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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,734 in Wicklow versus $2,952 in Cork.

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

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

Living in Wicklow costs roughly 7% less than in Cork, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.60 €15.14

$21.14 €18.18

-16.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$94.8 €81.6

$97.4 €83.8

-2.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.50 €9.03

$11.60 €9.98

-9.48%

Cappuccino

$4.38 €3.76

$4.64 €3.99

-5.60%

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

$2.33 €2.00

$2.89 €2.49

-19.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 €1.38

$2.16 €1.85

-25.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 €5.91

$7.04 €6.06

-2.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.66 €4.87

$7.05 €6.06

-19.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.09

$1.58 €1.36

-19.62%

White Bread (500g)

$1.92 €1.65

$2.13 €1.83

-9.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.22 €1.91

$2.18 €1.88

1.83%

Eggs

$4.06 €3.50

$4.20 €3.61

-3.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.35 €10.62

$11.75 €10.11

5.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 €9.05

$12.64 €10.88

-16.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.82 €8.44

$14.95 €12.86

-34.31%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 €2.59

$3.42 €2.94

-11.99%

Banana (1kg)

$2.10 €1.81

$3.17 €2.73

-33.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.75 €2.36

$3.70 €3.18

-25.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.45 €2.96

$5.71 €4.91

-39.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 €1.19

$2.80 €2.40

-50.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.40 €1.20

$2.11 €1.82

-33.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.42 €1.22

$1.70 €1.46

-16.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 €1.38

$2.03 €1.75

-20.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.75 €16.13

$20.44 €17.59

-8.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.11 €12.14

$13.90 €11.96

1.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.29 €1.97

$3.72 €3.20

-38.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 €2.91

$3.77 €3.24

-10.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.42 €2.08

$2.38 €2.05

1.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$100 €86.1

$101 €86.9

-1.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.53 €2.18

$5.20 €4.47

-51.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.66 €2.28

$2.68 €2.31

-0.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.59 €28.90

$35.71 €30.72

-5.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.79

$1.99 €1.71

4.52%

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

$33.9K €29.2K

$43.2K €37.2K

-21.51%

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

$39.7K €34.2K

$39.5K €34.0K

0.53%

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

$281 €241

$248 €213

13.10%

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

$21.86 €18.80

$21.89 €18.83

-0.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.58 €42.65

$49.84 €42.87

-0.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.4 €52.8

$64.9 €55.9

-5.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.23 €29.44

Cinema Ticket

$14.15 €12.18

$13.70 €11.78

3.28%

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

$1,042 €896

$1,363 €1,172

-23.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,045 €6,920

$7,303 €6,282

10.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.9 €77.3

$104 €89.1

-13.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.98 €34.39

$49.42 €42.51

-19.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.4 €80.3

$101 €86.6

-7.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 €91.3

$117 €100

-9.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,756 €1,511

$1,837 €1,580

-4.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,396 €1,201

$1,500 €1,291

-6.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,170 €2,727

$3,203 €2,755

-1.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,468 €2,123

$2,575 €2,215

-4.18%

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)

$5,688 €4,893

$4,354 €3,745

30.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.77

4.6

-18.04%

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

Last update for Wicklow: June 2, 2026

Last update for Cork: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,756 in Wicklow and $1,837 in Cork. 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: $95.0 in Wicklow vs $97.0 in Cork for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $310 vs $383 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

Wicklow vs Cork: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Wicklow and Cork differ by about 8% in total monthly costs ($2,734 vs $2,952 including rent). Wicklow is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Wicklow pays 31% more on average, 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: $1,756 in Wicklow versus $1,837 in Cork. 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, Wicklow 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 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.