Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dublin and Tuam

For one person, living is cheaper in Tuam: $2,580 a month against $3,626 in Dublin, rent and utilities included – about $12,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

177

Cost of Living Index in Dublin
Learn more

Dublin Living Index
126

Cost of Living Index in Tuam
Learn more

Tuam Living Index

Jump to prices

Dublin

🇮🇪 Ireland

$3,626

/mo nomad

Tuam

🇮🇪 Ireland

$2,580

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dublin and in Tuam

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

A single person spends $3,626 per month in Dublin vs $2,580 in Tuam, rent included.

Dublin $3,626
Tuam $2,580

A couple spends around $5,179 per month in Dublin vs $3,675 in Tuam, rent included.

Dublin $5,179
Tuam $3,675

A family of three spends $6,731 per month in Dublin vs $4,770 in Tuam, rent included.

Dublin $6,731
Tuam $4,770

Dublin costs about 41% more than Tuam, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Dublin and Tuam sit above the global median – Dublin by 168%, Tuam by 90%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.12 €20.56

$19.76 €17.57

17.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$103 €91.4

$61.5 €54.7

67.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.65 €12.14

$14.32 €12.74

-4.68%

Cappuccino

$5.01 €4.45

$4.47 €3.98

12.08%

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

$2.85 €2.53

$2.92 €2.60

-2.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 €1.94

$1.85 €1.65

17.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.75 €6.89

$7.03 €6.25

10.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.65 €6.80

$6.59 €5.86

16.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 €1.48

$1.59 €1.42

4.40%

White Bread (500g)

$2.53 €2.25

$2.28 €2.03

10.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.05 €1.83

$1.92 €1.71

6.77%

Eggs

$5.03 €4.47

$4.42 €3.93

13.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.91 €8.81

$10.28 €9.14

-3.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.81 €11.39

$12.75 €11.34

0.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.90 €14.14

$13.27 €11.81

19.82%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.43

$3.05 €2.71

-10.49%

Banana (1kg)

$2.28 €2.03

$2.29 €2.04

-0.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.68 €2.39

$3.09 €2.75

-13.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.41 €4.81

$4.84 €4.30

11.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 €1.71

$1.96 €1.74

-2.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.55 €1.38

$1.47 €1.30

5.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 €1.15

$1.37 €1.22

-5.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.11 €1.87

$2.07 €1.84

1.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$21.29 €18.94

$20.29 €18.05

4.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.59 €12.09

$13.56 €12.06

0.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.42 €3.05

$3.47 €3.09

-1.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.43 €3.05

$3.46 €3.08

-0.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.19 €1.95

$2.57 €2.29

-14.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$108 €95.7

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.28 €4.70

$5.09 €4.53

3.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 €1.36

$1.55 €1.38

-1.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$37.18 €33.07

$33.37 €29.68

11.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.19 €1.95

$2.02 €1.80

8.42%

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

$39.0K €34.7K

0.00%

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

$37.7K €33.6K

$38.1K €33.9K

-0.96%

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

$278 €247

$244 €217

13.78%

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

$18.62 €16.57

$21.40 €19.04

-12.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.5 €47.56

$50.3 €44.72

6.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.6 €61.0

$58.9 €52.4

16.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.38

Cinema Ticket

$15.69 €13.95

$13.18 €11.72

19.04%

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

$1,276 €1,135

$1,009 €897

26.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.2K €12.6K

$5,119 €4,553

177.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$109 €97.3

$95.7 €85.1

14.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.62 €44.14

$42.02 €37.38

18.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 €103

$108 €95.7

7.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 €118

$114 €101

16.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,453 €2,182

$1,609 €1,431

52.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 €1,900

$1,318 €1,172

62.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,370 €3,887

$2,576 €2,291

69.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,390 €3,016

$2,092 €1,860

62.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,688 €8,617

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,902 €5,250

$3,293 €2,929

79.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,862 €3,435

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 17, 2026

Last update for Tuam: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dublin

$2.1K 58.9%

Tuam

$1.3K 51.1% 38.3% $819

Groceries & Markets

Dublin

$367 10.1%

Tuam

$355 13.7% 3.5% $13

Eating Out

Dublin

$360 9.9%

Tuam

$322 12.5% 10.6% $38

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dublin

$350 9.7%

Tuam

$316 12.2% 9.7% $34

Clothing & Footwear

Dublin

$183 5.1%

Tuam

$161 6.3% 12% $22

Getting Around

Dublin

$129 3.6%

Tuam

$23 * 0.9% 82.1% $106

Sport & Entertainment

Dublin

$100 2.8%

Tuam

$85 3.3% 14.7% $15

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 $1,609 in Tuam. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $103 in Dublin versus $61.0 in Tuam. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $367 vs $355 – making Tuam the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇪 Dublin

🇮🇪 Tuam

🕒 Local time

06:33 6:33 AM

Same time as Dublin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

588,233 Capital

9,647

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Dublin Tuam 170 km

From you

Dublin
Tuam

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 Tuam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,626 in Dublin, $2,580 in Tuam – roughly 41% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,439 per month in Dublin and $3,870 in Tuam. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Tuam, 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 $2,580 in Tuam. That's a gap of about 41%.

Kindergarten costs $1,276 per month in Dublin and $1,009 in Tuam. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,626 in Dublin and $2,580 in Tuam. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Dublin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,580 in Tuam 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 Tuam. 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.