Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dublin and Monaghan

For one person, living is cheaper in Monaghan: $2,403 a month against $3,729 in Dublin, rent and utilities included – about $15,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

180

Cost of Living Index in Dublin
Learn more

Dublin Living Index
117

Cost of Living Index in Monaghan
Learn more

Monaghan Living Index

Jump to prices

Dublin

🇮🇪 Ireland

$3,729

/mo nomad

Monaghan

🇮🇪 Ireland

$2,403

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dublin and in Monaghan

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

A single person spends $3,729 per month in Dublin vs $2,403 in Monaghan, rent included.

Dublin $3,729
Monaghan $2,403

A couple spends around $5,239 per month in Dublin vs $3,383 in Monaghan, rent included.

Dublin $5,239
Monaghan $3,383

A family of three spends $6,748 per month in Dublin vs $4,363 in Monaghan, rent included.

Dublin $6,748
Monaghan $4,363

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

Both Dublin and Monaghan sit above the global median – Dublin by 176%, Monaghan by 78%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.58 €20.97

$17.59 €15.64

34.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 €89.6

$57.5 €51.1

75.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.50 €12.00

$12.07 €10.74

11.85%

Cappuccino

$4.82 €4.29

$4.33 €3.85

11.32%

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

$2.87 €2.56

$2.82 €2.51

1.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 €1.99

$2.15 €1.91

4.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.80 €6.94

$6.85 €6.09

13.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.32 €6.51

$6.76 €6.01

8.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 €1.48

$1.59 €1.42

4.40%

White Bread (500g)

$2.42 €2.15

$2.18 €1.94

11.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.76

$1.95 €1.74

1.54%

Eggs

$4.90 €4.36

$4.29 €3.81

14.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.02 €8.91

$10.10 €8.98

-0.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.79 €11.38

$12.81 €11.40

-0.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.78 €14.04

$13.64 €12.13

15.69%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 €2.53

$3.07 €2.73

-7.17%

Banana (1kg)

$2.17 €1.93

$2.25 €2.00

-3.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.65 €2.36

$3.04 €2.70

-12.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.29 €4.71

$4.81 €4.28

9.98%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.64

$2.08 €1.85

-11.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 €1.32

$1.48 €1.31

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.31 €1.16

$1.30 €1.15

0.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.02 €1.80

$2.06 €1.83

-1.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.78 €18.48

$20.42 €18.16

1.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.63 €12.12

$13.17 €11.71

3.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.06

$2.93 €2.60

17.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 €3.08

$3.55 €3.16

-2.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.19 €1.95

$2.65 €2.36

-17.36%

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

$1.49 €1.32

4.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$37.01 €32.92

$35.36 €31.45

4.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.15 €1.91

$1.91 €1.70

12.57%

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

$38.9K €34.6K

$39.2K €34.8K

-0.72%

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

$39.5K €35.1K

$37.7K €33.6K

4.73%

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

$281 €250

$236 €210

18.93%

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

$17.94 €15.96

$19.05 €16.94

-5.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.6 €45.89

$51.5 €45.76

0.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.0 €60.5

$57.9 €51.5

17.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.55 €18.28

Cinema Ticket

$15.45 €13.74

$13.65 €12.15

13.19%

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

$1,281 €1,140

$1,018 €906

25.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.2K €12.6K

$5,685 €5,057

149.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$107 €95.0

$93.9 €83.5

13.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 €45.51

$45.80 €40.74

11.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 €99.4

$110 €97.5

2.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 €115

$123 €109

5.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,503 €2,227

$1,304 €1,160

91.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,245 €1,997

$1,174 €1,044

91.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,443 €3,952

$2,213 €1,969

100.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,431 €3,052

$1,762 €1,567

94.70%

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

$3,880 €3,451

0.90%

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 Monaghan: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dublin

$2.2K 60.2%

Monaghan

$1.2K 48.9% 47.7% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Dublin

$363 9.7%

Monaghan

$350 14.6% 3.6% $13

Eating Out

Dublin

$361 9.7%

Monaghan

$297 12.3% 17.9% $64

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dublin

$350 9.4%

Monaghan

$307 12.8% 12.5% $44

Clothing & Footwear

Dublin

$180 4.8%

Monaghan

$167 7% 6.9% $12

Getting Around

Dublin

$131 3.5%

Monaghan

$23 * 1% 82.3% $108

Sport & Entertainment

Dublin

$99 2.7%

Monaghan

$85 3.6% 13.8% $14

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 $1,304 in Monaghan. 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 1% 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 $57.0 in Monaghan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $363 vs $350 – making Monaghan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇪 Dublin

🇮🇪 Monaghan

🕒 Local time

14:41 2:41 PM

Same time as Dublin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

588,233 Capital

7,700

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Dublin Monaghan 110 km

From you

Dublin
Monaghan

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 Monaghan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,729 in Dublin, $2,403 in Monaghan – roughly 55% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,594 per month in Dublin and $3,605 in Monaghan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Monaghan, 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 $2,403 in Monaghan. That's a gap of about 55%.

Kindergarten costs $1,281 per month in Dublin and $1,018 in Monaghan. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Monaghan, where all-in costs run around $2,403, than in Dublin at $3,729. In Monaghan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Dublin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Dublin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,403 in Monaghan 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 Monaghan. 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.