Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Arklow and Dublin

For one person, living is cheaper in Arklow: $2,624 a month against $3,729 in Dublin, rent and utilities included – about $13,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

128

Cost of Living Index in Arklow
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Arklow Living Index
180

Cost of Living Index in Dublin
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Dublin Living Index

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Arklow

🇮🇪 Ireland

$2,624

/mo nomad

Dublin

🇮🇪 Ireland

$3,729

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Arklow and in Dublin

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Arklow and in Dublin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,624 per month in Arklow vs $3,729 in Dublin, rent included.

Arklow $2,624
Dublin $3,729

A couple spends around $3,680 per month in Arklow vs $5,239 in Dublin, rent included.

Arklow $3,680
Dublin $5,239

A family of three spends $4,737 per month in Arklow vs $6,748 in Dublin, rent included.

Arklow $4,737
Dublin $6,748

Arklow is about 30% cheaper than Dublin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Arklow and Dublin sit above the global median – Arklow by 94%, Dublin by 176%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.34 €19.87

$23.58 €20.97

-5.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.5 €79.6

$101 €89.6

-11.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.25 €10.01

$13.50 €12.00

-16.67%

Cappuccino

$4.12 €3.67

$4.82 €4.29

-14.52%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 €2.60

$2.87 €2.55

2.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 €2.00

$2.24 €1.99

0.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.47 €4.86

$7.80 €6.94

-29.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.16 €4.58

$7.32 €6.51

-29.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 €1.50

$1.66 €1.48

1.81%

White Bread (500g)

$2.23 €1.99

$2.42 €2.15

-7.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.90 €1.69

$1.98 €1.76

-4.04%

Eggs

$4.64 €4.12

$4.90 €4.35

-5.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.19 €12.62

$10.02 €8.91

41.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.17 €11.71

$12.79 €11.38

2.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.67 €14.83

$15.78 €14.04

5.64%

Apples (1kg)

$3.26 €2.90

$2.85 €2.53

14.39%

Banana (1kg)

$2.90 €2.58

$2.17 €1.93

33.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.42 €3.04

$2.65 €2.36

29.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.70 €4.18

$5.29 €4.71

-11.15%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 €2.10

$1.84 €1.64

28.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.83 €1.62

$1.48 €1.32

23.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.29

$1.31 €1.16

10.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.91

$2.02 €1.80

6.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.31 €18.07

$20.78 €18.48

-2.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.59 €12.09

$13.63 €12.12

-0.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.08 €3.63

$3.44 €3.06

18.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 €3.21

$3.46 €3.07

4.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 €2.14

$2.19 €1.95

9.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$109 €97.1

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.18 €4.61

$5.05 €4.49

2.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 €1.37

$1.55 €1.38

-0.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.30 €29.62

$37.01 €32.92

-10.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.12 €1.89

$2.15 €1.91

-1.40%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$38.8K €34.5K

$38.9K €34.6K

-0.28%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$37.3K €33.2K

$39.5K €35.1K

-5.59%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$240 €213

$281 €250

-14.60%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$22.10 €19.65

$17.94 €15.96

23.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.2 €49.08

$51.6 €45.88

6.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 €51.2

$68.0 €60.5

-15.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.55 €18.28

Cinema Ticket

$13.58 €12.08

$15.45 €13.74

-12.10%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,066 €948

$1,281 €1,140

-16.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,404 €4,807

$14.2K €12.6K

-61.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.9 €83.5

$107 €95.0

-12.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.32 €38.53

$51.2 €45.51

-15.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 €94.6

$112 €99.4

-4.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 €105

$130 €115

-8.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,566 €1,393

$2,503 €2,226

-37.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,325 €1,178

$2,245 €1,997

-41.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,857 €2,541

$4,443 €3,951

-35.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,819 €1,618

$3,431 €3,051

-46.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,378 €8,341

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,995 €5,332

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,863 €4,325

$3,914 €3,481

24.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.14

3.82

8.38%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Arklow: October 11, 2026

Last update for Dublin: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Arklow

$1.3K 50.5%

Dublin

$2.2K 60.2% 69.5% $920

Groceries & Markets

Arklow

$392 14.9%

Dublin

$363 9.7% 7.3% $28

Eating Out

Arklow

$320 12.2%

Dublin

$361 9.7% 12.7% $41

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Arklow

$317 12.1%

Dublin

$350 9.4% 10.5% $33

Clothing & Footwear

Arklow

$163 6.2%

Dublin

$180 4.8% 10.5% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Arklow

$85 3.2%

Dublin

$99 2.7% 16.8% $14

Getting Around

Arklow

$23 * 0.9%

Dublin

$131 3.5% 481% $108

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,566 in Arklow versus $2,503 in Dublin. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 24% higher in Arklow, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89.0 in Arklow versus $101 in Dublin. Groceries tell a different story – $392 in Arklow vs $363 in Dublin – so Dublin wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇮🇪 Arklow

🇮🇪 Dublin

🕒 Local time

11:32 11:32 AM

Same time as Arklow

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

13,399

588,233 Capital

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Arklow Dublin 62 km

From you

Arklow
Dublin

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Arklow vs Dublin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,624 in Arklow, $3,729 in Dublin – roughly 42% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,936 per month in Arklow and $5,594 in Dublin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Arklow, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89.0 in Arklow and $101 in Dublin. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 8% cheaper in Dublin – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,624 in Arklow and $3,729 in Dublin. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Dublin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,624 in Arklow to $3,729 in Dublin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Arklow. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Dublin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.