Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Balbriggan and Dublin

For one person, living is cheaper in Balbriggan: $2,676 a month against $3,629 in Dublin, rent and utilities included – about $11,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

128

Cost of Living Index in Balbriggan
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Balbriggan Living Index
175

Cost of Living Index in Dublin
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Dublin Living Index

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Balbriggan

🇮🇪 Ireland

$2,676

/mo nomad

Dublin

🇮🇪 Ireland

$3,629

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Balbriggan and in Dublin

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,676 in Balbriggan versus $3,629 in Dublin.

Balbriggan $2,676
Dublin $3,629

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,956 in Balbriggan versus $5,130 in Dublin.

Balbriggan $3,956
Dublin $5,130

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,236 in Balbriggan versus $6,631 in Dublin.

Balbriggan $5,236
Dublin $6,631

Living in Balbriggan costs roughly 26% less than in Dublin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Balbriggan 97% above, Dublin 167% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.68 €20.31

$23.23 €20.81

-2.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.7 €88.4

$102 €91.3

-3.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.53 €12.12

$13.28 €11.89

1.88%

Cappuccino

$5.01 €4.48

$4.91 €4.39

2.04%

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

$2.97 €2.66

$2.98 €2.67

-0.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 €2.01

$2.18 €1.95

3.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.60 €6.80

$7.92 €7.10

-4.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.95 €7.12

$7.76 €6.95

2.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 €1.50

$1.63 €1.46

3.07%

White Bread (500g)

$2.28 €2.05

$2.42 €2.17

-5.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.06 €1.85

Eggs

$3.16 €2.83

$4.92 €4.41

-35.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.05 €9.00

$9.86 €8.83

1.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.89 €11.55

$12.50 €11.20

3.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.23 €14.54

Apples (1kg)

$2.76 €2.47

$2.81 €2.52

-1.78%

Banana (1kg)

$2.28 €2.05

$2.22 €1.98

2.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.72 €2.44

$2.81 €2.52

-3.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.09 €4.56

$5.15 €4.61

-1.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 €1.71

$1.86 €1.67

2.69%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 €1.38

$1.46 €1.30

5.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.37 €1.22

$1.32 €1.18

3.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 €1.88

$2.11 €1.89

-0.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$21.36 €19.13

$20.86 €18.68

2.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.37 €11.98

$13.24 €11.86

0.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 €2.51

$3.43 €3.07

-18.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 €2.21

$3.51 €3.14

-29.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 €2.21

$2.29 €2.05

7.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$133 €119

$106 €95.0

25.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.03 €4.51

$5.27 €4.72

-4.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 €1.38

$1.49 €1.34

3.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$37.74 €33.80

$38.05 €34.08

-0.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.86

$2.10 €1.88

-0.95%

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

$39.4K €35.3K

$38.4K €34.4K

2.54%

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

$38.1K €34.1K

$37.8K €33.8K

0.82%

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

$171 €153

$269 €241

-36.42%

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

$16.82 €15.06

$18.56 €16.62

-9.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.91 €40.22

$53.1 €47.58

-15.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.3 €47.69

$63.8 €57.1

-16.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.81 €18.64

Cinema Ticket

$13.27 €11.88

$15.64 €14.00

-15.15%

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

$1,259 €1,128

$1,269 €1,136

-0.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,150 €4,612

$14.4K €12.9K

-64.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$109 €98.0

$105 €94.4

3.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.97 €25.05

$51.1 €45.73

-45.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$61.4 €55.0

$114 €102

-46.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 €118

$131 €117

0.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,553 €1,391

$2,475 €2,216

-37.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,349 €1,208

$2,162 €1,936

-37.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,533 €2,268

$4,319 €3,869

-41.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,159 €1,934

$3,331 €2,983

-35.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,467 €7,583

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,612 €3,235

$5,920 €5,302

-38.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,292 €2,052

$3,706 €3,319

-38.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

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

Last update for Balbriggan: October 26, 2026

Last update for Dublin: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Balbriggan

$1.3K 50.4%

Dublin

$2.2K 59.6% 60.2% $812

Eating Out

Balbriggan

$357 13.3%

Dublin

$360 9.9% 1% $3.4

Groceries & Markets

Balbriggan

$353 13.2%

Dublin

$363 10% 3% $10

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Balbriggan

$232 8.7%

Dublin

$340 9.4% 46.4% $108

Getting Around

Balbriggan

$156 5.8%

Dublin

$128 3.5% 17.9% $28

Clothing & Footwear

Balbriggan

$149 5.6%

Dublin

$181 5% 21.3% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Balbriggan

$80 3%

Dublin

$95 2.6% 19.1% $15

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,553 in Balbriggan and $2,475 in Dublin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dublin pays 62% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $99 in Balbriggan vs $102 in Dublin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $353 vs $363 per month, with Balbriggan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇪 Balbriggan

🇮🇪 Dublin

🕒 Local time

08:48 8:48 AM

Same time as Balbriggan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,322

588,233 Capital

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Balbriggan Dublin 29 km

From you

Balbriggan
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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

Balbriggan vs Dublin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,676 in Balbriggan and $3,629 in Dublin, so Balbriggan is about 26% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 38% lower in Balbriggan. 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: $1,553 in Balbriggan versus $2,475 in Dublin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 3% higher in Dublin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Balbriggan – a meal for two runs $99 versus $102 in Dublin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,676 in Balbriggan versus $3,629 in Dublin, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Balbriggan but tight or insufficient in Dublin. The gap between the two cities makes Balbriggan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

It comes down to priorities – Balbriggan wins on affordability, Dublin on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.