Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dublin and Ballina

For one person, living is cheaper in Ballina: $2,218 a month against $3,626 in Dublin, rent and utilities included – about $16,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

177

Cost of Living Index in Dublin
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Dublin Living Index
107

Cost of Living Index in Ballina
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Ballina Living Index

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Dublin

🇮🇪 Ireland

$3,626

/mo nomad

Ballina

🇮🇪 Ireland

$2,218

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dublin and in Ballina

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

A single person spends $3,626 per month in Dublin vs $2,218 in Ballina, rent included.

Dublin $3,626
Ballina $2,218

A couple spends around $5,179 per month in Dublin vs $3,255 in Ballina, rent included.

Dublin $5,179
Ballina $3,255

A family of three spends $6,731 per month in Dublin vs $4,293 in Ballina, rent included.

Dublin $6,731
Ballina $4,293

Dublin costs about 64% more than Ballina, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Dublin and Ballina sit above the global median – Dublin by 168%, Ballina by 64%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.12 €20.56

$16.90 €15.04

36.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$103 €91.4

$66.2 €58.9

55.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.65 €12.14

$12.43 €11.05

9.81%

Cappuccino

$5.01 €4.45

$3.84 €3.42

30.47%

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

$2.85 €2.53

$1.55 €1.38

83.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 €1.94

$1.31 €1.16

66.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.75 €6.89

$5.75 €5.12

34.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.65 €6.80

$7.60 €6.76

0.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 €1.48

$1.63 €1.45

1.84%

White Bread (500g)

$2.53 €2.25

$2.21 €1.97

14.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.05 €1.83

$2.07 €1.84

-0.97%

Eggs

$5.03 €4.47

$3.12 €2.77

61.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.91 €8.81

$10.21 €9.08

-2.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.81 €11.39

$12.91 €11.48

-0.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.90 €14.14

$16.16 €14.37

-1.61%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.43

$2.77 €2.47

-1.44%

Banana (1kg)

$2.28 €2.03

$1.61 €1.43

41.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.68 €2.39

$2.72 €2.42

-1.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.41 €4.81

$5.13 €4.57

5.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 €1.71

$1.87 €1.66

2.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.55 €1.38

$1.54 €1.37

0.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 €1.15

$1.35 €1.20

-3.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.11 €1.87

$2.10 €1.86

0.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$21.29 €18.94

$20.99 €18.67

1.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.59 €12.09

$9.99 €8.89

36.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.42 €3.05

$3.44 €3.06

-0.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.43 €3.05

$3.43 €3.06

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.19 €1.95

$5.51 €4.90

-60.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$108 €95.7

$137 €122

-21.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.28 €4.70

$5.01 €4.45

5.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 €1.36

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$37.18 €33.07

$37.53 €33.38

-0.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.19 €1.95

$1.99 €1.77

10.05%

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

$39.0K €34.7K

$33.9K €30.1K

15.08%

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

$37.7K €33.6K

$38.0K €33.8K

-0.75%

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

$278 €247

$280 €249

-0.96%

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

$18.62 €16.57

$18.65 €16.59

-0.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.5 €47.56

$39.19 €34.86

36.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.6 €61.0

$51.4 €45.71

33.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.38

$11.02 €9.80

87.48%

Cinema Ticket

$15.69 €13.95

$12.15 €10.80

29.14%

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

$1,276 €1,135

$1,265 €1,125

0.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.2K €12.6K

$14.5K €12.9K

-2.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$109 €97.3

$106 €94.6

2.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.62 €44.14

$49.68 €44.19

-0.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 €103

0.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 €118

$112 €100

17.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,453 €2,182

$892 €793

175.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 €1,900

$839 €746

154.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,370 €3,887

$1,294 €1,151

237.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,390 €3,016

$1,361 €1,210

149.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,688 €8,617

$3,418 €3,040

183.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,902 €5,250

$2,838 €2,524

107.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,862 €3,435

$3,322 €2,955

16.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.82

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

Last update for Dublin: October 17, 2026

Last update for Ballina: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dublin

$2.1K 58.9%

Ballina

$839 37.8% 60.7% $1.3K

Groceries & Markets

Dublin

$367 10.1%

Ballina

$346 15.6% 5.7% $21

Eating Out

Dublin

$360 9.9%

Ballina

$274 12.4% 23.9% $86

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dublin

$350 9.7%

Ballina

$338 15.3% 3.3% $12

Clothing & Footwear

Dublin

$183 5.1%

Ballina

$173 7.8% 5.8% $11

Getting Around

Dublin

$129 3.6%

Ballina

$172 7.8% 32.9% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Dublin

$100 2.8%

Ballina

$76 3.4% 24.3% $24

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,453 in Dublin versus $892 in Ballina. 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 16% higher in Dublin, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $103 in Dublin versus $66.0 in Ballina. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $367 vs $346 – making Ballina the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇪 Dublin

🇮🇪 Ballina

🕒 Local time

15:53 3:53 PM

Same time as Dublin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

588,233 Capital

10,556

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Dublin Ballina 210 km

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Dublin
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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 Ballina: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dublin costs about 64% more than Ballina, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,439 per month in Dublin and $3,327 in Ballina. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 28% less in Ballina. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,276 per month in Dublin and $1,265 in Ballina. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Ballina, where all-in costs run around $2,218, than in Dublin at $3,626. In Ballina it covers expenses comfortably, while in Dublin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Ballina costs $2,218 versus $3,626 in Dublin. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Ballina. 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.