Cost of Living Comparison Between Australia and Ireland Cost of Living Comparison Between Australia and Ireland

Name: Ireland
Address: IE

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,184 per month in Australia vs $2,587 in Ireland, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,219 per month in Australia vs $3,708 in Ireland, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,253 per month in Australia vs $4,828 in Ireland, rent included.

Australia is roughly 16% cheaper than Ireland on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Both Australia and Ireland are pricier than the global median – Australia by 63%, Ireland by 92%.

Ireland has a wider regional cost range ($1,842–$3,572) than Australia ($1,592–$2,842), so location matters more when choosing where to live in Ireland.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.44 A$23.23

$21.23 €18.29

-22.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.1 A$110

$94.1 €81.1

-17.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.94 A$14.05

$11.50 €9.91

-13.57%

Cappuccino

$3.60 A$5.08

$4.31 €3.71

-16.47%

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

$2.68 A$3.78

$2.72 €2.34

-1.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 A$3.02

$2.13 €1.83

0.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.53 A$9.23

$7.11 €6.12

-8.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.05 A$9.96

$6.24 €5.38

12.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 A$2.23

$1.59 €1.37

-0.63%

White Bread (500g)

$2.53 A$3.57

$2.10 €1.81

20.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 A$2.93

$1.93 €1.66

7.25%

Eggs

$4.30 A$6.08

$4.37 €3.77

-1.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.03 A$12.76

$10.59 €9.12

-14.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.55 A$12.08

$11.72 €10.10

-27.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.96 A$19.72

$13.13 €11.31

6.32%

Apples (1kg)

$3.18 A$4.49

$3.06 €2.64

3.92%

Banana (1kg)

$2.84 A$4.01

$2.17 €1.87

30.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.95 A$4.17

$3.01 €2.60

-1.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.43 A$6.26

$4.40 €3.79

0.68%

Potato (1kg)

$2.46 A$3.47

$2.16 €1.86

13.89%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 A$3.07

$1.60 €1.38

35.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.29 A$3.24

$1.34 €1.16

70.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.57 A$2.22

$2.01 €1.73

-21.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$30.87 A$43.61

$19.59 €16.88

57.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.06 A$19.86

$13.81 €11.90

1.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.55 A$6.43

$3.37 €2.91

35.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.81 A$6.80

$3.76 €3.24

27.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.87 A$4.05

$2.34 €2.02

22.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$95.8 A$135

$96.4 €83.1

-0.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.65 A$5.15

$5.62 €4.85

-35.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.76 A$2.49

$2.12 €1.82

-16.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$38.27 A$54.1

$37.73 €32.50

1.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 A$1.63

$2.10 €1.81

-45.24%

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

$28.4K A$40.1K

$42.5K €36.6K

-33.17%

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

$23.0K A$32.5K

$39.8K €34.3K

-42.21%

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

$178 A$251

$248 €213

-28.11%

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

$26.46 A$37.38

$23.39 €20.15

13.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.1 A$76.4

$54.0 €46.54

0.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.64 A$65.9

$56.7 €48.88

-17.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.54 A$23.37

$22.50 €19.39

-26.49%

Cinema Ticket

$13.65 A$19.28

$14.03 €12.08

-2.71%

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

$1,575 A$2,225

$1,203 €1,036

30.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.7K A$17.9K

$8,807 €7,588

44.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.5 A$101

$97.5 €84.0

-26.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.8 A$71.8

$47.45 €40.88

7.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 A$142

$104 €89.4

-3.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 A$153

$116 €99.7

-6.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,384 A$1,955

$1,823 €1,571

-24.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,105 A$1,562

$1,568 €1,351

-29.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,298 A$3,246

$3,108 €2,678

-26.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,728 A$2,441

$2,583 €2,225

-33.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,610 A$10.8K

$5,044 €4,346

50.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,504 A$7,776

$3,854 €3,321

42.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,002 A$5,654

$3,662 €3,155

9.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.35

4.47

42.06%

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

Last update for Australia: June 7, 2026

Last update for Ireland: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,232 in Australia vs $1,500 in Ireland. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,568 in Canberra and $2,354 in Dublin.

Average salary: $3,845 in Australia vs $3,466 in Ireland. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 22% higher in Ireland.

Dining out costs 16% more in Ireland.

Public transport is 48% more expensive in Ireland.

Salaries are 11% higher in Australia, giving Australia stronger purchasing power.

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

Australia vs Ireland: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Australia is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 22% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

Housing costs more in Ireland, and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but Ireland consistently has higher rents.

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Australia, contributing to the overall 22% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$2,500 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Australia, but in Ireland it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Australia is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.