Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dublin and Wicklow

For one person, living is cheaper in Wicklow: $2,448 a month against $3,729 in Dublin, rent and utilities included – about $15,400 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
120

Cost of Living Index in Wicklow
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Wicklow Living Index

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Dublin

🇮🇪 Ireland

$3,729

/mo nomad

Wicklow

🇮🇪 Ireland

$2,448

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dublin and in Wicklow

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

A single person spends $3,729 per month in Dublin vs $2,448 in Wicklow, rent included.

Dublin $3,729
Wicklow $2,448

A couple spends around $5,239 per month in Dublin vs $3,698 in Wicklow, rent included.

Dublin $5,239
Wicklow $3,698

A family of three spends $6,748 per month in Dublin vs $4,949 in Wicklow, rent included.

Dublin $6,748
Wicklow $4,949

Dublin costs about 52% more than Wicklow, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Dublin and Wicklow sit above the global median – Dublin by 176%, Wicklow by 81%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.58 €20.97

$15.49 €13.78

52.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 €89.6

$90.0 €80.1

11.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.50 €12.00

$9.17 €8.16

47.22%

Cappuccino

$4.82 €4.29

$4.01 €3.56

20.20%

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

$2.87 €2.56

$2.56 €2.28

12.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 €1.99

$1.97 €1.76

13.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.80 €6.94

$6.75 €6.00

15.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.32 €6.51

$6.03 €5.37

21.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 €1.48

$1.70 €1.51

-2.35%

White Bread (500g)

$2.42 €2.15

$1.71 €1.52

41.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.76

$1.92 €1.71

3.13%

Eggs

$4.90 €4.36

$4.46 €3.96

9.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.02 €8.91

$14.21 €12.64

-29.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.79 €11.38

$10.06 €8.95

27.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.78 €14.04

$7.83 €6.96

101.53%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 €2.53

$3.26 €2.90

-12.58%

Banana (1kg)

$2.17 €1.93

$2.95 €2.63

-26.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.65 €2.36

$3.43 €3.05

-22.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.29 €4.71

$4.79 €4.26

10.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.64

$2.36 €2.10

-22.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 €1.32

$1.62 €1.44

-8.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.31 €1.16

$1.39 €1.23

-5.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.02 €1.80

$2.19 €1.95

-7.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.78 €18.48

$20.00 €17.79

3.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.63 €12.12

$13.25 €11.78

2.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.06

$2.21 €1.97

55.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 €3.08

$3.42 €3.04

1.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.19 €1.95

$2.95 €2.62

-25.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$109 €97.1

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.05 €4.50

$2.38 €2.11

112.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 €1.38

$1.49 €1.33

4.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$37.01 €32.92

$32.49 €28.90

13.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.15 €1.91

$2.05 €1.82

4.88%

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

$38.9K €34.6K

$36.7K €32.7K

5.88%

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

$39.5K €35.1K

$37.5K €33.4K

5.27%

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

$281 €250

$219 €195

28.05%

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

$17.94 €15.96

$22.11 €19.66

-18.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.6 €45.89

$33.38 €29.69

54.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.0 €60.5

$58.2 €51.8

16.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.55 €18.28

Cinema Ticket

$15.45 €13.74

$13.32 €11.85

15.99%

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

$1,281 €1,140

$1,054 €937

21.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.2K €12.6K

$5,338 €4,748

165.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$107 €95.0

$95.5 €84.9

11.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 €45.51

$33.72 €29.99

51.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 €99.4

$67.0 €59.6

66.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 €115

$119 €106

8.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,503 €2,227

$1,683 €1,497

48.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,245 €1,997

$1,327 €1,180

69.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,443 €3,952

$3,060 €2,722

45.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,431 €3,052

$2,378 €2,115

44.30%

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

$5,576 €4,960

-29.80%

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 Wicklow: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dublin

$2.2K 60.2%

Wicklow

$1.3K 54.2% 40.9% $918

Groceries & Markets

Dublin

$363 9.7%

Wicklow

$334 13.7% 8% $29

Eating Out

Dublin

$361 9.7%

Wicklow

$263 10.8% 27% $98

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dublin

$350 9.4%

Wicklow

$275 11.2% 21.6% $76

Clothing & Footwear

Dublin

$180 4.8%

Wicklow

$142 5.8% 21% $38

Getting Around

Dublin

$131 3.5%

Wicklow

$22 * 0.9% 83.5% $109

Sport & Entertainment

Dublin

$99 2.7%

Wicklow

$85 3.5% 14.2% $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 $1,683 in Wicklow. 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 42% higher in Wicklow, 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 $101 in Dublin versus $90.0 in Wicklow. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $363 vs $334 – making Wicklow the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇪 Dublin

🇮🇪 Wicklow

🕒 Local time

14:41 2:41 PM

Same time as Dublin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

588,233 Capital

12,957

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Dublin Wicklow 44 km

From you

Dublin
Wicklow

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 Wicklow: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,729 in Dublin, $2,448 in Wicklow – roughly 52% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,594 per month in Dublin and $3,672 in Wicklow. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Wicklow, 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 $2,448 in Wicklow. That's a gap of about 52%.

Kindergarten costs $1,281 per month in Dublin and $1,054 in Wicklow. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,729 in Dublin and $2,448 in Wicklow. 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 $2,448 in Wicklow 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 Wicklow. 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.