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 $2,181 per month in Australia vs $2,590 in Ireland, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,218 per month in Australia vs $3,709 in Ireland, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,254 per month in Australia vs $4,828 in Ireland, rent included.

The cost of living in Australia is roughly 16% lower than in Ireland on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Both Australia and Ireland are pricier than the global median – Australia by 64%, Ireland by 95%.

The regional cost range is wider in Ireland ($1,854–$3,686) than in Australia ($1,595–$2,799), so city choice matters more there.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.97 A$22.93

$20.92 €18.24

-23.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.0 A$113

$90.7 €79.1

-12.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 A$13.91

$11.44 €9.98

-15.38%

Cappuccino

$3.58 A$5.15

$4.26 €3.71

-15.96%

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

$2.56 A$3.68

$2.64 €2.30

-3.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 A$3.19

$2.16 €1.88

2.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.34 A$9.10

$6.96 €6.06

-8.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.95 A$9.98

$6.31 €5.50

10.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 A$2.25

$1.60 €1.40

-2.50%

White Bread (500g)

$2.53 A$3.63

$2.19 €1.91

15.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.00 A$2.87

$1.95 €1.70

2.56%

Eggs

$4.26 A$6.12

$4.23 €3.69

0.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.75 A$12.57

$10.66 €9.30

-17.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.23 A$11.83

$11.68 €10.19

-29.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.15 A$20.33

$13.33 €11.62

6.15%

Apples (1kg)

$3.26 A$4.69

$3.08 €2.68

5.84%

Banana (1kg)

$2.81 A$4.04

$2.25 €1.96

24.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 A$4.31

$3.06 €2.67

-1.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.31 A$6.19

$4.53 €3.95

-4.86%

Potato (1kg)

$2.55 A$3.67

$2.23 €1.94

14.35%

Onion (1kg)

$2.16 A$3.10

$1.56 €1.36

38.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 A$3.19

$1.38 €1.20

60.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 A$2.20

$1.99 €1.73

-23.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$31.28 A$44.93

$19.48 €16.98

60.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.09 A$20.24

$13.55 €11.81

3.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.44 A$6.38

$3.51 €3.06

26.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.90 A$7.05

$3.83 €3.34

27.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.95 A$4.24

$2.36 €2.06

25.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$95.9 A$138

$94.4 €82.3

1.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 A$5.01

$5.93 €5.17

-41.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.84 A$2.64

$2.07 €1.80

-11.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$37.26 A$53.5

$37.74 €32.90

-1.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 A$1.68

$2.05 €1.79

-42.93%

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

$28.7K A$41.3K

$41.9K €36.5K

-31.34%

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

$22.5K A$32.3K

$40.1K €35.0K

-44.01%

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

$173 A$249

$244 €212

-28.83%

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

$26.62 A$38.23

$23.70 €20.67

12.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 A$76.2

$54.7 €47.67

-2.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.82 A$67.3

$56.0 €48.80

-16.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.38 A$23.53

$22.51 €19.62

-27.23%

Cinema Ticket

$13.56 A$19.48

$14.08 €12.27

-3.69%

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

$1,571 A$2,256

$1,204 €1,050

30.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.6K A$18.1K

$8,810 €7,681

43.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.1 A$104

$98.9 €86.2

-27.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.6 A$74.1

$47.17 €41.12

9.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 A$145

$103 €90.1

-2.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 A$155

$113 €98.9

-4.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,398 A$2,008

$1,859 €1,620

-24.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 A$1,560

$1,586 €1,383

-31.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,272 A$3,263

$3,040 €2,650

-25.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,751 A$2,515

$2,567 €2,238

-31.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,955 A$11.4K

$4,885 €4,259

62.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,978 A$8,587

$3,786 €3,301

57.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,053 A$5,822

$3,527 €3,075

14.92%

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: July 28, 2026

Last update for Ireland: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,230 in Australia vs $1,504 in Ireland. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,557 in Canberra and $2,359 in Dublin.

Average salary: $3,808 in Australia vs $3,416 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 46% more expensive in Ireland.

Salaries are 11% higher in Australia, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Australia.

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 26% 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 26% 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.