Costs of Living in Ireland
From the outside the salaries paid in Ireland can look very attractive to those thinking of moving here. And yes the salaries are very good in general even given the costs of living in Ireland, but they are not attractive as first seen.
A cup of coffee in Dublin will cost on average about three Euro – not cheap, and nothing is cheap in Ireland.
A one bedroom apartment will cost at least €1000 Euro per month in Dublin and around €500 - €700 away from any of the main cities. A nice three bedroom in Dublin will cost a minimum of €1800 per month – additionally in Ireland there is little protection when renting – see the renting page.
Due to the Irish Governments historic and current practice of restricting competition food prices are among the highest in Europe – the only place I know that is worse for restricting competition is Austria with their tiny supermarkets. Therefore food will cost you more than you ever budget for.
It is almost impossible to buy a house in or around Dublin for less than €350,000 – more if you want something in a good area.
Beer is about €5, eating out €30 per meal, cinema €10 – it all adds up very quickly.
However wages are enough to cover these costs generally. I have done some comparisons for friends living in Czech Republic what their wages would be in Ireland and it does sound amazing to them – but the additional cost are also very high – please bear this in mind when considering moving to Ireland.
It is not all bad news. I know people who have come to Ireland and managed to pay off their house at home while living here or who have saved enough to have a substantial deposit for a home when they go home – it can be done fairly easily – it just depends on what you chose to spend your money on, and whether you are spending or saving.
All this said – Ireland is still a very easy country to live in, easy to get a job and easy to save money.
If you think there is Irish information that should be added to this page please add it below - thanks.
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