Cost of being a student in Cork rises to almost €1,600 per month

It will cost €1,597 a month to be a student in Cork city this academic year, with costs for accommodation, groceries, utilities, transport, and entertainment rising.

The new figures from Switcher.ie’s Student Cost of Living Guide 2025 show that rising costs have increased the pressure on students, who now spend more than ever on accommodation and day-to-day costs.

Cork city is set to be the second-most expensive place in Ireland to live as a student this year after Dublin, up from last year when it was in third place behind Dublin and Maynooth.

For 2025-26, students will have to tackle costs averaging nearly €1,600 per month — up €60 per month from 2024.

Cork students are set to spend €688 a month on accommodation, €87 a month on utilities, €263 on groceries, €145 on transport, €356 on entertainment, and €58 on gyms — a monthly total of €1,597.

Overall, between expenses and the student contribution fee, it is set to cost €17,369 for the academic year on average, which is an increase of 3%, or €543, more than €16,826 last year.

This follows an increase of €856 from 2023-24.

For international students in Cork, while expenses were the same, they are also paying an average of €18,230 in tuition fees, meaning there is a total annual cost of €32,598, some €605 more than in 2024-25.

Nationally, students eligible for free tuition fees can expect to spend on average €16,179 going to college this academic year — approximately €556 more per year than 2024-25, and €1,081 more than 2023-24. Student rents are up 4%, or roughly €192 per year, across both on-campus and private student halls.

The sharpest increases are in private complexes in Letterkenny, Carlow, Waterford, Sligo, and Cork, with some places charging up to €650 extra per year.

Rent now costs €364 more than in 2023-24.

Monthly grocery bills have jumped by €22, bringing the average to €218 per month, while utilities such as internet, electricity, waste, and security are up 2%, adding an extra €108 per year.

Cork senator Laura Harmon, Labour spokesperson for further and higher education, told The Echo: “Students and their families are struggling with the cost of college in Cork and across Ireland.

“We know that student poverty exists, and over one quarter of UCC [University College Cork] students went to class hungry last year, according to a survey from UCC Students’ Union.

“The Government must support students and their families.

“We need a commitment to reduce college fees and major investment in affordable, publicly-owned student accommodation.”