Cost of Living Comparison Between Dublin and Athlone Cost of Living Comparison Between Dublin and Athlone

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,414 in Dublin versus $3,095 in Athlone.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,972 in Dublin versus $4,141 in Athlone.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,530 in Dublin versus $5,188 in Athlone.

Living in Dublin is roughly 10% more expensive than Athlone, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Dublin 155% above, Athlone 131% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.50 €20.21

$19.87 €17.09

18.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$103 €88.9

$95.3 €82.0

8.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.95 €11.14

$10.58 €9.10

22.40%

Cappuccino

$4.58 €3.94

$4.68 €4.03

-2.14%

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

$2.55 €2.20

$2.50 €2.15

2.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 €1.83

$2.16 €1.86

-1.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.28 €7.12

$7.13 €6.13

16.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.96 €5.99

$6.68 €5.74

4.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 €1.43

$1.31 €1.13

26.72%

White Bread (500g)

$2.23 €1.92

$1.30 €1.12

71.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.08 €1.79

$1.74 €1.50

19.54%

Eggs

$4.83 €4.16

$3.94 €3.39

22.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.04 €9.49

$11.18 €9.61

-1.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.35 €9.77

$11.96 €10.29

-5.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.92 €11.98

$12.38 €10.65

12.44%

Apples (1kg)

$3.27 €2.82

$2.76 €2.37

18.48%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 €1.76

$1.52 €1.30

34.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.99 €2.57

$2.46 €2.12

21.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.38 €4.63

$2.80 €2.41

92.14%

Potato (1kg)

$2.14 €1.84

$2.63 €2.27

-18.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.73 €1.48

$2.14 €1.84

-19.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.31 €1.12

$1.63 €1.40

-19.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.08 €1.79

$1.94 €1.67

7.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.52 €17.65

$20.79 €17.88

-1.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.12 €12.15

$11.75 €10.11

20.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.66 €3.14

$3.53 €3.04

3.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.97 €3.42

$3.66 €3.15

8.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.30 €1.98

$1.82 €1.56

26.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$97.8 €84.1

$99.4 €85.5

-1.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.46 €4.69

$5.12 €4.41

6.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.76

$2.65 €2.28

-23.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.53 €34.01

$29.41 €25.30

34.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.77

$2.03 €1.75

1.48%

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

$43.3K €37.2K

$41.7K €35.9K

3.63%

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

$40.2K €34.6K

$40.1K €34.5K

0.39%

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

$285 €245

$246 €211

15.90%

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

$23.65 €20.34

$22.09 €19.00

7.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.6 €48.71

$47.49 €40.85

19.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.5 €51.2

$59.6 €51.3

-0.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.34 €18.36

$17.11 €14.72

24.72%

Cinema Ticket

$14.80 €12.73

$14.11 €12.14

4.89%

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

$1,331 €1,145

$1,351 €1,162

-1.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,690 €8,336

$7,303 €6,282

32.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$106 €91.0

$104 €89.6

1.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.56 €42.63

$41.49 €35.69

19.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 €102

$89.5 €77.0

32.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 €108

$77.8 €66.9

61.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,347 €2,019

$1,468 €1,263

59.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,969 €1,693

$1,793 €1,542

9.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,125 €3,548

$2,483 €2,136

66.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,292 €2,832

$2,183 €1,878

50.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,693 €7,478

$3,525 €3,032

146.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,643 €4,854

$3,525 €3,032

60.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,956 €3,403

$3,848 €3,310

2.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.04

4.6

-12.17%

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

Last update for Dublin: May 30, 2026

Last update for Athlone: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,347 in Dublin and $1,468 in Athlone. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dublin pays 3% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $103 in Dublin vs $95.0 in Athlone for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $360 vs $317 per month, with Athlone cheaper across the board.

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 Athlone: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Athlone wins on cost – living expenses run 10% lower than in Dublin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Athlone the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Dublin pays 3% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,347 in Dublin versus $1,468 in Athlone. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,331 in Dublin versus $1,351 in Athlone. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 14% higher in Dublin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Athlone is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both work as nomad bases, but Athlone delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $3,095 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Athlone hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Dublin and Athlone are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Athlone gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Dublin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.