Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Loughrea and Cork

For one person, living is cheaper in Loughrea: $2,549 a month against $3,208 in Cork, rent and utilities included – about $7,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

121

Cost of Living Index in Loughrea
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Loughrea Living Index
153

Cost of Living Index in Cork
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Cork Living Index

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Loughrea

🇮🇪 Ireland

$2,549

/mo nomad

Cork

🇮🇪 Ireland

$3,208

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Loughrea 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 Loughrea and in Cork actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,549 in Loughrea versus $3,208 in Cork.

Loughrea $2,549
Cork $3,208

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,761 in Loughrea versus $4,513 in Cork.

Loughrea $3,761
Cork $4,513

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,974 in Loughrea versus $5,817 in Cork.

Loughrea $4,974
Cork $5,817

Living in Loughrea costs roughly 21% less than in Cork, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Loughrea 89% above, Cork 137% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.57 €20.10

$22.20 €19.77

1.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.4 €88.5

$95.3 €84.9

4.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.25 €11.81

$12.62 €11.24

4.99%

Cappuccino

$3.43 €3.05

$4.31 €3.84

-20.42%

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

$2.22 €1.97

$2.88 €2.56

-22.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 €2.03

$2.14 €1.90

6.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.50 €4.90

$7.42 €6.61

-25.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.43 €3.95

$7.56 €6.73

-41.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 €1.48

$1.73 €1.54

-4.05%

White Bread (500g)

$2.28 €2.03

$2.17 €1.94

5.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.08 €1.85

$1.96 €1.74

6.12%

Eggs

$4.99 €4.45

$4.44 €3.95

12.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.31 €2.95

$13.00 €11.58

-74.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.53 €5.82

$13.04 €11.61

-49.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.29 €10.06

$16.84 €15.00

-32.96%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 €2.54

$3.32 €2.95

-14.16%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 €1.95

$2.98 €2.66

-26.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.68 €2.39

$3.44 €3.07

-22.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.43 €3.95

$4.77 €4.25

-7.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 €1.63

$2.27 €2.02

-19.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 €1.37

$1.85 €1.65

-16.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 €0.66

$1.39 €1.24

-46.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 €1.77

$2.07 €1.85

-3.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$21.47 €19.12

$20.53 €18.29

4.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.38 €11.92

$13.63 €12.14

-1.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.35 €2.98

$4.13 €3.68

-18.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 €3.18

$3.62 €3.23

-1.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.48 €2.21

$1.66 €1.48

49.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.0 €49.88

$77.1 €68.7

-27.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 €4.67

$5.27 €4.70

-0.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.52 €1.36

$1.55 €1.38

-1.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$37.14 €33.08

$33.15 €29.53

12.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.76 €1.56

$2.09 €1.86

-15.79%

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

$39.3K €35.0K

$38.3K €34.1K

2.65%

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

$38.8K €34.5K

$37.3K €33.2K

4.04%

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

$165 €147

$238 €212

-30.56%

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

$17.97 €16.00

$23.17 €20.64

-22.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.9 €47.99

$54.6 €48.64

-1.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.8 €51.5

$54.9 €48.89

5.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$49.87 €44.42

$15.42 €13.74

223.41%

Cinema Ticket

$15.67 €13.96

$13.42 €11.95

16.77%

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

$1,274 €1,135

$1,096 €976

16.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,211 €4,642

$9,187 €8,184

-43.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.1 €81.2

$93.5 €83.3

-2.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.9 €45.36

$42.33 €37.70

20.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 €103

$109 €97.3

5.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 €118

$119 €106

11.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,595 €1,421

$2,290 €2,040

-30.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,362 €1,213

$1,823 €1,624

-25.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,561 €2,281

$3,214 €2,863

-20.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,141 €1,907

$2,689 €2,395

-20.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,266 €4,691

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,444 €3,068

$3,395 €3,024

1.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,527 €2,251

$3,779 €3,366

-33.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

4.17

-8.63%

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

Last update for Loughrea: November 2, 2026

Last update for Cork: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Loughrea

$1.4K 53.4%

Cork

$1.8K 56.8% 33.9% $461

Eating Out

Loughrea

$316 12.4%

Cork

$339 10.6% 7.5% $24

Groceries & Markets

Loughrea

$290 11.4%

Cork

$388 12.1% 33.4% $97

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Loughrea

$237 9.3%

Cork

$316 9.9% 33.2% $79

Clothing & Footwear

Loughrea

$175 6.9%

Cork

$164 5.1% 6.6% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Loughrea

$89 3.5%

Cork

$82 2.6% 8.4% $7.5

Getting Around

Loughrea

$79 3.1%

Cork

$97 3% 22.8% $18

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,595 in Loughrea and $2,290 in Cork. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cork pays 50% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $99 in Loughrea vs $95 in Cork. Groceries flip the comparison at $290 vs $388, with Loughrea cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇮🇪 Loughrea

🇮🇪 Cork

🕒 Local time

04:39 4:39 AM

Same time as Loughrea

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,600

210,000

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Loughrea Cork 140 km

From you

Loughrea
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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

Loughrea vs Cork: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,549 in Loughrea and $3,208 in Cork, so Loughrea is about 21% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 33% lower in Loughrea. 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: $1,595 in Loughrea versus $2,290 in Cork. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 33% higher in Cork. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Cork – a meal for two runs $95 versus $99 in Loughrea. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,549 in Loughrea versus $3,208 in Cork, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Loughrea but tight or insufficient in Cork. The gap between the two cities makes Loughrea 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, Loughrea and Cork are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Loughrea wins on affordability, Cork on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.