Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dublin and Sligo

For one person, living is cheaper in Sligo: $1,784 a month against $3,626 in Dublin, rent and utilities included – about $22,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

177

Cost of Living Index in Dublin
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Dublin Living Index
87

Cost of Living Index in Sligo
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Sligo Living Index

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Dublin

🇮🇪 Ireland

$3,626

/mo nomad

Sligo

🇮🇪 Ireland

$1,784

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dublin and in Sligo

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

A single person spends $3,626 per month in Dublin vs $1,784 in Sligo, rent included.

Dublin $3,626
Sligo $1,784

A couple spends around $5,179 per month in Dublin vs $2,736 in Sligo, rent included.

Dublin $5,179
Sligo $2,736

A family of three spends $6,731 per month in Dublin vs $3,688 in Sligo, rent included.

Dublin $6,731
Sligo $3,688

Dublin costs about 103% more than Sligo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Dublin and Sligo sit above the global median – Dublin by 168%, Sligo by 32%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.12 €20.56

$17.00 €15.12

36.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$103 €91.4

$77.8 €69.2

32.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.65 €12.14

$8.98 €7.99

52.00%

Cappuccino

$5.01 €4.45

$3.67 €3.26

36.51%

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

$2.85 €2.53

$2.57 €2.29

10.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 €1.94

$1.88 €1.67

15.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.75 €6.89

$6.42 €5.71

20.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.65 €6.80

$6.07 €5.40

26.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 €1.48

$1.47 €1.31

12.93%

White Bread (500g)

$2.53 €2.25

$1.44 €1.28

75.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.05 €1.83

$1.57 €1.40

30.57%

Eggs

$5.03 €4.47

$3.53 €3.14

42.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.91 €8.81

$8.54 €7.59

16.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.81 €11.39

$9.05 €8.05

41.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.90 €14.14

$11.18 €9.94

42.22%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.43

$2.08 €1.85

31.25%

Banana (1kg)

$2.28 €2.03

$1.75 €1.56

30.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.68 €2.39

$2.84 €2.52

-5.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.41 €4.81

$2.75 €2.45

96.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 €1.71

$1.71 €1.52

12.28%

Onion (1kg)

$1.55 €1.38

$1.18 €1.05

31.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 €1.15

$1.26 €1.12

3.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.11 €1.87

$1.64 €1.46

28.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$21.29 €18.94

$17.28 €15.37

23.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.59 €12.09

$11.43 €10.17

18.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.42 €3.05

$2.64 €2.34

29.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.43 €3.05

$3.84 €3.42

-10.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.19 €1.95

$2.20 €1.96

-0.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$108 €95.7

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.28 €4.70

$5.72 €5.09

-7.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 €1.36

$1.44 €1.28

6.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$37.18 €33.07

$67.4 €60.0

-44.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.19 €1.95

$2.00 €1.78

9.50%

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

$39.0K €34.7K

$39.7K €35.3K

-1.87%

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

$37.7K €33.6K

$37.1K €33.0K

1.75%

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

$278 €247

$166 €147

67.63%

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

$18.62 €16.57

$22.20 €19.75

-16.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.5 €47.56

$46.25 €41.14

15.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.6 €61.0

$65.6 €58.3

4.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.38

$11.19 €9.95

84.63%

Cinema Ticket

$15.69 €13.95

$10.99 €9.78

42.77%

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

$1,276 €1,135

$807 €718

58.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.2K €12.6K

$2,248 €2,000

532.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$109 €97.3

$88.7 €78.9

23.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.62 €44.14

$28.13 €25.02

76.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 €103

$73.8 €65.6

57.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 €118

$90.3 €80.3

46.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,453 €2,182

$1,378 €1,226

78.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 €1,900

$770 €685

177.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,370 €3,887

$2,286 €2,034

91.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,390 €3,016

$1,360 €1,210

149.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,688 €8,617

$2,114 €1,880

358.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,902 €5,250

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,862 €3,435

$4,161 €3,701

-7.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.82

3.6

6.11%

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

Last update for Dublin: October 17, 2026

Last update for Sligo: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dublin

$2.1K 58.9%

Sligo

$770 43.1% 64% $1.4K

Groceries & Markets

Dublin

$367 10.1%

Sligo

$276 15.5% 24.9% $91

Eating Out

Dublin

$360 9.9%

Sligo

$269 15.1% 25.3% $91

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dublin

$350 9.7%

Sligo

$234 13.1% 33.1% $116

Clothing & Footwear

Dublin

$183 5.1%

Sligo

$126 7.1% 31.1% $57

Getting Around

Dublin

$129 3.6%

Sligo

$22 * 1.2% 83.2% $108

Sport & Entertainment

Dublin

$100 2.8%

Sligo

$88 4.9% 12.4% $12

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,453 in Dublin versus $1,378 in Sligo. 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 8% higher in Sligo, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $103 in Dublin versus $78.0 in Sligo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $367 vs $276 – making Sligo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇪 Dublin

🇮🇪 Sligo

🕒 Local time

09:06 9:06 AM

Same time as Dublin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

588,233 Capital

20,608

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Dublin Sligo 180 km

From you

Dublin
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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 Sligo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,626 in Dublin, $1,784 in Sligo – roughly 103% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,439 per month in Dublin and $2,676 in Sligo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sligo, 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 $3,626 in Dublin and $1,784 in Sligo. That's a gap of about 103%.

Kindergarten costs $1,276 per month in Dublin and $807 in Sligo. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Sligo, where all-in costs run around $1,784, than in Dublin at $3,626. In Sligo 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 $1,784 in Sligo to $3,626 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 Sligo. 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.