Cost of Living Comparison Between Ireland and China Cost of Living Comparison Between Ireland and China

Name: China
Address: CN

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,587 in Ireland versus $713 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,708 in Ireland versus $1,132 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,828 in Ireland versus $1,551 in China.

Living in Ireland is roughly 263% more expensive than China on average.

Ireland (92% above) and China (47% below) straddle the global median.

Internal cost variation is higher in Ireland: monthly costs span $1,842 to $3,572, compared to $535–$1,206 in China. City choice carries more weight in Ireland.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.23 €18.29

$2.86 ¥19.36

642.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$94.1 €81.1

$23.29 ¥158

304.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.50 €9.91

$4.83 ¥32.66

138.10%

Cappuccino

$4.31 €3.71

$3.04 ¥20.52

41.78%

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

$2.72 €2.34

$0.45 ¥3.03

504.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.83

$0.27 ¥1.81

688.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.11 €6.12

$0.99 ¥6.71

618.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.24 €5.38

$2.03 ¥13.74

207.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 €1.37

$1.75 ¥11.86

-9.14%

White Bread (500g)

$2.10 €1.81

$1.67 ¥11.31

25.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 €1.66

$0.97 ¥6.56

98.97%

Eggs

$4.37 €3.77

$1.54 ¥10.45

183.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.59 €9.12

$13.30 ¥89.9

-20.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.72 €10.10

$3.21 ¥21.69

265.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.13 €11.31

$10.79 ¥73.0

21.69%

Apples (1kg)

$3.06 €2.64

$1.81 ¥12.27

69.06%

Banana (1kg)

$2.17 €1.87

$1.31 ¥8.84

65.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.01 €2.60

$1.50 ¥10.15

100.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.40 €3.79

$1.14 ¥7.74

285.96%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 €1.86

$0.73 ¥4.90

195.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.60 €1.38

$0.87 ¥5.86

83.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.34 €1.16

$0.57 ¥3.85

135.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 €1.73

$0.54 ¥3.63

272.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.59 €16.88

$3.53 ¥23.88

454.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.81 €11.90

$11.71 ¥79.2

17.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.37 €2.91

$0.84 ¥5.67

301.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.76 €3.24

$1.67 ¥11.29

125.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.34 €2.02

$0.41 ¥2.75

470.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$96.4 €83.1

$20.78 ¥141

364.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.62 €4.85

$1.36 ¥9.21

313.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.12 €1.82

$0.33 ¥2.21

542.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$37.73 €32.50

$6.86 ¥46.40

450.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.10 €1.81

$1.12 ¥7.57

87.50%

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

$42.5K €36.6K

$19.2K ¥129.8K

121.24%

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

$39.8K €34.3K

$16.9K ¥114.4K

135.17%

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

$248 €213

$51.8 ¥350

377.86%

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

$23.39 €20.15

$9.85 ¥66.6

137.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.0 €46.54

$11.13 ¥75.3

385.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.7 €48.88

$39.10 ¥264

45.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.50 €19.39

$14.89 ¥101

51.11%

Cinema Ticket

$14.03 €12.08

$6.25 ¥42.24

124.48%

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

$1,203 €1,036

$404 ¥2,732

197.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,807 €7,588

$17.8K ¥120.5K

-50.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$97.5 €84.0

$46.11 ¥312

111.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.45 €40.88

$32.27 ¥218

47.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €89.4

$72.7 ¥491

42.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.7

$72.9 ¥493

58.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,823 €1,571

$445 ¥3,009

309.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,568 €1,351

$255 ¥1,727

514.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,108 €2,678

$927 ¥6,266

235.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,583 €2,225

$532 ¥3,600

385.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,044 €4,346

$4,943 ¥33.4K

2.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,854 €3,321

$2,492 ¥16.9K

54.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,662 €3,155

$1,057 ¥7,148

246.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.47

4.06

10.10%

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

Last update for Ireland: June 8, 2026

Last update for China: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $1,500 in Ireland, $286 in China. Capital cities: $2,354 in Dublin vs $913 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $3,466 in Ireland, $862 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 424% higher in Ireland.

Dining out costs 324% more in Ireland.

Public transport is 450% more expensive in Ireland.

Salaries are 302% higher in Ireland, giving Ireland 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 China: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $871 per month in China and $2,707 in Ireland, there's a 211% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

China is simply cheaper day-to-day: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in Ireland beats China across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In China, $2,000 covers most cities easily. In Ireland, it works in regional areas but falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after. China wins on affordability; Ireland may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.