Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dublin and Shannon

For one person, living is cheaper in Shannon: $2,251 a month against $3,729 in Dublin, rent and utilities included – about $17,700 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
110

Cost of Living Index in Shannon
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Shannon Living Index

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Dublin

🇮🇪 Ireland

$3,729

/mo nomad

Shannon

🇮🇪 Ireland

$2,251

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dublin and in Shannon

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

A single person spends $3,729 per month in Dublin vs $2,251 in Shannon, rent included.

Dublin $3,729
Shannon $2,251

A couple spends around $5,239 per month in Dublin vs $3,526 in Shannon, rent included.

Dublin $5,239
Shannon $3,526

A family of three spends $6,748 per month in Dublin vs $4,801 in Shannon, rent included.

Dublin $6,748
Shannon $4,801

Dublin costs about 66% more than Shannon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Dublin and Shannon sit above the global median – Dublin by 176%, Shannon by 67%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.58 €20.97

$19.89 €17.69

18.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 €89.6

$98.6 €87.7

2.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.50 €12.00

$13.61 €12.10

-0.81%

Cappuccino

$4.82 €4.29

$4.69 €4.17

2.77%

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

$2.87 €2.55

$2.86 €2.54

0.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 €1.99

$2.26 €2.01

-0.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.80 €6.94

$7.18 €6.39

8.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.32 €6.51

$6.79 €6.04

7.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 €1.48

$1.70 €1.51

-2.35%

White Bread (500g)

$2.42 €2.15

$1.82 €1.62

32.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.76

$1.97 €1.75

0.51%

Eggs

$4.90 €4.35

$4.85 €4.31

1.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.02 €8.91

$10.15 €9.03

-1.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.79 €11.38

$12.91 €11.49

-0.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.78 €14.04

$14.15 €12.59

11.52%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 €2.53

$3.30 €2.94

-13.64%

Banana (1kg)

$2.17 €1.93

$2.38 €2.12

-8.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.65 €2.36

$3.32 €2.95

-20.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.29 €4.71

$4.44 €3.95

19.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.64

$1.86 €1.66

-1.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 €1.32

$2.20 €1.96

-32.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.31 €1.16

$1.28 €1.14

2.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.02 €1.80

$2.20 €1.95

-8.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.78 €18.48

$20.52 €18.25

1.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.63 €12.12

$13.64 €12.13

-0.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.06

$3.41 €3.03

0.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 €3.07

$3.82 €3.40

-9.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.19 €1.95

$2.68 €2.38

-18.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$109 €97.1

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.05 €4.49

$5.19 €4.61

-2.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 €1.38

$1.52 €1.35

1.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$37.01 €32.92

$37.93 €33.74

-2.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.15 €1.91

$2.09 €1.86

2.87%

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

$38.9K €34.6K

$38.6K €34.3K

0.81%

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

$39.5K €35.1K

$38.8K €34.5K

1.91%

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

$281 €250

$273 €243

3.01%

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

$17.94 €15.96

$21.03 €18.70

-14.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.6 €45.88

$46.31 €41.19

11.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.0 €60.5

$40.78 €36.27

66.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.55 €18.28

$44.17 €39.29

-53.48%

Cinema Ticket

$15.45 €13.74

$11.28 €10.04

36.97%

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

$1,281 €1,140

$1,024 €911

25.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.2K €12.6K

$2,214 €1,969

540.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$107 €95.0

$85.9 €76.4

24.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 €45.51

$36.16 €32.16

41.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 €99.4

$102 €90.5

9.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 €115

$95.6 €85.0

35.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,503 €2,226

$1,184 €1,053

111.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,245 €1,997

$995 €885

125.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,443 €3,951

$2,036 €1,811

118.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,431 €3,051

$1,927 €1,714

78.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,378 €8,341

$2,945 €2,619

218.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,995 €5,332

$3,069 €2,729

95.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,914 €3,481

$3,184 €2,832

22.92%

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 Shannon: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dublin

$2.2K 60.2%

Shannon

$995 44.2% 55.7% $1.3K

Groceries & Markets

Dublin

$363 9.7%

Shannon

$360 16% 1% $3.8

Eating Out

Dublin

$361 9.7%

Shannon

$326 14.5% 9.6% $35

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dublin

$350 9.4%

Shannon

$340 15.1% 3% $10

Clothing & Footwear

Dublin

$180 4.8%

Shannon

$144 6.4% 20% $36

Getting Around

Dublin

$131 3.5%

Shannon

$24 * 1% 82% $107

Sport & Entertainment

Dublin

$99 2.7%

Shannon

$63 2.8% 35.9% $36

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 $1,184 in Shannon. 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 23% 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 $99.0 in Shannon. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $363 vs $360 – making Shannon the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇪 Dublin

🇮🇪 Shannon

🕒 Local time

10:35 10:35 AM

Same time as Dublin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

588,233 Capital

10,256

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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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 Shannon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,729 in Dublin, $2,251 in Shannon – roughly 66% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,594 per month in Dublin and $3,377 in Shannon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Shannon, 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 $2,251 in Shannon. That's a gap of about 66%.

Kindergarten costs $1,281 per month in Dublin and $1,024 in Shannon. 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 Shannon, where all-in costs run around $2,251, than in Dublin at $3,729. In Shannon 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 $2,251 in Shannon 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 Shannon. 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.