Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dublin and Drogheda

For one person, living is cheaper in Drogheda: $2,989 a month against $3,629 in Dublin, rent and utilities included – about $7,700 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
145

Cost of Living Index in Drogheda
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Drogheda Living Index

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Dublin

🇮🇪 Ireland

$3,629

/mo nomad

Drogheda

🇮🇪 Ireland

$2,989

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dublin and in Drogheda

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

A single person spends $3,629 per month in Dublin vs $2,989 in Drogheda, rent included.

Dublin $3,629
Drogheda $2,989

A couple spends around $5,130 per month in Dublin vs $4,393 in Drogheda, rent included.

Dublin $5,130
Drogheda $4,393

A family of three spends $6,631 per month in Dublin vs $5,798 in Drogheda, rent included.

Dublin $6,631
Drogheda $5,798

Dublin costs about 21% more than Drogheda, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Dublin and Drogheda sit above the global median – Dublin by 167%, Drogheda by 120%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.23 €20.82

$18.47 €16.55

25.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$102 €91.4

$89.6 €80.3

13.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.28 €11.90

$11.59 €10.38

14.58%

Cappuccino

$4.91 €4.40

$4.20 €3.76

16.90%

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

$2.98 €2.67

$2.90 €2.60

2.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 €1.95

$2.22 €1.99

-1.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.92 €7.10

$6.57 €5.89

20.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.76 €6.96

$6.81 €6.10

13.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 €1.46

$1.62 €1.45

0.62%

White Bread (500g)

$2.42 €2.17

$2.39 €2.14

1.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.06 €1.85

$1.10 €0.98

87.27%

Eggs

$4.92 €4.41

$4.21 €3.77

16.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.86 €8.83

$10.24 €9.18

-3.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.50 €11.21

$10.98 €9.84

13.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.23 €14.55

$13.31 €11.93

21.94%

Apples (1kg)

$2.81 €2.52

$2.95 €2.65

-4.75%

Banana (1kg)

$2.22 €1.99

$1.89 €1.69

17.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.81 €2.52

$1.81 €1.62

55.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.15 €4.61

$4.05 €3.63

27.16%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 €1.67

$1.71 €1.53

8.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 €1.31

$1.08 €0.97

35.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.32 €1.18

$1.08 €0.97

22.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.11 €1.89

$1.51 €1.35

39.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.86 €18.69

$20.09 €18.00

3.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.24 €11.86

$13.31 €11.92

-0.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.43 €3.07

$3.37 €3.02

1.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 €3.14

$3.53 €3.16

-0.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.29 €2.05

$2.98 €2.67

-23.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 €95.0

$210 €188

-49.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.27 €4.72

$5.32 €4.77

-0.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.49 €1.34

$2.30 €2.06

-35.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$38.05 €34.09

$57.5 €51.6

-33.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.10 €1.89

$2.09 €1.88

0.48%

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

$38.4K €34.4K

$39.3K €35.2K

-2.15%

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

$37.8K €33.8K

$38.6K €34.6K

-2.26%

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

$269 €241

$238 €213

13.05%

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

$18.56 €16.63

$20.74 €18.59

-10.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 €47.60

$44.88 €40.21

18.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.8 €57.2

$77.1 €69.1

-17.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.81 €18.65

$67.5 €60.5

-69.16%

Cinema Ticket

$15.64 €14.01

$13.52 €12.11

15.68%

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

$1,269 €1,137

$990 €887

28.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.4K €12.9K

$2,028 €1,817

612.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €94.4

$101 €90.6

4.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.1 €45.76

$48.22 €43.21

5.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 €102

$109 €97.8

4.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 €117

$115 €103

13.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,475 €2,218

$1,791 €1,605

38.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,162 €1,937

$1,554 €1,393

39.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,319 €3,871

$3,171 €2,842

36.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,331 €2,985

$2,561 €2,295

30.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,467 €7,588

$3,962 €3,551

113.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,920 €5,305

$2,940 €2,635

101.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,706 €3,321

$3,467 €3,107

6.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

4.35

-12.41%

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

Last update for Dublin: October 24, 2026

Last update for Drogheda: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dublin

$2.2K 59.6%

Drogheda

$1.6K 52% 28.1% $607

Groceries & Markets

Dublin

$363 10%

Drogheda

$321 10.7% 11.7% $43

Eating Out

Dublin

$360 9.9%

Drogheda

$300 10% 16.8% $60

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dublin

$340 9.4%

Drogheda

$303 10.1% 10.9% $37

Clothing & Footwear

Dublin

$181 5%

Drogheda

$168 5.6% 6.9% $13

Getting Around

Dublin

$128 3.5%

Drogheda

$239 8% 86.7% $111

Sport & Entertainment

Dublin

$95 2.6%

Drogheda

$104 3.5% 9.6% $9.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,475 in Dublin versus $1,791 in Drogheda. 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 7% 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 $102 in Dublin versus $90 in Drogheda. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $363 vs $321 – making Drogheda the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇪 Dublin

🇮🇪 Drogheda

🕒 Local time

06:00 6:00 AM

Same time as Dublin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

588,233 Capital

44,135

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Dublin Drogheda 41 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 Drogheda: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dublin costs about 21% more than Drogheda, 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 $5,444 per month in Dublin and $4,483 in Drogheda. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Drogheda, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,791 there versus $2,475 in Dublin.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,629 in Dublin and $2,989 in Drogheda. That makes Drogheda about 18% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 50% less in Dublin. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,629 in Dublin and $2,989 in Drogheda. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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