Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dublin and Bray

For one person, living is cheaper in Bray: $3,136 a month against $3,629 in Dublin, rent and utilities included – about $5,900 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
149

Cost of Living Index in Bray
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Bray Living Index

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Dublin

🇮🇪 Ireland

$3,629

/mo nomad

Bray

🇮🇪 Ireland

$3,136

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dublin and in Bray

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

A single person spends $3,629 per month in Dublin vs $3,136 in Bray, rent included.

Dublin $3,629
Bray $3,136

A couple spends around $5,130 per month in Dublin vs $4,545 in Bray, rent included.

Dublin $5,130
Bray $4,545

A family of three spends $6,631 per month in Dublin vs $5,954 in Bray, rent included.

Dublin $6,631
Bray $5,954

Dublin costs about 16% more than Bray, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Dublin and Bray sit above the global median – Dublin by 167%, Bray by 130%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.23 €20.81

$23.27 €20.84

-0.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$102 €91.3

$99.9 €89.5

2.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.28 €11.89

$13.19 €11.82

0.68%

Cappuccino

$4.91 €4.39

$4.81 €4.31

2.08%

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

$2.98 €2.67

$3.03 €2.72

-1.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 €1.95

$2.24 €2.00

-2.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.92 €7.10

$7.67 €6.87

3.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.76 €6.95

$6.94 €6.22

11.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 €1.46

White Bread (500g)

$2.42 €2.17

$2.30 €2.06

5.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.06 €1.85

$2.06 €1.84

Eggs

$4.92 €4.41

$4.25 €3.80

15.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.86 €8.83

$10.06 €9.01

-1.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.50 €11.20

$11.00 €9.85

13.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.23 €14.54

$13.23 €11.85

22.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.81 €2.52

$2.75 €2.46

2.18%

Banana (1kg)

$2.22 €1.98

$2.23 €2.00

-0.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.81 €2.52

$2.77 €2.48

1.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.15 €4.61

$4.21 €3.77

22.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 €1.67

$1.83 €1.64

1.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 €1.30

$1.48 €1.33

-1.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.32 €1.18

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.11 €1.89

$1.81 €1.62

16.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.86 €18.68

$20.50 €18.36

1.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.24 €11.86

$13.32 €11.93

-0.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.43 €3.07

$3.33 €2.98

3.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 €3.14

$3.46 €3.10

1.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.29 €2.05

$2.40 €2.15

-4.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 €95.0

$109 €97.5

-2.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.27 €4.72

$5.23 €4.69

0.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.49 €1.34

$1.42 €1.27

4.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$38.05 €34.08

$37.82 €33.87

0.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.10 €1.88

$2.15 €1.92

-2.33%

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

$38.4K €34.4K

$38.1K €34.1K

0.91%

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

$37.8K €33.8K

$37.8K €33.9K

-0.24%

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

$269 €241

$273 €244

-1.50%

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

$18.56 €16.62

$21.21 €19.00

-12.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 €47.58

$51.2 €45.83

3.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.8 €57.1

$64.0 €57.3

-0.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.81 €18.64

$16.97 €15.20

22.63%

Cinema Ticket

$15.64 €14.00

$15.41 €13.80

1.49%

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

$1,269 €1,136

$990 €887

28.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.4K €12.9K

$14.1K €12.6K

2.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €94.4

$98.7 €88.4

6.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.1 €45.73

$47.29 €42.35

7.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 €102

$109 €97.9

4.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 €117

$116 €104

13.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,475 €2,216

$2,198 €1,969

12.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,162 €1,936

$1,707 €1,529

26.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,319 €3,869

$3,739 €3,349

15.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,331 €2,983

$2,763 €2,475

20.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,467 €7,583

$10.1K €9,007

-15.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,920 €5,302

$6,752 €6,047

-12.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,706 €3,319

$3,193 €2,860

16.06%

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 Bray: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dublin

$2.2K 59.6%

Bray

$1.7K 54.4% 21% $455

Groceries & Markets

Dublin

$363 10%

Bray

$334 10.7% 8% $29

Eating Out

Dublin

$360 9.9%

Bray

$357 11.4% 1% $3.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dublin

$340 9.4%

Bray

$345 11% 1.4% $4.8

Clothing & Footwear

Dublin

$181 5%

Bray

$167 5.3% 7.5% $14

Getting Around

Dublin

$128 3.5%

Bray

$131 4.2% 2.2% $2.9

Sport & Entertainment

Dublin

$95 2.6%

Bray

$95 3% 0.3% $0.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,475 in Dublin versus $2,198 in Bray. 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. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $102 in Dublin versus $100 in Bray. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $363 vs $334 – making Bray the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇪 Dublin

🇮🇪 Bray

🕒 Local time

02:58 2:58 AM

Same time as Dublin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

588,233 Capital

33,512

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Dublin Bray 19 km

From you

Dublin
Bray

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 Bray: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Dublin is pricier by about 16%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,444 per month in Dublin and $4,704 in Bray. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bray, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $2,198 there versus $2,475 in Dublin.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,629 in Dublin and $3,136 in Bray. That makes Bray about 14% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $1,269 per month in Dublin and $990 in Bray. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,629 in Dublin and $3,136 in Bray. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Bray – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Bray. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Dublin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.