Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Australia and Ireland

Name: Ireland
Address: IE

For one person, living is cheaper in Australia: $2,626 a month against $2,965 in Ireland, rent and utilities included – about $4,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Australia
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Australia Living Index
142

Cost of Living Index in Ireland
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Ireland Living Index

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🇦🇺 Australia

$2,626

/mo nomad

🇮🇪 Ireland

$2,965

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Australia and in Ireland

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

A single person spends $2,626 per month in Australia vs $2,965 in Ireland, rent included.

Australia $2,626
Ireland $2,965

A couple spends around $3,810 per month in Australia vs $4,237 in Ireland, rent included.

Australia $3,810
Ireland $4,237

A family of three spends $4,994 per month in Australia vs $5,509 in Ireland, rent included.

Australia $4,994
Ireland $5,509

Cost ranges are similar: Australia spans $1,068–$3,303, Ireland $1,795–$3,629. City choice affects budget similarly in either country.

The cost of living in Australia is roughly 11% lower than in Ireland on average.

Both Australia and Ireland are pricier than the global median – Australia by 93%, Ireland by 118%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.65 A$25.10

$22.51 €20.17

-21.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.2 A$121

$87.9 €78.8

-3.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.09 A$15.77

$12.71 €11.39

-12.75%

Cappuccino

$3.90 A$5.54

$4.35 €3.90

-10.34%

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

$2.85 A$4.05

$2.83 €2.54

0.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 A$3.29

$2.13 €1.91

8.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.53 A$10.71

$6.85 €6.14

9.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.59 A$12.21

$6.86 €6.14

25.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 A$2.50

$1.54 €1.38

14.29%

White Bread (500g)

$2.81 A$3.99

$2.29 €2.05

22.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 A$3.19

$1.93 €1.73

16.06%

Eggs

$5.02 A$7.14

$4.33 €3.88

15.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.87 A$14.03

$11.20 €10.03

-11.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.32 A$13.25

$11.75 €10.53

-20.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.86 A$21.14

$14.33 €12.84

3.70%

Apples (1kg)

$3.82 A$5.43

$2.99 €2.68

27.76%

Banana (1kg)

$2.92 A$4.16

$2.29 €2.05

27.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.13 A$4.46

$3.23 €2.89

-3.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.81 A$6.84

$4.41 €3.95

9.07%

Potato (1kg)

$2.80 A$3.98

$2.05 €1.84

36.59%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 A$3.38

$1.56 €1.39

52.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.37 A$3.37

$1.36 €1.22

74.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 A$2.35

$1.97 €1.77

-16.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$39.13 A$55.7

$20.07 €17.99

94.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.93 A$19.81

$13.50 €12.09

3.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.96 A$7.05

$3.57 €3.19

38.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.17 A$7.36

$3.66 €3.28

41.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.42 A$3.44

$2.26 €2.02

7.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$94.6 A$135

$98.1 €87.9

-3.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 A$4.97

$5.52 €4.94

-36.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 A$2.27

$1.60 €1.43

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.84 A$56.7

$33.31 €29.84

19.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.39 A$1.98

$2.03 €1.82

-31.53%

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

$30.0K A$42.7K

$38.4K €34.4K

-21.80%

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

$25.8K A$36.6K

$39.0K €34.9K

-33.95%

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

$205 A$292

$247 €221

-16.88%

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

$28.33 A$40.30

$21.94 €19.66

29.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.8 A$83.6

$52.3 €46.84

12.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.7 A$79.2

$54.3 €48.67

2.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.57 A$27.84

$20.36 €18.24

-3.88%

Cinema Ticket

$15.38 A$21.87

$13.71 €12.29

12.18%

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

$2,145 A$3,051

$1,112 €996

92.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.3K A$26.1K

$11.8K €10.6K

55.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.3 A$111

$97.1 €87.0

-19.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.3 A$80.0

$45.42 €40.70

23.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 A$164

$106 €95.3

8.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 A$175

$119 €107

3.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,591 A$2,263

$1,806 €1,618

-11.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 A$1,839

$1,585 €1,420

-18.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,524 A$3,591

$2,853 €2,557

-11.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,005 A$2,852

$2,441 €2,187

-17.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,751 A$12.4K

$5,044 €4,520

73.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,260 A$8,904

$3,845 €3,446

62.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,984 A$5,666

$3,406 €3,052

16.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.93

4.16

42.55%

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

Last update for Australia: October 27, 2026

Last update for Ireland: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Australia

$1.3K 49.2%

Ireland

$1.6K 53.5% 22.6% $292

Groceries & Markets

Australia

$374 14.3%

Ireland

$353 11.9% 5.7% $21

Eating Out

Australia

$297 11.3%

Ireland

$338 11.4% 14% $42

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Australia

$292 11.1%

Ireland

$321 10.8% 9.8% $29

Clothing & Footwear

Australia

$168 6.4%

Ireland

$166 5.6% 1.3% $2.2

Getting Around

Australia

$116 4.4%

Ireland

$121 4.1% 4.2% $4.8

Sport & Entertainment

Australia

$86 3.3%

Ireland

$82 2.8% 5.4% $4.7

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,383 in Australia vs $1,559 in Ireland. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,749 in Canberra and $2,475 in Dublin.

Average salary: $3,874 in Australia vs $3,201 in Ireland. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 13% higher in Ireland.

Public transport is 40% more expensive in Ireland.

Salaries are 21% higher in Australia, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Australia.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Australia

🇮🇪 Ireland

🕒 Local time

15:55 3:55 PM

04:55 4:55 AM

11 h behind Australia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

26,473,055

5,149,139

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.703 USD

1 AUD = 0.63 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇺 Australian Dollar ($)

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 AUD (1 AUD = 0.703 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 AUD (1 AUD = 0.63 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Australia Ireland 17,240 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Australia
Ireland

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

Australia vs Ireland: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Australia is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 11% lower on average.

Housing costs more in Ireland: a central one-bedroom averages $1,559 versus $1,383 in Australia.

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