Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dublin and Arklow

For one person, living is cheaper in Arklow: $2,624 a month against $3,729 in Dublin, rent and utilities included – about $13,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

180

Cost of Living Index in Dublin
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Dublin Living Index
128

Cost of Living Index in Arklow
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Arklow Living Index

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Dublin

🇮🇪 Ireland

$3,729

/mo nomad

Arklow

🇮🇪 Ireland

$2,624

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dublin and in Arklow

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

A single person spends $3,729 per month in Dublin vs $2,624 in Arklow, rent included.

Dublin $3,729
Arklow $2,624

A couple spends around $5,239 per month in Dublin vs $3,680 in Arklow, rent included.

Dublin $5,239
Arklow $3,680

A family of three spends $6,748 per month in Dublin vs $4,737 in Arklow, rent included.

Dublin $6,748
Arklow $4,737

Dublin costs about 42% more than Arklow, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Dublin and Arklow sit above the global median – Dublin by 176%, Arklow by 94%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.58 €20.97

$22.34 €19.87

5.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 €89.6

$89.5 €79.6

12.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.50 €12.00

$11.25 €10.01

20.00%

Cappuccino

$4.82 €4.29

$4.12 €3.67

16.99%

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

$2.87 €2.55

$2.93 €2.60

-2.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 €1.99

$2.25 €2.00

-0.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.80 €6.94

$5.47 €4.86

42.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.32 €6.51

$5.16 €4.58

41.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 €1.48

$1.69 €1.50

-1.78%

White Bread (500g)

$2.42 €2.15

$2.23 €1.99

8.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.76

$1.90 €1.69

4.21%

Eggs

$4.90 €4.35

$4.64 €4.12

5.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.02 €8.91

$14.19 €12.62

-29.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.79 €11.38

$13.17 €11.71

-2.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.78 €14.04

$16.67 €14.83

-5.34%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 €2.53

$3.26 €2.90

-12.58%

Banana (1kg)

$2.17 €1.93

$2.90 €2.58

-25.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.65 €2.36

$3.42 €3.04

-22.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.29 €4.71

$4.70 €4.18

12.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.64

$2.36 €2.10

-22.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 €1.32

$1.83 €1.62

-19.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.31 €1.16

$1.45 €1.29

-9.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.02 €1.80

$2.15 €1.91

-6.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.78 €18.48

$20.31 €18.07

2.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.63 €12.12

$13.59 €12.09

0.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.06

$4.08 €3.63

-15.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 €3.07

$3.61 €3.21

-4.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.19 €1.95

$2.40 €2.14

-8.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$109 €97.1

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.05 €4.49

$5.18 €4.61

-2.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 €1.38

$1.54 €1.37

0.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$37.01 €32.92

$33.30 €29.62

11.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.15 €1.91

$2.12 €1.89

1.42%

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

$38.9K €34.6K

$38.8K €34.5K

0.28%

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

$39.5K €35.1K

$37.3K €33.2K

5.92%

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

$281 €250

$240 €213

17.09%

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

$17.94 €15.96

$22.10 €19.65

-18.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.6 €45.88

$55.2 €49.08

-6.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.0 €60.5

$57.5 €51.2

18.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.55 €18.28

Cinema Ticket

$15.45 €13.74

$13.58 €12.08

13.77%

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

$1,281 €1,140

$1,066 €948

20.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.2K €12.6K

$5,404 €4,807

162.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$107 €95.0

$93.9 €83.5

13.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 €45.51

$43.32 €38.53

18.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 €99.4

$106 €94.6

5.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 €115

$118 €105

9.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,503 €2,226

$1,566 €1,393

59.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,245 €1,997

$1,325 €1,178

69.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,443 €3,951

$2,857 €2,541

55.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,431 €3,051

$1,819 €1,618

88.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,378 €8,341

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,995 €5,332

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,914 €3,481

$4,863 €4,325

-19.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.82

4.14

-7.73%

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

Last update for Dublin: October 13, 2026

Last update for Arklow: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dublin

$2.2K 60.2%

Arklow

$1.3K 50.5% 41% $920

Groceries & Markets

Dublin

$363 9.7%

Arklow

$392 14.9% 7.8% $28

Eating Out

Dublin

$361 9.7%

Arklow

$320 12.2% 11.3% $41

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dublin

$350 9.4%

Arklow

$317 12.1% 9.5% $33

Clothing & Footwear

Dublin

$180 4.8%

Arklow

$163 6.2% 9.5% $17

Getting Around

Dublin

$131 3.5%

Arklow

$23 * 0.9% 82.8% $108

Sport & Entertainment

Dublin

$99 2.7%

Arklow

$85 3.2% 14.4% $14

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,503 in Dublin versus $1,566 in Arklow. 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 24% higher in Arklow, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $101 in Dublin versus $89.0 in Arklow. Groceries tell a different story – $363 in Dublin vs $392 in Arklow – so Dublin wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇮🇪 Dublin

🇮🇪 Arklow

🕒 Local time

12:33 12:33 PM

Same time as Dublin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

588,233 Capital

13,399

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Dublin Arklow 62 km

From you

Dublin
Arklow

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

Dublin vs Arklow: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,729 in Dublin, $2,624 in Arklow – roughly 42% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,594 per month in Dublin and $3,936 in Arklow. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $101 in Dublin and $89.0 in Arklow. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 8% cheaper in Dublin – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,729 in Dublin and $2,624 in Arklow. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Dublin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,624 in Arklow to $3,729 in Dublin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Arklow. 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.