Townleap

Cost of Living: Brighton vs Cork (2026)

United Kingdom vs Ireland — relocation comparison

Your passport:
66
Livability Score
🇬🇧 Brighton
United Kingdom
Full profile
68
Livability Score
🇮🇪 Cork
Ireland
Full profile
Brighton
Cork
$1894/mo
Rent
$2005/mo
66/100
Livability
68/100
86/100
Safety
93/100
5 yr
PR path
2 yr
Sole Trader
Freelance setup

Wise ✓ · Wise ✓

Sole Trader
TL;DRIreland gets you to permanent residency 3 years faster (2 vs 5 years). Both countries will let you complain about the government in public — and mean it.
Brighton and Cork are almost suspiciously well-matched. Flip a coin.
Household
Brighton
Metric
Cork
$1894/mo
🏠
Rent (1BR centre)
$2005/mo
$859/mo
🛒
Living costs (no rent)
$798/mo
1.1 / 100k
🔒
Homicides
0.7 / 100k
20°C
☀️
Summer high
19°C
4°C
❄️
Winter low
4°C
8.5 / 10
🗳️
Democracy
9.2 / 10
100/100
🗣️
Street English
100/100
$62k
💼
GDP per capita
$133k
3.3% · Boringly steady
📈
Inflation
2.1% · Boringly steady
66 / 100
🏅
Livability Score
68 / 100
5 years
📋
Time to PR
2 years
💰
Cost of Living
Brighton
$112/mo cheaper on rent alone
🔒
Safety
Cork
0.7 homicides per 100k
🗳️
Democracy
Cork
9.2/10 EIU index
📋
Residency
Cork
PR in 2 years

Settler Essentials

5 yrs
Time to PR
2 yrs
Moderate
🇺🇸 Your visa
Moderate
Moderate
EU visa
Easy
Complex
RU visa
Complex
Moderate
UA visa
Easy

Visa stamps:Easy <90 daysModerate 3–6 moComplex 6+ mo

Sources: EIU · Freedom House · Startup Genome · IEA · official immigration portals

The Short Version

  • Rent is 6% cheaper in Brighton ($1894/mo vs $2005/mo for a 1BR city centre).
  • Summers are slightly warmer in Brighton (20°C vs 19°C).
  • Cork scores higher on democracy (9.2 vs 8.5 / 10 EIU).

Brighton vs Cork — Common Questions

Is Brighton cheaper than Cork?

Brighton is cheaper. A 1-bedroom apartment in city centre costs around $1894/month in Brighton vs $2005/month in the other city (Numbeo data).

Which is safer, Brighton or Cork?

Cork is statistically safer based on UNODC homicide data. Brighton has a rate of 1.12 per 100,000 and Cork has 0.65 per 100,000.

Should I move to Brighton or Cork?

Brighton and Cork are almost suspiciously well-matched. Flip a coin. See the full comparison above for rent, safety, internet speed, climate, and democracy scores to decide which city fits your priorities.

Don't agree? Take the quiz and see what fits you.

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