Cost of Living Comparison Between China and Ireland Cost of Living Comparison Between China and Ireland

Name: Ireland
Address: IE

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $712 in China versus $2,590 in Ireland.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,131 in China versus $3,709 in Ireland.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,549 in China versus $4,828 in Ireland.

Living in China costs about 73% less than in Ireland on average.

China (47% below) and Ireland (95% above) straddle the global median.

Internal cost variation is higher in Ireland: monthly costs span $1,854 to $3,686, compared to $533–$1,212 in China. City choice carries more weight in Ireland.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.77 ¥18.71

$20.92 €18.12

-86.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.05 ¥162

$90.7 €78.6

-73.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.73 ¥31.91

$11.44 €9.91

-58.65%

Cappuccino

$3.08 ¥20.77

$4.26 €3.69

-27.70%

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

$0.44 ¥2.99

$2.64 €2.29

-83.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ¥1.98

$2.16 €1.87

-86.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.01 ¥6.80

$6.96 €6.02

-85.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 ¥14.02

$6.31 €5.46

-67.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.83 ¥12.38

$1.60 €1.39

14.37%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 ¥10.94

$2.19 €1.90

-26.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.97 ¥6.58

$1.95 €1.69

-50.26%

Eggs

$1.61 ¥10.90

$4.23 €3.66

-61.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.34 ¥90.1

$10.66 €9.24

25.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.37 ¥22.74

$11.68 €10.12

-71.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 ¥72.1

$13.33 €11.54

-19.88%

Apples (1kg)

$1.81 ¥12.25

$3.08 €2.66

-41.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.25 ¥8.43

$2.25 €1.95

-44.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.46 ¥9.88

$3.06 €2.65

-52.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.15 ¥7.73

$4.53 €3.92

-74.61%

Potato (1kg)

$0.73 ¥4.91

$2.23 €1.93

-67.26%

Onion (1kg)

$0.89 ¥5.99

$1.56 €1.35

-42.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.60 ¥4.05

$1.38 €1.19

-56.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ¥3.58

$1.99 €1.72

-73.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.39 ¥22.91

$19.48 €16.87

-82.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.73 ¥79.2

$13.55 €11.73

-13.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 ¥5.22

$3.51 €3.04

-78.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 ¥10.97

$3.83 €3.31

-57.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.41 ¥2.77

$2.36 €2.05

-82.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.24 ¥143

$94.4 €81.8

-77.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ¥9.12

$5.93 €5.13

-77.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.36 ¥2.40

$2.07 €1.79

-82.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.70 ¥45.23

$37.74 €32.68

-82.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 ¥7.98

$2.05 €1.78

-42.44%

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

$19.8K ¥133.4K

$41.9K €36.2K

-52.79%

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

$16.5K ¥111.6K

$40.1K €34.7K

-58.79%

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

$51.7 ¥349

$244 €211

-78.76%

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

$10.09 ¥68.1

$23.70 €20.53

-57.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.38 ¥76.8

$54.7 €47.35

-79.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.24 ¥265

$56.0 €48.47

-29.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.84 ¥100

$22.51 €19.49

-34.07%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 ¥42.53

$14.08 €12.19

-55.26%

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

$414 ¥2,793

$1,204 €1,043

-65.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K ¥117.5K

$8,810 €7,629

97.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.77 ¥316

$98.9 €85.7

-52.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.08 ¥223

$47.17 €40.85

-29.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.9 ¥479

$103 €89.5

-31.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.5 ¥503

$113 €98.3

-34.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$440 ¥2,971

$1,859 €1,610

-76.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$253 ¥1,706

$1,586 €1,374

-84.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$911 ¥6,150

$3,040 €2,632

-70.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$531 ¥3,582

$2,567 €2,223

-79.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,778 ¥32.3K

$4,885 €4,231

-2.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,403 ¥16.2K

$3,786 €3,279

-36.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,058 ¥7,140

$3,527 €3,054

-70.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.06

4.47

-9.17%

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

Last update for China: July 28, 2026

Last update for Ireland: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $287 in China, $1,504 in Ireland. Capital cities: $909 in Beijing (Pekin) vs $2,359 in Dublin.

National salary averages: $857 in China, $3,416 in Ireland. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 424% higher in Ireland.

Dining out costs 324% more in Ireland.

Public transport is 444% more expensive in Ireland.

Salaries are 299% higher in Ireland, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Ireland.

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

China vs Ireland: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $873 per month in China and $2,770 in Ireland, there's a 217% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in China: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in Ireland is consistently higher than in China across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In China, $2,000 covers most cities easily; in Ireland it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after: China wins on affordability; Ireland may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.