Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ballina and Dublin

For one person, living is cheaper in Ballina: $2,218 a month against $3,626 in Dublin, rent and utilities included – about $16,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

107

Cost of Living Index in Ballina
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Ballina Living Index
177

Cost of Living Index in Dublin
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Dublin Living Index

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Ballina

🇮🇪 Ireland

$2,218

/mo nomad

Dublin

🇮🇪 Ireland

$3,626

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ballina 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 Ballina and in Dublin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,218 per month in Ballina vs $3,626 in Dublin, rent included.

Ballina $2,218
Dublin $3,626

A couple spends around $3,255 per month in Ballina vs $5,179 in Dublin, rent included.

Ballina $3,255
Dublin $5,179

A family of three spends $4,293 per month in Ballina vs $6,731 in Dublin, rent included.

Ballina $4,293
Dublin $6,731

Ballina is about 39% cheaper than Dublin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Ballina and Dublin sit above the global median – Ballina by 64%, Dublin by 168%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.90 €15.04

$23.12 €20.56

-26.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.2 €58.9

$103 €91.4

-35.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.43 €11.05

$13.65 €12.14

-8.94%

Cappuccino

$3.84 €3.42

$5.01 €4.45

-23.35%

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

$1.55 €1.38

$2.85 €2.53

-45.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.16

$2.18 €1.94

-39.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.75 €5.12

$7.75 €6.89

-25.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.60 €6.76

$7.65 €6.80

-0.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 €1.45

$1.66 €1.48

-1.81%

White Bread (500g)

$2.21 €1.97

$2.53 €2.25

-12.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 €1.84

$2.05 €1.83

0.98%

Eggs

$3.12 €2.77

$5.03 €4.47

-37.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.21 €9.08

$9.91 €8.81

3.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.91 €11.48

$12.81 €11.39

0.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.16 €14.37

$15.90 €14.14

1.64%

Apples (1kg)

$2.77 €2.47

$2.73 €2.43

1.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 €1.43

$2.28 €2.03

-29.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.72 €2.42

$2.68 €2.39

1.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.13 €4.57

$5.41 €4.81

-5.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.87 €1.66

$1.92 €1.71

-2.60%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 €1.37

$1.55 €1.38

-0.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.35 €1.20

$1.30 €1.15

3.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.10 €1.86

$2.11 €1.87

-0.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.99 €18.67

$21.29 €18.94

-1.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.99 €8.89

$13.59 €12.09

-26.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.06

$3.42 €3.05

0.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.43 €3.06

$3.43 €3.05

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.51 €4.90

$2.19 €1.95

151.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$137 €122

$108 €95.7

27.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.01 €4.45

$5.28 €4.70

-5.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 €1.36

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$37.53 €33.38

$37.18 €33.07

0.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 €1.77

$2.19 €1.95

-9.13%

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

$33.9K €30.1K

$39.0K €34.7K

-13.10%

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

$38.0K €33.8K

$37.7K €33.6K

0.76%

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

$280 €249

$278 €247

0.97%

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

$18.65 €16.59

$18.62 €16.57

0.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.19 €34.86

$53.5 €47.56

-26.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.4 €45.71

$68.6 €61.0

-25.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.02 €9.80

$20.66 €18.38

-46.66%

Cinema Ticket

$12.15 €10.80

$15.69 €13.95

-22.56%

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

$1,265 €1,125

$1,276 €1,135

-0.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.5K €12.9K

$14.2K €12.6K

2.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$106 €94.6

$109 €97.3

-2.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.68 €44.19

$49.62 €44.14

0.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 €103

-0.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 €100

$133 €118

-15.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$892 €793

$2,453 €2,182

-63.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$839 €746

$2,136 €1,900

-60.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,294 €1,151

$4,370 €3,887

-70.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,361 €1,210

$3,390 €3,016

-59.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,418 €3,040

$9,688 €8,617

-64.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,838 €2,524

$5,902 €5,250

-51.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,322 €2,955

$3,862 €3,435

-13.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.82

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

Last update for Ballina: October 18, 2026

Last update for Dublin: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ballina

$839 37.8%

Dublin

$2.1K 58.9% 155% $1.3K

Groceries & Markets

Ballina

$346 15.6%

Dublin

$367 10.1% 6.1% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ballina

$338 15.3%

Dublin

$350 9.7% 3.4% $12

Eating Out

Ballina

$274 12.4%

Dublin

$360 9.9% 31.4% $86

Clothing & Footwear

Ballina

$173 7.8%

Dublin

$183 5.1% 6.1% $11

Getting Around

Ballina

$172 7.8%

Dublin

$129 3.6% 24.8% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Ballina

$76 3.4%

Dublin

$100 2.8% 32.1% $24

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $892 in Ballina versus $2,453 in Dublin. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 16% higher in Dublin, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $66.0 in Ballina versus $103 in Dublin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $346 vs $367 – making Ballina the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇪 Ballina

🇮🇪 Dublin

🕒 Local time

14:59 2:59 PM

Same time as Ballina

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

10,556

588,233 Capital

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Ballina Dublin 210 km

From you

Ballina
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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

Ballina vs Dublin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dublin costs about 64% more than Ballina, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,327 per month in Ballina and $5,439 in Dublin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ballina, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 28% less in Ballina. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,265 per month in Ballina and $1,276 in Dublin. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Ballina, where all-in costs run around $2,218, than in Dublin at $3,626. In Ballina it covers expenses comfortably, while in Dublin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Ballina costs $2,218 versus $3,626 in Dublin. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Ballina. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Dublin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.