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: $3,109 in Athlone versus $2,851 in Limerick.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,096 in Athlone versus $3,902 in Limerick.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,083 in Athlone versus $4,953 in Limerick.

Living in Athlone is roughly 9% more expensive than in Limerick, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Athlone 133% above, Limerick 113% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.47 €17.89

$20.05 €17.52

2.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$94.8 €82.8

$91.0 €79.5

4.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.33 €9.02

$10.57 €9.24

-2.27%

Cappuccino

$4.76 €4.16

$4.32 €3.77

10.19%

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

$2.51 €2.19

$2.11 €1.85

18.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 €1.91

$1.65 €1.44

32.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.99 €6.11

$7.10 €6.20

-1.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.64 €5.80

$6.78 €5.93

-2.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.15

$1.63 €1.43

-19.02%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 €1.20

$2.14 €1.87

-35.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.82 €1.59

$1.55 €1.35

17.42%

Eggs

$3.92 €3.42

$4.50 €3.94

-12.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.45 €10.00

$7.55 €6.59

51.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.61 €10.14

$13.23 €11.56

-12.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.41 €10.84

$12.46 €10.89

-0.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 €2.40

$3.59 €3.13

-23.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 €1.33

$2.77 €2.42

-45.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.48 €2.17

$3.63 €3.17

-31.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.69 €2.35

$4.37 €3.82

-38.44%

Potato (1kg)

$2.70 €2.36

$2.27 €1.98

18.94%

Onion (1kg)

$2.05 €1.79

$1.57 €1.37

30.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.69 €1.48

$1.25 €1.10

35.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.97 €1.72

$2.41 €2.11

-18.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.00 €17.48

$18.61 €16.26

7.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.42 €9.98

$17.02 €14.87

-32.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.48 €3.04

$2.74 €2.39

27.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.82 €3.34

$3.32 €2.90

15.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.89 €1.65

$2.48 €2.17

-23.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$97.3 €85.0

$53.5 €46.74

81.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 €4.68

$5.88 €5.14

-8.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.79 €2.43

$1.16 €1.01

140.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.41 €25.69

$70.5 €61.6

-58.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.07 €1.81

$2.02 €1.77

2.48%

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

$43.3K €37.8K

$43.0K €37.6K

0.69%

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

$39.3K €34.3K

$39.1K €34.1K

0.61%

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

$245 €214

$189 €165

29.91%

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

$21.81 €19.05

$22.70 €19.84

-3.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.33 €41.36

$50.5 €44.12

-6.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.4 €52.8

$53.1 €46.37

13.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.51 €15.30

$7.66 €6.69

128.59%

Cinema Ticket

$13.96 €12.20

$11.46 €10.01

21.82%

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

$1,345 €1,175

$977 €853

37.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,253 €6,337

$2,277 €1,990

218.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €90.6

$76.7 €67.0

35.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.85 €37.44

$37.82 €33.04

13.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.8 €78.5

$99.2 €86.7

-9.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.7 €68.8

$74.7 €65.3

5.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,477 €1,290

$2,056 €1,796

-28.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,783 €1,558

$1,661 €1,451

7.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,478 €2,165

$2,619 €2,288

-5.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,189 €1,913

$2,258 €1,973

-3.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,460 €3,023

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,418 €2,986

$3,057 €2,671

11.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,974 €2,598

$3,284 €2,870

-9.46%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Limerick: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,477 in Athlone and $2,056 in Limerick. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Limerick pays 10% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $95.0 in Athlone vs $91.0 in Limerick. Groceries flip the comparison at $316 vs $357, 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 9% 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.

On paper, salaries run 10% lower in Limerick. 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: $1,477 in Athlone versus $2,056 in Limerick. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,345 in Athlone versus $977 in Limerick. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Athlone pay roughly 13% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,851 in Limerick versus $3,109 in Athlone, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Limerick but tight or insufficient in Athlone. The gap between the two cities makes Limerick the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Limerick delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,851 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 9% less than in Athlone. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.