

-49.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$38.37 €33.23

$35.10 €30.40

9.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.97 €1.71

$2.02 €1.75

-2.48%

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

$43.2K €37.4K

$43.1K €37.4K

0.20%

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

$38.5K €33.4K

$39.4K €34.1K

-2.25%

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

$279 €241

$243 €210

14.88%

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

$21.76 €18.84

$21.39 €18.52

1.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.1 €49.47

$48.43 €41.94

17.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.62 €36.04

$65.1 €56.4

-36.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.86 €30.19

Cinema Ticket

$13.79 €11.94

$13.87 €12.02

-0.58%

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

$1,052 €911

$1,329 €1,151

-20.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,539 €7,395

$7,461 €6,461

14.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €88.2

$103 €89.0

-0.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.44 €34.16

$49.82 €43.14

-20.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €87.5

$102 €88.1

-0.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 €113

$116 €100

12.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,537 €1,331

$1,779 €1,540

-13.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,519 €1,315

$1,541 €1,334

-1.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,727 €3,227

$3,116 €2,698

19.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,212 €2,782

$2,588 €2,241

24.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,802 €3,292

$4,859 €4,208

-21.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,122 €2,704

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,453 €3,857

$4,186 €3,625

6.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.5

4.6

-2.17%

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

Last update for Dun Laoghaire: July 26, 2026

Last update for Cork: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,537 in Dun Laoghaire and $1,779 in Cork. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dun Laoghaire pays 6% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $95.0 in Dun Laoghaire vs $94.0 in Cork. Groceries flip the comparison at $330 vs $384, with Dun Laoghaire cheaper for home cooking.

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

Dun Laoghaire vs Cork: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dun Laoghaire and Cork differ by about 2% in total monthly costs ($2,885 vs $2,954 including rent). Dun Laoghaire is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 6% higher in Dun Laoghaire, 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: $1,537 in Dun Laoghaire versus $1,779 in Cork. 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.

Dining out is cheaper in Dun Laoghaire – a meal for two runs $95.0 versus $94.0 in Cork. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Dun Laoghaire 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, Dun Laoghaire 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 Dun Laoghaire gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Cork. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.