IE flag
Carlow

Ireland

vs
IE flag
Cork

Ireland

Climate

Carlow logs 18 frost days a year to Cork's 7 — Cork wins by 11. Cork also leads on sunny days by 9.

CarlowCork
Sunny days
8897
Hot days
00
Frost days
187
Rainy days
160160
Outdoor dinner months
3/123/12
Avg wind
3.7 m/s4.0 m/s
Sunshine hours
1,3961,475
Darkest month sun
50 hrs/mo58 hrs/mo
UV peak month
4.24.0

Carlow

Feels-like °C

-2
-2
1
7
12
14
15
16
12
7
1
-3

Dinner outside

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D

Cork

Feels-like °C

-1
-1
1
7
12
14
15
16
12
7
2
-2

Dinner outside

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D

Cost of Living

Cork averages $2,677/mo for balanced living; Carlow has no cost baseline yet.

Carlow

monthly · balanced

Cork

$2,677

monthly · balanced

Minimalist $2,103Comfort $4,002
Top 86%in Among 217 Europe cities

Mobility

Cork scores 2.6 on mobility (0–5 scale); Carlow has no mobility baseline.

/5
vs
2.6/5
CarlowCork
WalkabilityCar EfficiencyMotorbikeAirport

Culture

Cork's culture score of 3.4 sits well above Carlow's 0.0.

0.0/5
vs
3.4/5
CarlowCork
TheatreVenuesNightlife
Cork leads

Nature & Outdoors

Cork scores 3.7 on nature & outdoors (0–5 scale); Carlow has no nature & outdoors baseline.

/5
vs
3.7/5
CarlowCork
SeaForestGreen AreasLakesRunningHikingCampingBeachSurfingDiving

Safety

Cork scores 3.6 on safety (0–5 scale); Carlow has no safety baseline.

/5
vs
3.6/5
CarlowCork
Flooding

Career

Cork scores 3.2 on career (0–5 scale); Carlow has no career baseline.

/5
vs
3.2/5
CarlowCork
JobsCoworking

Social & Community

Cork scores 3.8 on social & community (0–5 scale); Carlow has no social & community baseline.

/5
vs
3.8/5
CarlowCork
Everyday EnglishExpat Integration ExperienceUrban EnergyStreet AtmosphereLocal-First CommunityGovernment Immigration FriendlinessAdmin English Support

Food & Dining

Cork scores 2.6 on food & dining (0–5 scale); Carlow has no food & dining baseline.

/5
vs
2.6/5
CarlowCork
RestaurantsDelivery

Family

Cork scores 2.1 on family (0–5 scale); Carlow has no family baseline.

/5
vs
2.1/5
CarlowCork
UniversitiesPlaygroundsGroceries

Healthcare

Cork scores 2.7 on healthcare (0–5 scale); Carlow has no healthcare baseline.

/5
vs
2.7/5
CarlowCork
Public Healthcare

Air Quality

Carlow averages 6.5 µg/m³ (good) PM2.5 annually versus Cork's 7.5 µg/m³ (good) — Carlow breathes ~14% cleaner air (1.0 µg/m³ lower).

Carlow

Cork

6.5µg/m³
7.5µg/m³

PM2.5 annual average

Good
Good

WHO classification

City Scale

Both maps at the same real-world scale — 1 cm on either map is the same distance.

Carlow (24K) and Cork (137K) are 5.7x in population — Cork is the larger metro, Carlow the smaller.

5.7x

Cork is roughly 5.7x the scale of Carlow

Based on population (area data unavailable for some cities)

IE flagCork
5.7x
IE flagCarlow
1x

City Scale Rankings

Population
1.IE flagCork137K5.7x
2.IE flagCarlow24K1x

Who Thrives Here

Frequently asked about Carlow vs Cork

Which is cheaper, Carlow or Cork?
Cork has an estimated monthly cost of $2,677.
How does the climate compare between Carlow and Cork?
Sunny days: 88 vs 97 d — Similar Annual sunshine: 1,396 vs 1,475 hrs — Similar Winter sunshine: 50 vs 58 hrs/day — Similar Hot days (>30°C): 0 vs 0 d — Similar Frost days: 18 vs 7 d — Cork lower Rainy days: 160 vs 160 d — Similar
Is Carlow or Cork safer?
Cork has a safety score of 3.6/5.
Should I move to Carlow or Cork?
Carlow and Cork are both popular relocation destinations with distinct characteristics. The best choice depends on your priorities — climate preferences, career opportunities, cost constraints, and lifestyle needs. Take the personalized quiz to find your ideal match, or explore the map to compare cities by region and lifestyle factors.

The best city depends on what matters to you

This comparison shows how Carlow and Cork stack up on the data. But your climate preferences, budget, career needs, and lifestyle priorities can shift the picture entirely. A personalized diagnostic finds what fits your life.

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