Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dublin and Kildare

For one person, living is cheaper in Kildare: $2,719 a month against $3,629 in Dublin, rent and utilities included – about $10,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Dublin outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Dublin, Ireland
Kildare, Ireland
Dublin
🇮🇪 Ireland
$3,629
/mo nomad
Kildare
🇮🇪 Ireland
$2,719
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dublin and in Kildare

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

A single person spends $3,629 per month in Dublin vs $2,719 in Kildare, rent included.

  • Dublin $3,629
  • Kildare $2,719

A couple spends around $5,130 per month in Dublin vs $4,240 in Kildare, rent included.

  • Dublin $5,130
  • Kildare $4,240

A family of three spends $6,631 per month in Dublin vs $5,761 in Kildare, rent included.

  • Dublin $6,631
  • Kildare $5,761

Dublin costs about 33% more than Kildare, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Dublin and Kildare sit above the global median – Dublin by 167%, Kildare by 100%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Dublin
Kildare
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$23.23 €20.82
$20.95 €18.78
10.88%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$102 €91.4
$63.0 €56.5
61.78%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.28 €11.90
$10.61 €9.50
25.16%
Cappuccino
$4.91 €4.40
$4.31 €3.86
13.92%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.98 €2.67
$2.30 €2.06
29.57%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.18 €1.95
$1.86 €1.67
17.20%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.92 €7.10
$7.16 €6.42
10.61%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.76 €6.96
$5.47 €4.90
41.86%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Dublin
Kildare
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.63 €1.46
$1.70 €1.52
-4.12%
White Bread (500g)
$2.42 €2.17
$1.93 €1.73
25.39%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.06 €1.85
$1.85 €1.66
11.35%
Eggs
$4.92 €4.41
$3.88 €3.48
26.80%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.86 €8.83
$13.84 €12.40
-28.76%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$12.50 €11.21
$12.49 €11.19
0.08%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.23 €14.55
$11.56 €10.36
40.40%
Apples (1kg)
$2.81 €2.52
$2.73 €2.45
2.93%
Banana (1kg)
$2.22 €1.99
$2.53 €2.26
-12.25%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.81 €2.52
$3.38 €3.03
-16.86%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.15 €4.61
$4.17 €3.74
23.50%
Potato (1kg)
$1.86 €1.67
$1.68 €1.50
10.71%
Onion (1kg)
$1.46 €1.31
$1.76 €1.58
-17.05%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.32 €1.18
$1.30 €1.17
1.54%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.11 €1.89
$1.14 €1.02
85.09%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$20.86 €18.69
$20.20 €18.10
3.27%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.24 €11.86
$12.11 €10.85
9.33%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.43 €3.07
$2.70 €2.42
27.04%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.51 €3.14
$2.65 €2.38
32.45%
🚌 Getting Around
Dublin
Kildare
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.29 €2.05
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$106 €95.0
$298 €267
-64.40%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.27 €4.72
$5.18 €4.64
1.74%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.49 €1.34
$1.52 €1.36
-1.97%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$38.05 €34.09
$33.23 €29.77
14.50%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.10 €1.89
$2.05 €1.83
2.44%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.4K €34.4K
$32.8K €29.4K
17.04%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$37.8K €33.8K
$38.3K €34.3K
-1.43%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Dublin
Kildare
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$269 €241
$182 €163
47.54%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.56 €16.63
$21.90 €19.63
-15.25%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$53.1 €47.60
$55.4 €49.65
-4.12%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Dublin
Kildare
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$63.8 €57.2
$62.3 €55.8
2.46%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$20.81 €18.65
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$15.64 €14.01
$13.32 €11.93
17.42%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Dublin
Kildare
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,269 €1,137
$1,092 €978
16.23%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$14.4K €12.9K
$5,429 €4,865
166.13%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Dublin
Kildare
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$105 €94.4
$96.0 €86.1
9.69%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$51.1 €45.76
$42.37 €37.96
20.53%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$114 €102
$106 €95.3
7.10%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$131 €117
$121 €109
7.86%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Dublin
Kildare
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,475 €2,218
$1,400 €1,254
76.79%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,162 €1,937
$1,249 €1,120
73.02%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$4,319 €3,871
$2,958 €2,650
46.04%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$3,331 €2,985
$2,596 €2,326
28.30%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$8,467 €7,588
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,920 €5,305
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Dublin
Kildare
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,706 €3,321
$2,247 €2,013
64.93%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.81
4.14
-7.97%

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

Last update for Dublin: October 24, 2026

Last update for Kildare: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Dublin
$2.2K
Kildare
$1.2K 42.2% $912
Groceries & Markets
Dublin
$363
Kildare
$332 8.7% $32
Eating Out
Dublin
$360
Kildare
$315 12.7% $46
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Dublin
$340
Kildare
$259 23.8% $81
Clothing & Footwear
Dublin
$181
Kildare
$165 8.7% $16
Getting Around
Dublin
$128
Kildare
$311 * 143% $183
Sport & Entertainment
Dublin
$95
Kildare
$89 6.5% $6.2

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,475 in Dublin versus $1,400 in Kildare. 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 65% higher in Dublin. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $102 in Dublin versus $63 in Kildare. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $363 vs $332 – making Kildare the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇮🇪 Dublin
🇮🇪 Kildare
🕒 Local time
01:54 1:54 AM
01:54 1:54 AM
Same time as Dublin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
588,233 Capital
10,302
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Dublin Kildare 48 km
From you
  • Dublin
  • Kildare

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 Kildare: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Dublin and in Kildare compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $3,629 in Dublin, $2,719 in Kildare – Kildare comes out roughly 25% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Dublin compared to Kildare?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,444 per month in Dublin and $4,079 in Kildare. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Dublin and Kildare?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Kildare, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,400 there versus $2,475 in Dublin.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $102 in Dublin and $63 in Kildare. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city is more expensive overall: Dublin or Kildare?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,629 in Dublin and $2,719 in Kildare. That makes Kildare about 25% cheaper.
Which city is more doable on $3,000 per month?
A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Kildare, where all-in costs run around $2,719, than in Dublin at $3,629. In Kildare it covers expenses comfortably, while in Dublin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Where should families live: Dublin or Kildare?
Families tend to lean toward Kildare – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
How do I decide between Dublin and Kildare?
If budget matters most, go with Kildare. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Dublin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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