Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dublin and Derry, Ireland

For one person, living is cheaper in Derry: $2,515 a month against $3,629 in Dublin, rent and utilities included – about $13,400 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
120

Cost of Living Index in Derry
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Derry Living Index

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Dublin

🇮🇪 Ireland

$3,629

/mo nomad

Derry

🇮🇪 Ireland

$2,515

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dublin and in Derry

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,629 in Dublin versus $2,515 in Derry.

Dublin $3,629
Derry $2,515

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,130 in Dublin versus $3,028 in Derry.

Dublin $5,130
Derry $3,028

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,631 in Dublin versus $3,541 in Derry.

Dublin $6,631
Derry $3,541

Living in Dublin is roughly 44% more expensive than in Derry, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Dublin 167% above, Derry 85% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.23 €20.87

$20.72 €18.61

12.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$102 €91.6

$52.6 €47.29

93.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.28 €11.93

$9.12 €8.20

45.61%

Cappuccino

$4.91 €4.41

$4.50 €4.05

9.11%

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

$2.98 €2.68

$1.67 €1.50

78.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 €1.95

$1.61 €1.44

35.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.92 €7.12

$5.28 €4.75

50.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.76 €6.98

$6.62 €5.95

17.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 €1.46

$1.54 €1.39

5.84%

White Bread (500g)

$2.42 €2.18

$1.48 €1.33

63.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.06 €1.85

$2.01 €1.81

2.49%

Eggs

$4.92 €4.42

$3.45 €3.10

42.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.86 €8.86

$13.14 €11.80

-24.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.50 €11.24

$9.96 €8.95

25.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.23 €14.59

$13.20 €11.86

22.95%

Apples (1kg)

$2.81 €2.52

$2.96 €2.66

-5.07%

Banana (1kg)

$2.22 €1.99

$1.56 €1.40

42.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.81 €2.53

$3.15 €2.83

-10.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.15 €4.63

$4.04 €3.63

27.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 €1.68

$1.05 €0.95

77.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 €1.31

$1.36 €1.22

7.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.32 €1.18

$1.04 €0.94

26.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.11 €1.89

$1.84 €1.65

14.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.86 €18.74

$20.70 €18.60

0.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.24 €11.90

$10.27 €9.23

28.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.43 €3.08

$2.31 €2.08

48.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 €3.15

$2.57 €2.31

36.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.29 €2.06

$2.51 €2.26

-8.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 €95.3

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.27 €4.73

$5.26 €4.72

0.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.49 €1.34

$1.44 €1.29

3.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$38.05 €34.19

$56.8 €51.1

-33.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.10 €1.89

$2.08 €1.86

0.96%

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

$38.4K €34.5K

$38.3K €34.4K

0.26%

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

$37.8K €33.9K

$38.3K €34.4K

-1.42%

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

$269 €241

$244 €219

10.01%

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

$18.56 €16.67

$21.20 €19.05

-12.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 €47.73

$50.4 €45.29

5.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.8 €57.3

$34.99 €31.44

82.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.81 €18.70

$25.97 €23.33

-19.87%

Cinema Ticket

$15.64 €14.05

$12.98 €11.66

20.49%

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

$1,269 €1,140

$1,180 €1,060

7.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.4K €13.0K

$5,539 €4,977

160.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €94.7

$101 €91.0

4.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.1 €45.88

$47.33 €42.53

7.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 €102

$97.5 €87.6

16.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 €118

$72.2 €64.9

81.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,475 €2,223

$1,599 €1,437

54.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,162 €1,942

$1,365 €1,226

58.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,319 €3,881

$1,344 €1,208

221.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,331 €2,993

$1,103 €991

202.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,467 €7,608

$2,303 €2,069

267.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,920 €5,319

$3,403 €3,057

73.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,706 €3,330

$2,650 €2,381

39.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

3.68

3.53%

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

Last update for Dublin: October 24, 2026

Last update for Derry: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dublin

$2.2K 59.6%

Derry

$1.4K 54.3% 36.9% $797

Groceries & Markets

Dublin

$363 10%

Derry

$307 12.2% 15.4% $56

Eating Out

Dublin

$360 9.9%

Derry

$300 11.9% 16.8% $60

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dublin

$340 9.4%

Derry

$316 12.6% 7.2% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Dublin

$181 5%

Derry

$143 5.7% 20.7% $37

Getting Around

Dublin

$128 3.5%

Derry

$22 * 0.9% 82.4% $105

Sport & Entertainment

Dublin

$95 2.6%

Derry

$61 2.4% 35.9% $34

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,475 in Dublin and $1,599 in Derry. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dublin pays 40% 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: $102 in Dublin vs $53 in Derry for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $363 vs $307 per month, with Derry cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇪 Dublin

🇮🇪 Derry

🕒 Local time

12:03 12:03 PM

Same time as Dublin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

588,233 Capital

85,016

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Dublin Derry 200 km

From you

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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 Derry: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Derry is cheaper overall, especially in transport, eating out, and groceries. The 44% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 40% 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 $1,599 in Derry. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 18% higher in Dublin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $3,629 per month in Dublin versus $2,515 in Derry – a 44% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Derry is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, Derry is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Dublin, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

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

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