Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ireland and Australia

Name: Australia
Address: AU

For one person, living is cheaper in Australia: $2,626 a month against $2,965 in Ireland, rent and utilities included – about $4,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

142

Cost of Living Index in Ireland
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Ireland Living Index
125

Cost of Living Index in Australia
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Australia Living Index

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🇮🇪 Ireland

$2,965

/mo nomad

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,626

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ireland and in Australia

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

A single person spends $2,965 per month in Ireland vs $2,626 in Australia, rent included.

Ireland $2,965
Australia $2,626

A couple spends around $4,237 per month in Ireland vs $3,810 in Australia, rent included.

Ireland $4,237
Australia $3,810

A family of three spends $5,509 per month in Ireland vs $4,994 in Australia, rent included.

Ireland $5,509
Australia $4,994

Cost ranges are similar: Ireland spans $1,795–$3,629, Australia $1,068–$3,303. City choice affects budget similarly in either country.

The cost of living in Ireland is about 13% higher than in Australia on average.

Both Ireland and Australia are pricier than the global median – Ireland by 118%, Australia by 93%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.51 €20.16

$17.65 A$25.08

27.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.9 €78.7

$85.2 A$121

3.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.71 €11.38

$11.09 A$15.76

14.61%

Cappuccino

$4.35 €3.90

$3.90 A$5.54

11.54%

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

$2.83 €2.54

$2.85 A$4.05

-0.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.91

$2.31 A$3.29

-7.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.85 €6.13

$7.53 A$10.70

-9.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.86 €6.14

$8.59 A$12.20

-20.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.54 €1.38

$1.76 A$2.50

-12.50%

White Bread (500g)

$2.29 €2.05

$2.81 A$3.99

-18.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 €1.73

$2.24 A$3.19

-13.84%

Eggs

$4.33 €3.87

$5.02 A$7.14

-13.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.20 €10.03

$9.87 A$14.02

13.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.75 €10.52

$9.32 A$13.24

26.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.33 €12.83

$14.86 A$21.13

-3.57%

Apples (1kg)

$2.99 €2.68

$3.82 A$5.42

-21.73%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 €2.05

$2.92 A$4.16

-21.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.23 €2.89

$3.13 A$4.46

3.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.41 €3.95

$4.81 A$6.83

-8.32%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 €1.84

$2.80 A$3.98

-26.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.56 €1.39

$2.38 A$3.38

-34.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 €1.22

$2.37 A$3.37

-42.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.97 €1.77

$1.65 A$2.35

19.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.07 €17.98

$39.13 A$55.6

-48.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.50 €12.09

$13.93 A$19.80

-3.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.57 €3.19

$4.96 A$7.05

-28.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 €3.28

$5.17 A$7.35

-29.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 €2.02

$2.42 A$3.44

-6.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$98.1 €87.8

$94.6 A$134

3.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.52 €4.94

$3.49 A$4.97

58.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 €1.43

$1.60 A$2.27

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.31 €29.83

$39.84 A$56.6

-16.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.03 €1.82

$1.39 A$1.97

46.04%

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

$38.4K €34.4K

$30.0K A$42.7K

27.87%

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

$39.0K €34.9K

$25.8K A$36.6K

51.40%

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

$247 €221

$205 A$291

20.30%

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

$21.94 €19.65

$28.33 A$40.27

-22.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.3 €46.81

$58.8 A$83.5

-11.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 €48.64

$55.7 A$79.1

-2.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.36 €18.23

$19.57 A$27.82

4.04%

Cinema Ticket

$13.71 €12.28

$15.38 A$21.86

-10.86%

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

$1,112 €996

$2,145 A$3,049

-48.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.8K €10.6K

$18.3K A$26.1K

-35.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$97.1 €87.0

$78.3 A$111

23.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.42 €40.68

$56.3 A$80.0

-19.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 €95.3

$115 A$164

-7.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €107

$123 A$175

-3.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,806 €1,617

$1,591 A$2,261

13.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,585 €1,419

$1,293 A$1,837

22.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,853 €2,555

$2,524 A$3,588

13.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,441 €2,186

$2,005 A$2,850

21.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,044 €4,517

$8,751 A$12.4K

-42.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,845 €3,444

$6,260 A$8,898

-38.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,406 €3,050

$3,984 A$5,663

-14.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.16

5.93

-29.85%

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

Last update for Ireland: October 25, 2026

Last update for Australia: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ireland

$1.6K 53.5%

Australia

$1.3K 49.2% 18.4% $292

Groceries & Markets

Ireland

$353 11.9%

Australia

$374 14.3% 6% $21

Eating Out

Ireland

$338 11.4%

Australia

$297 11.3% 12.3% $42

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ireland

$321 10.8%

Australia

$292 11.1% 9% $29

Clothing & Footwear

Ireland

$166 5.6%

Australia

$168 6.4% 1.3% $2.2

Getting Around

Ireland

$121 4.1%

Australia

$116 4.4% 4% $4.8

Sport & Entertainment

Ireland

$82 2.8%

Australia

$86 3.3% 5.7% $4.7

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,559 in Ireland vs $1,383 in Australia. For reference, capital cities sit at $2,475 in Dublin and $1,749 in Canberra.

Average salary: $3,201 in Ireland vs $3,874 in Australia. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 13% higher in Ireland.

Public transport is 40% more expensive in Ireland.

Salaries are 21% higher in Australia, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Australia.

Good to know

🇮🇪 Ireland

🇦🇺 Australia

🕒 Local time

09:29 9:29 AM

20:29 8:29 PM

11 h ahead of Ireland

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,149,139

26,473,055

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 AUD = 0.704 USD

1 AUD = 0.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 AUD (1 AUD = 0.704 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 AUD (1 AUD = 0.63 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Ireland Australia 17,240 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Ireland
Australia

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

Ireland vs Australia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Australia is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 11% lower on average.

Housing costs more in Ireland: a central one-bedroom averages $1,559 versus $1,383 in Australia.

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