Ireland Cost of Living Calculator
Estimate monthly living costs across 8 major Irish cities for 2025. Calculations apply Revenue PAYE income tax, the Universal Social Charge (USC) and PRSI contributions. Rent data is sourced from the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) Rent Index 2025.
Select Your City
Choose from 8 Irish cities including Dublin, Cork, Galway, Limerick and Waterford.
Enter Your Income
Input gross or net monthly income in EUR. PAYE, USC and PRSI apply automatically.
Compare Cities
Pick a single city or compare two side-by-side.
Ireland Cost of Living Calculator
Pre-filled with Irish averages — adjust any field to see the impact
Summary breakdown
Monthly Budget Summary
Accommodation in Dublin
Standard-tier rent estimates from the RTB Rent Index Q3 2025 (released March 2026). National new tenancy average is EUR 1,776/month (+5.4% YoY) — Dublin City average is EUR 2,237 (all property types), Cork City EUR 1,753, Galway City EUR 1,888. Existing tenants pay EUR 282/month less on average than new tenants (18.9% gap) under Rent Pressure Zone (RPZ) rules.
| Type | Budget | Standard | Premium | % of Median Income |
|---|
Food & Dining in Ireland
Typical monthly grocery spend, plus average prices at Tesco, Lidl, Aldi and Dunnes Stores Ireland.
| Common item | Avg price |
|---|---|
| Sliced pan (white loaf 800g) | EUR 1.40 – EUR 2.00 |
| Eggs (12 free range) | EUR 3.00 – EUR 4.50 |
| Milk (2 litres) | EUR 1.85 – EUR 2.50 |
| Chicken fillets (500g) | EUR 4.50 – EUR 6.50 |
| Beef mince (500g) | EUR 4.50 – EUR 6.50 |
| Basmati rice (1kg) | EUR 2.00 – EUR 3.50 |
| Bananas (5 pack) | EUR 0.85 – EUR 1.20 |
| Irish cheddar (400g) | EUR 3.50 – EUR 5.50 |
Dining out
| Venue / item | Dublin | Other cities |
|---|---|---|
| Coffee / flat white | EUR 4.00 – EUR 5.50 | EUR 3.50 – EUR 4.50 |
| Lunch deal (deli) | EUR 7 – EUR 10 | EUR 6 – EUR 8 |
| Carvery / pub lunch | EUR 14 – EUR 20 | EUR 10 – EUR 15 |
| Casual restaurant (p/p) | EUR 25 – EUR 40 | EUR 18 – EUR 30 |
| Pint of Guinness | EUR 6.50 – EUR 8.50 | EUR 5 – EUR 6.50 |
| Takeaway curry / pizza | EUR 14 – EUR 22 | EUR 12 – EUR 18 |
Public Transport by City
Public transport across Ireland uses the TFI Leap Card. Dublin has the most extensive network (Dublin Bus, Luas, DART, Commuter Rail) integrated under Zone 1 with daily and weekly capping.
| City | System | Monthly | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dublin | TFI Leap (Bus / Luas / DART) | EUR 96 | Zone 1 monthly Adult Leap. TFI 90-minute fare EUR 2 (multi-mode within 90 min). Daily cap ~EUR 8. |
| Cork | Bus Éireann (Leap) | EUR 55 | Cork city bus services. TFI 90-minute fare applies. |
| Galway | Bus Éireann (Leap) | EUR 50 | Galway city services. Park & Ride at Dublin Road and Western Distributor. |
| Limerick | Bus Éireann (Leap) | EUR 45 | Limerick city bus and rail services. |
| Waterford | Bus Éireann (Leap) | EUR 40 | Waterford City local bus services. |
| Kilkenny | Local Link / Kilkenny City Bus | EUR 30 | Limited city services; most journeys by car or rail. |
| Drogheda | Bus Éireann (Leap) | EUR 55 | Drogheda local + commuter to Dublin via M1. |
| Sligo | Bus Éireann (Leap) | EUR 35 | Sligo town and commuter services. |
City-by-City Comparison
Rent (RTB Q3 2025), electricity, transport and gross income across 8 major Irish cities
Includes Revenue 2026, RTB Q3 2025 & CRU April 2026 dataHow Much Is Left After Paying Rent?
Monthly Expense Breakdown
Monthly Transport Cost by City
Monthly Electricity Bill by City
| City | 1-Bed Apt | 3-Bed House | Electricity | Transport | Groceries | Gross Income | Surplus |
|---|
Important Disclaimer
For educational purposes only. All figures are estimates. Rent data from the RTB Rent Index Q3 2025 (released March 2026). National new tenancy average EUR 1,776/month (+5.4% YoY); existing tenancy average EUR 1,494/month (EUR 282 less per month / 18.9% gap). Q3 2025 city averages: Dublin EUR 2,237 / Cork EUR 1,753 / Galway EUR 1,888 / Limerick EUR 1,685 / Waterford EUR 1,452. Existing tenants protected by Rent Pressure Zone (RPZ) rules — RPZ scope expanded nationwide on 20 June 2025. Income tax uses Revenue 2026 (Budget 2026) rates: standard rate 20% to EUR 44,000 single (EUR 53,000 married one income, EUR 88,000 max combined for two earners), 40% above. Personal Tax Credit EUR 2,000 + PAYE Employee Credit EUR 2,000 = EUR 4,000 total credits. USC 2026 bands: 0.5% to EUR 12,012, 2% to EUR 28,700 (band widened from EUR 27,382 in Budget 2026), 3% to EUR 70,044, 8% above (exempt below EUR 13,000). PRSI Class A1 employee: 4.2% from January–September 2026, rising to 4.35% from 1 October 2026. Electricity costs based on CRU/Electric Ireland April 2026 standard tariffs (incl. 9% VAT, extended under Budget 2026 to 31 December 2030); average annual bill is EUR 1,817/yr for typical 4,200 kWh household. CRU network charges added approximately EUR 2.41/month from October 2025. TFI Leap Card monthly Adult fare for Dublin Zone 1 is EUR 96 (TaxSaver-confirmed); Bus Éireann Leap fares apply elsewhere. Carbon tax on petrol and diesel is EUR 71/tonne (since 8 October 2025); the increase to EUR 71/tonne for other fuels has been postponed to 14 October 2026. Minimum wage EUR 14.15/hr from 1 January 2026. Rent Tax Credit (EUR 1,000 single / EUR 2,000 jointly assessed couple — extended to 31 Dec 2028 in Budget 2026), HAP, PRSA pension tax relief, Help to Buy and Mortgage Interest Tax Relief (final year, capped EUR 625/property in 2026) are not modelled. Rates, thresholds and cost figures are subject to change. This is not financial or tax advice.
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