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 $2,587 per month in Ireland vs $2,184 in Australia, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,708 per month in Ireland vs $3,219 in Australia, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,828 per month in Ireland vs $4,253 in Australia, rent included.

Ireland costs about 18% 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 92%, Australia by 63%.

Ireland has a wider regional cost range ($1,842–$3,572) than Australia ($1,592–$2,842), so location matters more when choosing where to live in Ireland.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.23 €18.35

$16.44 A$23.33

29.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$94.1 €81.3

$78.1 A$111

20.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.50 €9.94

$9.94 A$14.11

15.69%

Cappuccino

$4.31 €3.72

$3.60 A$5.10

19.72%

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

$2.72 €2.35

$2.68 A$3.80

1.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.84

$2.14 A$3.03

-0.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.11 €6.14

$6.53 A$9.26

8.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.24 €5.39

$7.05 A$10.00

-11.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 €1.37

$1.58 A$2.24

0.63%

White Bread (500g)

$2.10 €1.82

$2.53 A$3.59

-17.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 €1.67

$2.07 A$2.94

-6.76%

Eggs

$4.37 €3.78

$4.30 A$6.11

1.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.59 €9.15

$9.03 A$12.81

17.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.72 €10.13

$8.55 A$12.13

37.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.13 €11.34

$13.96 A$19.80

-5.95%

Apples (1kg)

$3.06 €2.65

$3.18 A$4.51

-3.77%

Banana (1kg)

$2.17 €1.88

$2.84 A$4.03

-23.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.01 €2.60

$2.95 A$4.18

2.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.40 €3.80

$4.43 A$6.29

-0.68%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 €1.87

$2.46 A$3.48

-12.20%

Onion (1kg)

$1.60 €1.38

$2.17 A$3.08

-26.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.34 €1.16

$2.29 A$3.25

-41.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 €1.73

$1.57 A$2.23

28.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.59 €16.93

$30.87 A$43.79

-36.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.81 €11.94

$14.06 A$19.94

-1.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.37 €2.92

$4.55 A$6.45

-25.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.76 €3.24

$4.81 A$6.83

-21.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.34 €2.02

$2.87 A$4.07

-18.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$96.4 €83.3

$95.8 A$136

0.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.62 €4.86

$3.65 A$5.17

53.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.12 €1.83

$1.76 A$2.50

20.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$37.73 €32.60

$38.27 A$54.3

-1.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.10 €1.81

$1.15 A$1.63

82.61%

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

$42.5K €36.7K

$28.4K A$40.3K

49.63%

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

$39.8K €34.4K

$23.0K A$32.6K

73.03%

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

$248 €214

$178 A$253

39.11%

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

$23.39 €20.21

$26.46 A$37.53

-11.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.0 €46.68

$54.1 A$76.8

-0.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.7 €49.02

$46.64 A$66.2

21.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.50 €19.44

$16.54 A$23.47

36.03%

Cinema Ticket

$14.03 €12.12

$13.65 A$19.36

2.78%

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

$1,203 €1,039

$1,575 A$2,234

-23.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,807 €7,610

$12.7K A$18.0K

-30.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$97.5 €84.2

$71.5 A$101

36.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.45 €41.00

$50.8 A$72.1

-6.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €89.6

$100 A$142

3.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.9

$108 A$153

6.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,823 €1,576

$1,384 A$1,963

31.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,568 €1,355

$1,105 A$1,568

41.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,108 €2,685

$2,298 A$3,260

35.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,583 €2,232

$1,728 A$2,451

49.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,044 €4,358

$7,610 A$10.8K

-33.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,854 €3,331

$5,504 A$7,808

-29.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,662 €3,164

$4,002 A$5,677

-8.49%

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: June 8, 2026

Last update for Australia: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,500 in Ireland vs $1,232 in Australia. For reference, capital cities sit at $2,354 in Dublin and $1,568 in Canberra.

Average salary: $3,466 in Ireland vs $3,845 in Australia. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 22% higher in Ireland.

Dining out costs 16% more in Ireland.

Public transport is 48% more expensive in Ireland.

Salaries are 11% 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 22% 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 22% 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.