Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dun Laoghaire and Dublin

For one person, living is cheaper in Dun Laoghaire: $2,761 a month against $3,729 in Dublin, rent and utilities included – about $11,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Dun Laoghaire
🇮🇪 Ireland
$2,761
/mo nomad
Dublin
🇮🇪 Ireland
$3,729
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dun Laoghaire and in Dublin

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Dun Laoghaire and in Dublin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,761 per month in Dun Laoghaire vs $3,729 in Dublin, rent included.

  • Dun Laoghaire $2,761
  • Dublin $3,729

A couple spends around $4,416 per month in Dun Laoghaire vs $5,239 in Dublin, rent included.

  • Dun Laoghaire $4,416
  • Dublin $5,239

A family of three spends $6,071 per month in Dun Laoghaire vs $6,748 in Dublin, rent included.

  • Dun Laoghaire $6,071
  • Dublin $6,748

Dun Laoghaire is about 26% cheaper than Dublin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Dun Laoghaire and Dublin sit above the global median – Dun Laoghaire by 105%, Dublin by 176%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Dun Laoghaire
Dublin
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$22.06 €19.63
$23.58 €20.97
-6.45%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$101 €90.3
$101 €89.6
0.72%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.49 €12.00
$13.50 €12.00
-0.07%
Cappuccino
$4.97 €4.42
$4.82 €4.29
3.11%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.99 €2.66
$2.87 €2.56
4.18%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.23 €1.98
$2.24 €1.99
-0.45%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.79 €6.93
$7.80 €6.94
-0.13%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.51 €6.68
$7.32 €6.51
2.60%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Dun Laoghaire
Dublin
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.61 €1.43
$1.66 €1.48
-3.01%
White Bread (500g)
$2.35 €2.09
$2.42 €2.15
-2.89%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.07 €1.84
$1.98 €1.76
4.55%
Eggs
$4.20 €3.74
$4.90 €4.36
-14.29%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.95 €8.85
$10.02 €8.91
-0.70%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.07 €9.85
$12.79 €11.38
-13.45%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.54 €12.04
$15.78 €14.04
-14.20%
Apples (1kg)
$2.82 €2.51
$2.85 €2.53
-1.05%
Banana (1kg)
$2.14 €1.90
$2.17 €1.93
-1.38%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.78 €2.47
$2.65 €2.36
4.91%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.04 €3.59
$5.29 €4.71
-23.63%
Potato (1kg)
$1.93 €1.71
$1.84 €1.64
4.89%
Onion (1kg)
$1.53 €1.36
$1.48 €1.32
3.38%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.31 €1.17
$1.31 €1.16
-
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.84 €1.64
$2.02 €1.80
-8.91%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$20.35 €18.10
$20.78 €18.48
-2.07%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.51 €12.01
$13.63 €12.12
-0.88%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.32 €2.95
$3.44 €3.06
-3.49%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.51 €3.12
$3.46 €3.08
1.45%
🚌 Getting Around
Dun Laoghaire
Dublin
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.31 €2.06
$2.19 €1.95
5.48%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$109 €97.1
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.09 €4.53
$5.05 €4.50
0.79%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.43 €1.27
$1.55 €1.38
-7.74%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$37.78 €33.60
$37.01 €32.92
2.08%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.13 €1.89
$2.15 €1.91
-0.93%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.3K €34.1K
$38.9K €34.6K
-1.46%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$37.4K €33.3K
$39.5K €35.1K
-5.33%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Dun Laoghaire
Dublin
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$244 €217
$281 €250
-13.07%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.03 €16.03
$17.94 €15.96
0.50%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$51.2 €45.51
$51.6 €45.89
-0.83%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Dun Laoghaire
Dublin
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$58.3 €51.9
$68.0 €60.5
-14.17%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$20.55 €18.28
-
Cinema Ticket
$15.38 €13.68
$15.45 €13.74
-0.45%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Dun Laoghaire
Dublin
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$989 €880
$1,281 €1,140
-22.82%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,432 €4,832
$14.2K €12.6K
-61.67%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Dun Laoghaire
Dublin
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$99.0 €88.0
$107 €95.0
-7.38%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$47.48 €42.24
$51.2 €45.51
-7.21%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$112 €99.2
$112 €99.4
-0.25%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$131 €116
$130 €115
0.87%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Dun Laoghaire
Dublin
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,470 €1,307
$2,503 €2,227
-41.28%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,475 €1,312
$2,245 €1,997
-34.30%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,599 €3,202
$4,443 €3,952
-18.98%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$3,146 €2,799
$3,431 €3,052
-8.29%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$9,378 €8,342
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$5,995 €5,333
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Dun Laoghaire
Dublin
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,296 €3,821
$3,914 €3,482
9.75%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.82
3.82
-

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

Last update for Dun Laoghaire: October 11, 2026

Last update for Dublin: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Dun Laoghaire
$1.5K
Dublin
$2.2K 52.2% $770
Eating Out
Dun Laoghaire
$351
Dublin
$361 2.7% $9.5
Groceries & Markets
Dun Laoghaire
$336
Dublin
$363 8.3% $28
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Dun Laoghaire
$313
Dublin
$350 11.8% $37
Clothing & Footwear
Dun Laoghaire
$175
Dublin
$180 2.8% $4.8
Sport & Entertainment
Dun Laoghaire
$89
Dublin
$99 11% $9.8
Getting Around
Dun Laoghaire
$22 *
Dublin
$131 508% $109

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,470 in Dun Laoghaire versus $2,503 in Dublin. 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 10% higher in Dun Laoghaire, 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 Dun Laoghaire versus $101 in Dublin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $336 vs $363 – making Dun Laoghaire the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇮🇪 Dun Laoghaire
🇮🇪 Dublin
🕒 Local time
07:09 7:09 AM
07:09 7:09 AM
Same time as Dun Laoghaire
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
38,761
588,233 Capital
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Dun Laoghaire Dublin 10 km
From you
  • Dun Laoghaire
  • Dublin

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
Dun Laoghaire vs Dublin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Dun Laoghaire and in Dublin compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $2,761 in Dun Laoghaire, $3,729 in Dublin – roughly 35% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.
What salary covers living expenses in Dun Laoghaire compared to Dublin?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,142 per month in Dun Laoghaire and $5,594 in Dublin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Dun Laoghaire and Dublin?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Dun Laoghaire, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Which city is more expensive overall: Dun Laoghaire or Dublin?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,761 in Dun Laoghaire and $3,729 in Dublin. That's a gap of about 35%.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Dun Laoghaire and Dublin?
Kindergarten costs $989 per month in Dun Laoghaire and $1,281 in Dublin. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city is feasible on a $3,000 budget?
$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,761 in Dun Laoghaire and $3,729 in Dublin. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
How does quality of life compare between Dun Laoghaire and Dublin?
It depends on your priorities. Dun Laoghaire has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,761 in Dun Laoghaire to $3,729 in Dublin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Dun Laoghaire or Dublin safer for residents?
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.
How do I decide between Dun Laoghaire and Dublin?
If budget matters most, go with Dun Laoghaire. 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.

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