Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dublin and Dundalk

For one person, living is cheaper in Dundalk: $2,559 a month against $3,729 in Dublin, rent and utilities included – about $14,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

180

Cost of Living Index in Dublin
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Dublin Living Index
124

Cost of Living Index in Dundalk
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Dundalk Living Index

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Dublin

🇮🇪 Ireland

$3,729

/mo nomad

Dundalk

🇮🇪 Ireland

$2,559

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Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dublin and in Dundalk

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

A single person spends $3,729 per month in Dublin vs $2,559 in Dundalk, rent included.

Dublin $3,729
Dundalk $2,559

A couple spends around $5,239 per month in Dublin vs $3,749 in Dundalk, rent included.

Dublin $5,239
Dundalk $3,749

A family of three spends $6,748 per month in Dublin vs $4,939 in Dundalk, rent included.

Dublin $6,748
Dundalk $4,939

Dublin costs about 46% more than Dundalk, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Dublin and Dundalk sit above the global median – Dublin by 176%, Dundalk by 90%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.58 €20.97

$18.47 €16.43

27.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 €89.6

$88.9 €79.1

13.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.50 €12.00

$12.14 €10.80

11.20%

Cappuccino

$4.82 €4.29

$3.81 €3.39

26.51%

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

$2.87 €2.56

$2.16 €1.92

32.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 €1.99

$1.28 €1.14

75.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.80 €6.94

$6.63 €5.90

17.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.32 €6.51

$5.52 €4.91

32.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 €1.48

$1.44 €1.28

15.28%

White Bread (500g)

$2.42 €2.15

$0.93 €0.82

160.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.76

$1.32 €1.17

50.00%

Eggs

$4.90 €4.36

$4.60 €4.09

6.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.02 €8.91

$13.92 €12.38

-28.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.79 €11.38

$12.90 €11.47

-0.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.78 €14.04

$16.84 €14.98

-6.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 €2.53

$2.27 €2.02

25.55%

Banana (1kg)

$2.17 €1.93

$2.29 €2.03

-5.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.65 €2.36

$2.30 €2.04

15.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.29 €4.71

$4.70 €4.18

12.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.64

$1.14 €1.02

61.40%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 €1.32

$1.82 €1.62

-18.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.31 €1.16

$1.38 €1.23

-5.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.02 €1.80

$2.19 €1.95

-7.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.78 €18.48

$19.47 €17.31

6.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.63 €12.12

$13.13 €11.68

3.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.06

$4.20 €3.73

-18.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 €3.08

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.19 €1.95

$2.17 €1.93

0.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$109 €97.1

$112 €99.8

-2.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.05 €4.50

$5.09 €4.53

-0.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 €1.38

$1.42 €1.26

9.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$37.01 €32.92

$18.60 €16.55

98.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.15 €1.91

$2.01 €1.78

6.97%

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

$38.9K €34.6K

$39.6K €35.2K

-1.69%

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

$39.5K €35.1K

$32.3K €28.7K

22.29%

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

$281 €250

$239 €212

17.77%

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

$17.94 €15.96

$21.44 €19.07

-16.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.6 €45.89

$54.5 €48.47

-5.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.0 €60.5

$48.51 €43.15

40.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.55 €18.28

$24.69 €21.96

-16.77%

Cinema Ticket

$15.45 €13.74

$13.24 €11.78

16.69%

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

$1,281 €1,140

$1,076 €957

19.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.2K €12.6K

$5,138 €4,570

175.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$107 €95.0

$95.9 €85.3

11.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 €45.51

$27.44 €24.41

86.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 €99.4

$67.0 €59.6

66.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 €115

$122 €108

6.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,503 €2,227

$1,758 €1,563

42.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,245 €1,997

$1,253 €1,115

79.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,443 €3,952

$2,478 €2,204

79.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,431 €3,052

$2,011 €1,789

70.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,378 €8,342

$5,594 €4,976

67.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,995 €5,333

$5,024 €4,469

19.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,914 €3,482

$2,445 €2,175

60.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.82

4.14

-7.73%

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

Last update for Dublin: October 13, 2026

Last update for Dundalk: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dublin

$2.2K 60.2%

Dundalk

$1.3K 49% 44.2% $992

Groceries & Markets

Dublin

$363 9.7%

Dundalk

$355 13.9% 2.3% $8.5

Eating Out

Dublin

$361 9.7%

Dundalk

$288 11.3% 20.3% $73

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dublin

$350 9.4%

Dundalk

$314 12.3% 10.3% $36

Clothing & Footwear

Dublin

$180 4.8%

Dundalk

$140 5.5% 21.9% $39

Getting Around

Dublin

$131 3.5%

Dundalk

$133 5.2% 1.8% $2.3

Sport & Entertainment

Dublin

$99 2.7%

Dundalk

$75 2.9% 24.1% $24

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,503 in Dublin versus $1,758 in Dundalk. 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 60% 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 $101 in Dublin versus $89.0 in Dundalk. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $363 vs $355 – making Dundalk the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇪 Dublin

🇮🇪 Dundalk

🕒 Local time

14:41 2:41 PM

Same time as Dublin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

588,233 Capital

43,112

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Dublin Dundalk 73 km

From you

Dublin
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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 Dundalk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,729 in Dublin, $2,559 in Dundalk – roughly 46% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,594 per month in Dublin and $3,838 in Dundalk. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $101 in Dublin and $89.0 in Dundalk. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,729 in Dublin and $2,559 in Dundalk. That's a gap of about 46%.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,729 in Dublin and $2,559 in Dundalk. 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 $2,559 in Dundalk 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 Dundalk. 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.