Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dublin and Kilkenny

For one person, living is cheaper in Kilkenny: $2,340 a month against $3,629 in Dublin, rent and utilities included – about $15,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

175

Cost of Living Index in Dublin
Learn more

Dublin Living Index
113

Cost of Living Index in Kilkenny
Learn more

Kilkenny Living Index

Jump to prices

Dublin

🇮🇪 Ireland

$3,629

/mo nomad

Kilkenny

🇮🇪 Ireland

$2,340

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dublin and in Kilkenny

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

A single person spends $3,629 per month in Dublin vs $2,340 in Kilkenny, rent included.

Dublin $3,629
Kilkenny $2,340

A couple spends around $5,130 per month in Dublin vs $3,280 in Kilkenny, rent included.

Dublin $5,130
Kilkenny $3,280

A family of three spends $6,631 per month in Dublin vs $4,221 in Kilkenny, rent included.

Dublin $6,631
Kilkenny $4,221

Dublin costs about 55% more than Kilkenny, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Dublin and Kilkenny sit above the global median – Dublin by 167%, Kilkenny by 72%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.23 €20.87

$16.55 €14.87

40.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$102 €91.6

$67.4 €60.5

51.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.28 €11.93

$10.02 €9.00

32.53%

Cappuccino

$4.91 €4.41

$4.28 €3.85

14.72%

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

$2.98 €2.68

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 €1.95

$2.18 €1.96

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.92 €7.12

$6.57 €5.90

20.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.76 €6.98

$6.50 €5.84

19.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 €1.46

$1.33 €1.20

22.56%

White Bread (500g)

$2.42 €2.18

$2.35 €2.11

2.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.06 €1.85

$1.53 €1.37

34.64%

Eggs

$4.92 €4.42

$4.38 €3.94

12.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.86 €8.85

$10.50 €9.43

-6.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.50 €11.23

$5.72 €5.14

118.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.23 €14.58

$6.82 €6.13

137.98%

Apples (1kg)

$2.81 €2.52

$2.27 €2.04

23.79%

Banana (1kg)

$2.22 €1.99

$2.23 €2.00

-0.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.81 €2.52

$3.03 €2.72

-7.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.15 €4.62

$2.85 €2.56

80.70%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 €1.67

$1.23 €1.11

51.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 €1.31

$1.14 €1.03

28.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.32 €1.18

$0.85 €0.76

55.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.11 €1.89

$1.83 €1.65

15.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.86 €18.74

$20.42 €18.34

2.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.24 €11.89

$14.18 €12.74

-6.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.43 €3.08

$3.82 €3.43

-10.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 €3.15

$4.37 €3.93

-19.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.29 €2.06

$2.71 €2.44

-15.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 €95.3

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.27 €4.73

$5.34 €4.79

-1.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.49 €1.34

$1.41 €1.27

5.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$38.05 €34.18

$56.4 €50.7

-32.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.10 €1.89

$2.04 €1.83

2.94%

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

$38.4K €34.5K

$38.2K €34.3K

0.53%

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

$37.8K €33.9K

$38.4K €34.5K

-1.62%

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

$269 €241

$181 €162

48.79%

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

$18.56 €16.67

$20.72 €18.62

-10.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 €47.72

$51.8 €46.55

2.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.8 €57.3

$69.4 €62.4

-8.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.81 €18.70

$22.38 €20.10

-7.02%

Cinema Ticket

$15.64 €14.05

$13.53 €12.16

15.59%

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

$1,269 €1,140

$877 €788

44.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.4K €13.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €94.6

$102 €91.4

3.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.1 €45.87

$36.88 €33.13

38.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 €102

$111 €100

2.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 €118

$94.0 €84.5

39.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,475 €2,223

$1,534 €1,378

61.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,162 €1,942

$1,252 €1,125

72.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,319 €3,880

$2,620 €2,353

64.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,331 €2,992

$1,818 €1,633

83.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,467 €7,606

$8,172 €7,341

3.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,920 €5,318

$2,279 €2,047

159.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,706 €3,329

$2,765 €2,484

34.03%

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 Kilkenny: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dublin

$2.2K 59.6%

Kilkenny

$1.3K 53.5% 42.1% $910

Groceries & Markets

Dublin

$363 10%

Kilkenny

$280 12% 23% $83

Eating Out

Dublin

$360 9.9%

Kilkenny

$280 12% 22.2% $80

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dublin

$340 9.4%

Kilkenny

$253 10.8% 25.6% $87

Clothing & Footwear

Dublin

$181 5%

Kilkenny

$155 6.6% 14.3% $26

Getting Around

Dublin

$128 3.5%

Kilkenny

$23 * 1% 81.8% $105

Sport & Entertainment

Dublin

$95 2.6%

Kilkenny

$96 4.1% 1.5% $1.4

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 $1,534 in Kilkenny. 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 34% 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 $67 in Kilkenny. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $363 vs $280 – making Kilkenny the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇪 Dublin

🇮🇪 Kilkenny

🕒 Local time

17:12 5:12 PM

Same time as Dublin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

588,233 Capital

26,500

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Dublin Kilkenny 100 km

From you

Dublin
Kilkenny

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 Kilkenny: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,629 in Dublin, $2,340 in Kilkenny – roughly 55% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,444 per month in Dublin and $3,509 in Kilkenny. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kilkenny, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,534 there versus $2,475 in Dublin.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,629 in Dublin and $2,340 in Kilkenny. That’s a gap of about 55%.

Kindergarten costs $1,269 per month in Dublin and $877 in Kilkenny. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

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

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 Kilkenny. 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.