IE flag
Cork

Ireland

vs
IE flag
Swords

Ireland

Climate

Cork logs 7 frost days a year to Swords's 3 — Swords wins by 4. Swords also leads on sunny days by 12.

CorkSwords
Sunny days
97109
Hot days
00
Frost days
73
Rainy days
160157
Outdoor dinner months
3/123/12
Avg wind
4.0 m/s4.5 m/s
Sunshine hours
1,4751,520
Darkest month sun
58 hrs/mo43 hrs/mo
UV peak month
4.04.2

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

Swords

Feels-like °C

-5
-5
1
6
10
13
15
14
11
6
0
-5

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; Swords has no cost baseline yet.

Cork

$2,677

monthly · balanced

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

Swords

monthly · balanced

Mobility

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

2.6/5
vs
/5
CorkSwords
WalkabilityCar EfficiencyMotorbikeAirport

Culture

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

3.4/5
vs
0.0/5
CorkSwords
TheatreVenuesNightlife
Cork leads

Nature & Outdoors

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

3.7/5
vs
/5
CorkSwords
SeaForestGreen AreasLakesRunningHikingCampingBeachSurfingDiving

Safety

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

3.6/5
vs
/5
CorkSwords
Flooding

Career

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

3.2/5
vs
/5
CorkSwords
JobsCoworking

Social & Community

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

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

Food & Dining

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

2.6/5
vs
/5
CorkSwords
RestaurantsDelivery

Family

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

2.1/5
vs
/5
CorkSwords
UniversitiesPlaygroundsGroceries

Healthcare

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

2.7/5
vs
/5
CorkSwords
Public Healthcare

Air Quality

Cork averages 7.5 µg/m³ (good) PM2.5 annually versus Swords's 6.8 µg/m³ (good) — Swords breathes ~8% cleaner air (0.6 µg/m³ lower).

Cork

Swords

7.5µg/m³
6.8µg/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.

Cork (137K) and Swords (75K) are 1.8x in population — Cork is the larger metro, Swords the smaller; on land area Cork spans roughly 1.9x more ground.

1.8x

Cork is roughly 1.8x the scale of Swords

Combined population & area comparison

IE flagCork
1.8x
IE flagSwords
1x

City Scale Rankings

Population
1.IE flagCork137K1.8x
2.IE flagSwords75K1x
Area
1.IE flagCork52 km²1.9x
2.IE flagSwords28 km²1x
© Stadia Maps, © OpenMapTiles, © OpenStreetMap contributors
10 km7.6 km

IE flagCork

© Stadia Maps, © OpenMapTiles, © OpenStreetMap contributors
11 km6.6 km

IE flagSwords

Who Thrives Here

Frequently asked about Cork vs Swords

Which is cheaper, Cork or Swords?
Cork has an estimated monthly cost of $2,677.
How does the climate compare between Cork and Swords?
Sunny days: 97 vs 109 d — Swords higher Annual sunshine: 1,475 vs 1,520 hrs — Similar Winter sunshine: 58 vs 43 hrs/day — Similar Hot days (>30°C): 0 vs 0 d — Similar Frost days: 7 vs 3 d — Similar Rainy days: 160 vs 157 d — Similar
Is Cork or Swords safer?
Cork has a safety score of 3.6/5.
Should I move to Cork or Swords?
Cork and Swords 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 Cork and Swords 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.

Take the free diagnostic

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