Cost of Living Comparison Between Ireland and Australia Cost of Living Comparison Between Ireland and Australia

Name: Australia
Address: AU

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,601 per month in Ireland vs $2,184 in Australia, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,741 per month in Ireland vs $3,217 in Australia, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,881 per month in Ireland vs $4,249 in Australia, rent included.

Ireland costs about 19% more than Australia on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Both Ireland and Australia are pricier than the global median – Ireland by 94%, Australia by 63%.

Ireland has a wider regional cost range ($1,849–$3,675) than Australia ($1,584–$2,827), so location matters more when choosing where to live in Ireland.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.14 €18.06

$16.24 A$22.57

30.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.6 €78.2

$77.1 A$107

18.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.79 €10.07

$9.81 A$13.64

20.18%

Cappuccino

$4.31 €3.68

$3.58 A$4.97

20.39%

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

$2.63 €2.25

$2.57 A$3.57

2.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 €1.78

$2.18 A$3.03

-4.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.99 €5.97

$6.63 A$9.22

5.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.45 €5.51

$7.12 A$9.90

-9.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.54 €1.32

$1.50 A$2.09

2.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.18 €1.86

$2.53 A$3.51

-13.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 €1.65

$2.07 A$2.88

-6.28%

Eggs

$4.25 €3.63

$4.29 A$5.96

-0.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.48 €8.95

$8.65 A$12.02

21.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.46 €9.78

$8.34 A$11.60

37.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.94 €11.05

$13.90 A$19.33

-6.91%

Apples (1kg)

$3.06 €2.62

$3.30 A$4.58

-7.27%

Banana (1kg)

$2.15 €1.83

$2.77 A$3.85

-22.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.14 €2.68

$2.95 A$4.10

6.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.35 €3.71

$4.19 A$5.83

3.82%

Potato (1kg)

$2.24 €1.91

$2.42 A$3.36

-7.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 €1.32

$2.10 A$2.92

-26.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 €1.19

$2.26 A$3.14

-38.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 €1.69

$1.50 A$2.09

32.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.42 €16.59

$31.58 A$43.90

-38.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.97 €11.93

$14.29 A$19.86

-2.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.40 €2.91

$4.59 A$6.38

-25.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 €3.15

$4.82 A$6.70

-23.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.29 €1.96

$3.02 A$4.19

-24.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$97.2 €83.0

$98.3 A$137

-1.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.65 €4.83

$3.48 A$4.84

62.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.10 €1.79

$1.75 A$2.43

20.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$37.23 €31.79

$37.97 A$52.8

-1.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.00 €1.71

$1.21 A$1.68

65.29%

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

$43.2K €36.9K

$29.0K A$40.4K

48.74%

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

$40.0K €34.2K

$22.6K A$31.4K

77.47%

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

$244 €209

$177 A$247

37.77%

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

$23.16 €19.78

$26.85 A$37.32

-13.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.7 €46.67

$52.4 A$72.9

4.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.0 €48.71

$47.57 A$66.1

19.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.35 €19.09

$16.46 A$22.88

35.78%

Cinema Ticket

$13.85 €11.83

$13.73 A$19.09

0.87%

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

$1,219 €1,041

$1,593 A$2,215

-23.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,911 €7,610

$12.7K A$17.7K

-29.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$98.2 €83.8

$72.0 A$100

36.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.50 €40.57

$51.3 A$71.3

-7.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €88.0

$103 A$143

-0.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 €98.3

$108 A$151

6.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,815 €1,550

$1,401 A$1,947

29.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,563 €1,335

$1,080 A$1,501

44.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,097 €2,645

$2,340 A$3,253

32.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,602 €2,222

$1,756 A$2,441

48.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,390 €4,603

$7,733 A$10.7K

-30.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,073 €3,479

$5,563 A$7,733

-26.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,562 €3,042

$4,000 A$5,560

-10.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.47

6.35

-29.61%

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

Last update for Ireland: April 26, 2026

Last update for Australia: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,522 in Ireland vs $1,232 in Australia. For reference, capital cities sit at $2,334 in Dublin and $1,529 in Canberra.

Average salary: $3,521 in Ireland vs $3,878 in Australia. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 24% higher in Ireland.

Dining out costs 16% more in Ireland.

Public transport is 54% more expensive in Ireland.

Salaries are 10% higher in Australia, giving Australia stronger purchasing power.

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

Ireland vs Australia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Australia is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 25% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

Housing costs more in Ireland, and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but Ireland consistently has higher rents.

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Australia, contributing to the overall 25% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$2,500 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Australia, but in Ireland it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Australia is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.