Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dublin and Dun Laoghaire

For one person, living is cheaper in Dun Laoghaire: $2,761 a month against $3,729 in Dublin, rent and utilities included – about $11,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

180

Cost of Living Index in Dublin
Learn more

Dublin Living Index
134

Cost of Living Index in Dun Laoghaire
Learn more

Dun Laoghaire Living Index

Jump to prices

Dublin

🇮🇪 Ireland

$3,729

/mo nomad

Dun Laoghaire

🇮🇪 Ireland

$2,761

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dublin and in Dun Laoghaire

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

A single person spends $3,729 per month in Dublin vs $2,761 in Dun Laoghaire, rent included.

Dublin $3,729
Dun Laoghaire $2,761

A couple spends around $5,239 per month in Dublin vs $4,416 in Dun Laoghaire, rent included.

Dublin $5,239
Dun Laoghaire $4,416

A family of three spends $6,748 per month in Dublin vs $6,071 in Dun Laoghaire, rent included.

Dublin $6,748
Dun Laoghaire $6,071

Dublin costs about 35% more than Dun Laoghaire, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Dublin and Dun Laoghaire sit above the global median – Dublin by 176%, Dun Laoghaire by 105%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.58 €20.97

$22.06 €19.63

6.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 €89.6

$101 €90.3

-0.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.50 €12.00

$13.49 €12.00

0.07%

Cappuccino

$4.82 €4.29

$4.97 €4.42

-3.02%

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

$2.87 €2.56

$2.99 €2.66

-4.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 €1.99

$2.23 €1.98

0.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.80 €6.94

$7.79 €6.93

0.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.32 €6.51

$7.51 €6.68

-2.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 €1.48

$1.61 €1.43

3.11%

White Bread (500g)

$2.42 €2.15

$2.35 €2.09

2.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.76

$2.07 €1.84

-4.35%

Eggs

$4.90 €4.36

$4.20 €3.74

16.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.02 €8.91

$9.95 €8.85

0.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.79 €11.38

$11.07 €9.85

15.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.78 €14.04

$13.54 €12.04

16.54%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 €2.53

$2.82 €2.51

1.06%

Banana (1kg)

$2.17 €1.93

$2.14 €1.90

1.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.65 €2.36

$2.78 €2.47

-4.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.29 €4.71

$4.04 €3.59

30.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.64

$1.93 €1.71

-4.66%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 €1.32

$1.53 €1.36

-3.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.31 €1.16

$1.31 €1.17

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.02 €1.80

$1.84 €1.64

9.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.78 €18.48

$20.35 €18.10

2.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.63 €12.12

$13.51 €12.01

0.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.06

$3.32 €2.95

3.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 €3.08

$3.51 €3.12

-1.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.19 €1.95

$2.31 €2.06

-5.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$109 €97.1

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.05 €4.50

$5.09 €4.53

-0.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 €1.38

$1.43 €1.27

8.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$37.01 €32.92

$37.78 €33.60

-2.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.15 €1.91

$2.13 €1.89

0.94%

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

$38.9K €34.6K

$38.3K €34.1K

1.49%

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

$39.5K €35.1K

$37.4K €33.3K

5.63%

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

$281 €250

$244 €217

15.03%

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

$17.94 €15.96

$18.03 €16.03

-0.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.6 €45.89

$51.2 €45.51

0.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.0 €60.5

$58.3 €51.9

16.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.55 €18.28

Cinema Ticket

$15.45 €13.74

$15.38 €13.68

0.46%

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

$1,281 €1,140

$989 €880

29.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.2K €12.6K

$5,432 €4,832

160.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$107 €95.0

$99.0 €88.0

7.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 €45.51

$47.48 €42.24

7.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 €99.4

$112 €99.2

0.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 €115

$131 €116

-0.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,503 €2,227

$1,470 €1,307

70.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,245 €1,997

$1,475 €1,312

52.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,443 €3,952

$3,599 €3,202

23.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,431 €3,052

$3,146 €2,799

9.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,378 €8,342

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,995 €5,333

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,914 €3,482

$4,296 €3,821

-8.88%

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 13, 2026

Last update for Dun Laoghaire: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dublin

$2.2K 60.2%

Dun Laoghaire

$1.5K 53.4% 34.3% $770

Groceries & Markets

Dublin

$363 9.7%

Dun Laoghaire

$336 12.2% 7.7% $28

Eating Out

Dublin

$361 9.7%

Dun Laoghaire

$351 12.7% 2.6% $9.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dublin

$350 9.4%

Dun Laoghaire

$313 11.4% 10.6% $37

Clothing & Footwear

Dublin

$180 4.8%

Dun Laoghaire

$175 6.3% 2.7% $4.8

Getting Around

Dublin

$131 3.5%

Dun Laoghaire

$22 * 0.8% 83.6% $109

Sport & Entertainment

Dublin

$99 2.7%

Dun Laoghaire

$89 3.2% 9.9% $9.8

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,503 in Dublin versus $1,470 in Dun Laoghaire. 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 10% higher in Dun Laoghaire, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $101 in Dublin versus $101 in Dun Laoghaire. Groceries tell a different story – $363 in Dublin vs $336 in Dun Laoghaire – so Dun Laoghaire wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇮🇪 Dublin

🇮🇪 Dun Laoghaire

🕒 Local time

08:06 8:06 AM

Same time as Dublin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

588,233 Capital

38,761

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Dublin Dun Laoghaire 10 km

From you

Dublin
Dun Laoghaire

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 Dun Laoghaire: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,729 in Dublin, $2,761 in Dun Laoghaire – roughly 35% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,594 per month in Dublin and $4,142 in Dun Laoghaire. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,729 in Dublin and $2,761 in Dun Laoghaire. That's a gap of about 35%.

Kindergarten costs $1,281 per month in Dublin and $989 in Dun Laoghaire. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,729 in Dublin and $2,761 in Dun Laoghaire. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Dublin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,761 in Dun Laoghaire to $3,729 in Dublin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Dun Laoghaire. 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.