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: $3,448 in Dublin versus $3,109 in Athlone.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,080 in Dublin versus $4,096 in Athlone.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,712 in Dublin versus $5,083 in Athlone.

Living in Dublin is roughly 11% more expensive than in Athlone, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Dublin 158% above, Athlone 133% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.37 €20.41

$20.47 €17.89

14.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$103 €90.1

$94.8 €82.8

8.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.64 €11.05

$10.33 €9.02

22.36%

Cappuccino

$4.75 €4.15

$4.76 €4.16

-0.21%

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

$2.55 €2.23

$2.51 €2.19

1.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.16 €1.89

$2.19 €1.91

-1.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.07 €7.05

$6.99 €6.11

15.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.03 €6.14

$6.64 €5.80

5.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.51

$1.32 €1.15

31.06%

White Bread (500g)

$2.23 €1.95

$1.37 €1.20

62.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 €1.81

$1.82 €1.59

13.74%

Eggs

$4.69 €4.10

$3.92 €3.42

19.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.18 €9.76

$11.45 €10.00

-2.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.43 €9.99

$11.61 €10.14

-1.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.08 €12.31

$12.41 €10.84

13.46%

Apples (1kg)

$3.18 €2.78

$2.75 €2.40

15.64%

Banana (1kg)

$2.11 €1.84

$1.52 €1.33

38.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.86 €2.50

$2.48 €2.17

15.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.39 €4.71

$2.69 €2.35

100.37%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 €1.88

$2.70 €2.36

-20.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.75 €1.53

$2.05 €1.79

-14.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.37 €1.19

$1.69 €1.48

-18.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.10 €1.83

$1.97 €1.72

6.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.94 €18.29

$20.00 €17.48

4.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.52 €11.82

$11.42 €9.98

18.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.56 €3.11

$3.48 €3.04

2.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.95 €3.45

$3.82 €3.34

3.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.99

$1.89 €1.65

20.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$96.6 €84.4

$97.3 €85.0

-0.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.38 €4.70

$5.36 €4.68

0.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$2.79 €2.43

-23.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$38.69 €33.80

$29.41 €25.69

31.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.80

$2.07 €1.81

-0.48%

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

$42.9K €37.5K

$43.3K €37.8K

-0.82%

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

$40.2K €35.1K

$39.3K €34.3K

2.17%

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

$284 €248

$245 €214

15.77%

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

$23.59 €20.61

$21.81 €19.05

8.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.6 €50.3

$47.33 €41.36

21.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.6 €52.1

$60.4 €52.8

-1.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.29 €18.60

$17.51 €15.30

21.59%

Cinema Ticket

$15.17 €13.26

$13.96 €12.20

8.67%

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

$1,338 €1,169

$1,345 €1,175

-0.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,412 €8,223

$7,253 €6,337

29.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €90.9

$104 €90.6

0.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.58 €42.45

$42.85 €37.44

13.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 €99.6

$89.8 €78.5

26.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 €113

$78.7 €68.8

64.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,368 €2,069

$1,477 €1,290

60.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,998 €1,745

$1,783 €1,558

12.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,127 €3,606

$2,478 €2,165

66.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,271 €2,858

$2,189 €1,913

49.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,299 €7,251

$3,460 €3,023

139.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,513 €4,817

$3,418 €2,986

61.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,946 €3,448

$2,974 €2,598

32.69%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Athlone: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,368 in Dublin and $1,477 in Athlone. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dublin pays 33% 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 $316 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 11% 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.

Average pay runs 33% higher in Dublin, 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: $2,368 in Dublin versus $1,477 in Athlone. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,338 in Dublin versus $1,345 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.

At $3,109 in Athlone versus $3,448 in Dublin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Athlone but tight or insufficient in Dublin. The gap between the two cities makes Athlone the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Athlone delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $3,109 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 11% less than in Dublin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.