Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Athlone and Dublin

For one person, living is cheaper in Athlone: $2,542 a month against $3,729 in Dublin, rent and utilities included – about $14,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

124

Cost of Living Index in Athlone
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Athlone Living Index
180

Cost of Living Index in Dublin
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Dublin Living Index

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Athlone

🇮🇪 Ireland

$2,542

/mo nomad

Dublin

🇮🇪 Ireland

$3,729

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Athlone 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 Athlone and in Dublin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,542 in Athlone versus $3,729 in Dublin.

Athlone $2,542
Dublin $3,729

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,749 in Athlone versus $5,239 in Dublin.

Athlone $3,749
Dublin $5,239

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,956 in Athlone versus $6,748 in Dublin.

Athlone $4,956
Dublin $6,748

Living in Athlone costs roughly 32% less than in Dublin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Athlone 88% above, Dublin 176% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.37 €19.90

$23.58 €20.97

-5.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.0 €80.9

$101 €89.6

-9.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.63 €11.23

$13.50 €12.00

-6.44%

Cappuccino

$4.32 €3.84

$4.82 €4.29

-10.37%

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

$2.92 €2.60

$2.87 €2.55

1.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 €1.64

$2.24 €1.99

-17.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.41 €6.59

$7.80 €6.94

-5.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.55 €5.82

$7.32 €6.51

-10.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 €1.30

$1.66 €1.48

-12.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 €1.12

$2.42 €2.15

-47.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.66 €1.48

$1.98 €1.76

-16.16%

Eggs

$3.91 €3.48

$4.90 €4.35

-20.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.73 €9.55

$10.02 €8.91

7.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.27 €10.02

$12.79 €11.38

-11.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.85 €10.53

$15.78 €14.04

-24.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.55 €2.27

$2.85 €2.53

-10.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 €1.39

$2.17 €1.93

-28.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 €2.14

$2.65 €2.36

-9.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.53

$5.29 €4.71

-46.12%

Potato (1kg)

$2.29 €2.03

$1.84 €1.64

24.46%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.61

$1.48 €1.32

22.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.28

$1.31 €1.16

9.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 €1.69

$2.02 €1.80

-5.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.88 €15.90

$20.78 €18.48

-13.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.10 €9.87

$13.63 €12.12

-18.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.06

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 €3.18

$3.46 €3.07

3.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.06 €1.83

$2.19 €1.95

-5.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$109 €97.1

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.08 €4.52

$5.05 €4.49

0.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.49 €1.32

$1.55 €1.38

-3.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.77 €24.70

$37.01 €32.92

-24.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.03 €1.80

$2.15 €1.91

-5.58%

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

$39.6K €35.2K

$38.9K €34.6K

1.79%

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

$36.8K €32.7K

$39.5K €35.1K

-6.85%

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

$241 €214

$281 €250

-14.26%

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

$21.86 €19.45

$17.94 €15.96

21.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.22 €43.78

$51.6 €45.88

-4.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.5 €52.1

$68.0 €60.5

-13.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.69 €30.85

$20.55 €18.28

68.81%

Cinema Ticket

$10.95 €9.74

$15.45 €13.74

-29.13%

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

$1,001 €891

$1,281 €1,140

-21.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,365 €4,772

$14.2K €12.6K

-62.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.9 €82.6

$107 €95.0

-13.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.88 €36.36

$51.2 €45.51

-20.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.6 €74.4

$112 €99.4

-25.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.7 €69.1

$130 €115

-40.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,468 €1,306

$2,503 €2,226

-41.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,353 €1,203

$2,245 €1,997

-39.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,529 €2,249

$4,443 €3,951

-43.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,254 €2,005

$3,431 €3,051

-34.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,294 €2,930

$9,378 €8,341

-64.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,340 €2,971

$5,995 €5,332

-44.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,153 €2,804

$3,914 €3,481

-19.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.73

3.82

-2.36%

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

Last update for Athlone: 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

Athlone

$1.4K 53.2%

Dublin

$2.2K 60.2% 66% $892

Eating Out

Athlone

$338 13.3%

Dublin

$361 9.7% 6.8% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Athlone

$312 12.3%

Dublin

$350 9.4% 12.3% $39

Groceries & Markets

Athlone

$305 12%

Dublin

$363 9.7% 19.1% $58

Clothing & Footwear

Athlone

$133 5.2%

Dublin

$180 4.8% 35.4% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Athlone

$80 3.2%

Dublin

$99 2.7% 22.9% $18

Getting Around

Athlone

$21 * 0.8%

Dublin

$131 3.5% 530% $110

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,468 in Athlone and $2,503 in Dublin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dublin pays 24% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $91.0 in Athlone vs $101 in Dublin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $363 per month, with Athlone cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇪 Athlone

🇮🇪 Dublin

🕒 Local time

10:35 10:35 AM

Same time as Athlone

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,000

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

Athlone Dublin 110 km

From you

Athlone
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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

Athlone vs Dublin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Athlone wins on cost – living expenses run 47% lower than in Dublin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Athlone the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 24% lower in Dublin. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,468 in Athlone versus $2,503 in Dublin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 19% higher in Dublin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,542 per month in Athlone versus $3,729 in Dublin – a 47% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,542 in Athlone versus $3,729 in Dublin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Athlone but tight or insufficient in Dublin. The gap between the two cities makes Athlone the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Athlone delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,542 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Athlone hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Athlone and Dublin are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Athlone gentler on the wallet – expenses run 47% less than in Dublin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.