Cost of Living Comparison Between Athlone and Limerick Cost of Living Comparison Between Athlone and Limerick

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,095 in Athlone versus $2,862 in Limerick.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,141 in Athlone versus $3,977 in Limerick.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,188 in Athlone versus $5,093 in Limerick.

Living in Athlone is roughly 8% more expensive than Limerick, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Athlone 131% above, Limerick 114% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.87 €17.09

$20.61 €17.73

-3.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$95.3 €82.0

$94.2 €81.1

1.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.58 €9.10

$10.34 €8.90

2.32%

Cappuccino

$4.68 €4.03

$4.17 €3.59

12.23%

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

$2.50 €2.15

$2.13 €1.83

17.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.16 €1.86

$1.70 €1.46

27.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.13 €6.13

$6.83 €5.87

4.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.68 €5.74

$7.15 €6.15

-6.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 €1.13

$1.62 €1.40

-19.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 €1.12

$2.15 €1.85

-39.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 €1.50

$1.53 €1.32

13.73%

Eggs

$3.94 €3.39

$4.64 €3.99

-15.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.18 €9.61

$7.70 €6.62

45.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.96 €10.29

$13.25 €11.40

-9.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.38 €10.65

$12.56 €10.80

-1.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.76 €2.37

$3.65 €3.14

-24.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 €1.30

$2.76 €2.37

-44.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$3.60 €3.09

-31.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.80 €2.41

$4.37 €3.76

-35.93%

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 €2.27

$2.30 €1.98

14.35%

Onion (1kg)

$2.14 €1.84

$1.54 €1.33

38.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.63 €1.40

$1.26 €1.09

29.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 €1.67

$2.44 €2.10

-20.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.79 €17.88

$18.16 €15.62

14.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.75 €10.11

$17.23 €14.82

-31.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.53 €3.04

$2.82 €2.43

25.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 €3.15

$3.20 €2.75

14.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.82 €1.56

$2.53 €2.18

-28.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$99.4 €85.5

$53.5 €46.06

85.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.12 €4.41

$5.75 €4.95

-10.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.65 €2.28

$1.20 €1.03

120.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.41 €25.30

$69.4 €59.7

-57.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.03 €1.75

$1.95 €1.68

4.10%

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

$41.7K €35.9K

$42.7K €36.7K

-2.27%

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

$40.1K €34.5K

$39.8K €34.2K

0.81%

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

$246 €211

$186 €160

32.14%

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

$22.09 €19.00

$22.86 €19.67

-3.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.49 €40.85

$50.9 €43.75

-6.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.6 €51.3

$52.2 €44.87

14.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.11 €14.72

$7.79 €6.70

119.64%

Cinema Ticket

$14.11 €12.14

$11.59 €9.97

21.74%

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

$1,351 €1,162

$960 €826

40.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,303 €6,282

$2,346 €2,018

211.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €89.6

$77.1 €66.3

35.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.49 €35.69

$38.78 €33.36

6.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.5 €77.0

$97.8 €84.1

-8.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.8 €66.9

$74.3 €63.9

4.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,468 €1,263

$2,077 €1,787

-29.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,793 €1,542

$1,624 €1,397

10.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,483 €2,136

$2,553 €2,196

-2.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,183 €1,878

$2,217 €1,907

-1.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,525 €3,032

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,525 €3,032

$3,192 €2,746

10.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,848 €3,310

$3,398 €2,923

13.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.6

4.53

1.55%

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

Last update for Athlone: June 1, 2026

Last update for Limerick: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,468 in Athlone and $2,077 in Limerick. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Athlone pays 13% 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: $95.0 in Athlone vs $94.0 in Limerick. Groceries flip the comparison at $317 vs $360, with Athlone cheaper for home cooking.

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 Limerick: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Limerick wins on cost – living expenses run 8% lower than in Athlone. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Limerick the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Athlone pays 13% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,468 in Athlone versus $2,077 in Limerick. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,351 in Athlone versus $960 in Limerick. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Athlone pay roughly 14% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Limerick is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both work as nomad bases, but Limerick delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,862 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Limerick hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Athlone and Limerick 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 Limerick gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Athlone. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.