Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dublin and Balbriggan

For one person, living is cheaper in Balbriggan: $2,676 a month against $3,629 in Dublin, rent and utilities included – about $11,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

175

Cost of Living Index in Dublin
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Dublin Living Index
128

Cost of Living Index in Balbriggan
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Balbriggan Living Index

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Dublin

🇮🇪 Ireland

$3,629

/mo nomad

Balbriggan

🇮🇪 Ireland

$2,676

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dublin and in Balbriggan

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 Balbriggan actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,629 in Dublin versus $2,676 in Balbriggan.

Dublin $3,629
Balbriggan $2,676

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,130 in Dublin versus $3,956 in Balbriggan.

Dublin $5,130
Balbriggan $3,956

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,631 in Dublin versus $5,236 in Balbriggan.

Dublin $6,631
Balbriggan $5,236

Living in Dublin is roughly 36% more expensive than in Balbriggan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Dublin 167% above, Balbriggan 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.23 €20.87

$22.68 €20.38

2.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$102 €91.6

$98.7 €88.7

3.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.28 €11.93

$13.53 €12.16

-1.85%

Cappuccino

$4.91 €4.41

$5.01 €4.50

-2.00%

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

$2.98 €2.68

$2.97 €2.67

0.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 €1.95

$2.25 €2.02

-3.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.92 €7.12

$7.60 €6.82

4.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.76 €6.98

$7.95 €7.14

-2.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 €1.46

$1.68 €1.51

-2.98%

White Bread (500g)

$2.42 €2.18

$2.28 €2.05

6.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.06 €1.85

Eggs

$4.92 €4.42

$3.16 €2.84

55.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.86 €8.85

$10.05 €9.03

-1.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.50 €11.23

$12.89 €11.58

-3.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.23 €14.58

Apples (1kg)

$2.81 €2.52

$2.76 €2.48

1.81%

Banana (1kg)

$2.22 €1.99

$2.28 €2.05

-2.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.81 €2.52

$2.72 €2.44

3.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.15 €4.62

$5.09 €4.57

1.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 €1.67

$1.91 €1.71

-2.62%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 €1.31

$1.54 €1.38

-5.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.32 €1.18

$1.37 €1.23

-3.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.11 €1.89

$2.09 €1.88

0.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.86 €18.74

$21.36 €19.19

-2.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.24 €11.89

$13.37 €12.01

-0.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.43 €3.08

$2.80 €2.52

22.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 €3.15

$2.47 €2.22

42.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.29 €2.06

$2.47 €2.22

-7.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 €95.3

$133 €120

-20.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.27 €4.73

$5.03 €4.52

4.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.49 €1.34

$1.54 €1.39

-3.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$38.05 €34.18

$37.74 €33.90

0.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.10 €1.89

$2.08 €1.87

0.96%

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

$38.4K €34.5K

$39.4K €35.4K

-2.47%

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

$37.8K €33.9K

$38.1K €34.2K

-0.81%

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

$269 €241

$171 €153

57.29%

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

$18.56 €16.67

$16.82 €15.11

10.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 €47.72

$44.91 €40.34

18.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.8 €57.3

$53.3 €47.84

19.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.81 €18.70

Cinema Ticket

$15.64 €14.05

$13.27 €11.92

17.86%

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

$1,269 €1,140

$1,259 €1,131

0.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.4K €13.0K

$5,150 €4,626

180.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €94.6

$109 €98.3

-3.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.1 €45.87

$27.97 €25.12

82.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 €102

$61.4 €55.1

85.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 €118

$132 €119

-0.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,475 €2,223

$1,553 €1,395

59.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,162 €1,942

$1,349 €1,212

60.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,319 €3,880

$2,533 €2,275

70.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,331 €2,992

$2,159 €1,940

54.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,467 €7,606

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,920 €5,318

$3,612 €3,245

63.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,706 €3,329

$2,292 €2,059

61.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

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

Last update for Dublin: October 24, 2026

Last update for Balbriggan: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dublin

$2.2K 59.6%

Balbriggan

$1.3K 50.4% 37.6% $812

Groceries & Markets

Dublin

$363 10%

Balbriggan

$353 13.2% 2.9% $10

Eating Out

Dublin

$360 9.9%

Balbriggan

$357 13.3% 1% $3.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dublin

$340 9.4%

Balbriggan

$232 8.7% 31.7% $108

Clothing & Footwear

Dublin

$181 5%

Balbriggan

$149 5.6% 17.6% $32

Getting Around

Dublin

$128 3.5%

Balbriggan

$156 5.8% 21.8% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Dublin

$95 2.6%

Balbriggan

$80 3% 16.1% $15

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,475 in Dublin and $1,553 in Balbriggan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dublin pays 62% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $102 in Dublin vs $99 in Balbriggan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $363 vs $353 per month, with Balbriggan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇪 Dublin

🇮🇪 Balbriggan

🕒 Local time

14:57 2:57 PM

Same time as Dublin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

588,233 Capital

24,322

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Dublin Balbriggan 29 km

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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 Balbriggan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dublin and Balbriggan differ by about 36% in total monthly costs ($3,629 vs $2,676 including rent). Balbriggan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 62% 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: $2,475 in Dublin versus $1,553 in Balbriggan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 3% higher in Dublin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Balbriggan – a meal for two runs $99 versus $102 in Dublin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,676 in Balbriggan versus $3,629 in Dublin, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Balbriggan but tight or insufficient in Dublin. The gap between the two cities makes Balbriggan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

It comes down to priorities – Balbriggan wins on affordability, Dublin on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.