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: $2,590 in Ireland versus $712 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,709 in Ireland versus $1,131 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,828 in Ireland versus $1,549 in China.

Living in Ireland is roughly 264% more expensive than in China on average.

Ireland (95% above) and China (47% below) straddle the global median.

Internal cost variation is higher in Ireland: monthly costs span $1,854 to $3,686, compared to $533–$1,212 in China. City choice carries more weight in Ireland.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.92 €18.12

$2.77 ¥18.71

655.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.7 €78.6

$24.05 ¥162

277.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.44 €9.91

$4.73 ¥31.91

141.86%

Cappuccino

$4.26 €3.69

$3.08 ¥20.77

38.31%

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

$2.64 €2.29

$0.44 ¥2.99

500.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.16 €1.87

$0.29 ¥1.98

644.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.96 €6.02

$1.01 ¥6.80

589.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.31 €5.46

$2.08 ¥14.02

203.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 €1.39

$1.83 ¥12.38

-12.57%

White Bread (500g)

$2.19 €1.90

$1.62 ¥10.94

35.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.95 €1.69

$0.97 ¥6.58

101.03%

Eggs

$4.23 €3.66

$1.61 ¥10.90

162.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.66 €9.24

$13.34 ¥90.1

-20.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.68 €10.12

$3.37 ¥22.74

246.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.33 €11.54

$10.68 ¥72.1

24.81%

Apples (1kg)

$3.08 €2.66

$1.81 ¥12.25

70.17%

Banana (1kg)

$2.25 €1.95

$1.25 ¥8.43

80.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.06 €2.65

$1.46 ¥9.88

109.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.53 €3.92

$1.15 ¥7.73

293.91%

Potato (1kg)

$2.23 €1.93

$0.73 ¥4.91

205.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.56 €1.35

$0.89 ¥5.99

75.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.38 €1.19

$0.60 ¥4.05

130.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 €1.72

$0.53 ¥3.58

275.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.48 €16.87

$3.39 ¥22.91

474.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.55 €11.73

$11.73 ¥79.2

15.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.51 €3.04

$0.77 ¥5.22

355.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 €3.31

$1.63 ¥10.97

134.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 €2.05

$0.41 ¥2.77

475.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$94.4 €81.8

$21.24 ¥143

344.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.93 €5.13

$1.35 ¥9.12

339.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.79

$0.36 ¥2.40

475.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$37.74 €32.68

$6.70 ¥45.23

463.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.05 €1.78

$1.18 ¥7.98

73.73%

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

$41.9K €36.2K

$19.8K ¥133.4K

111.84%

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

$40.1K €34.7K

$16.5K ¥111.6K

142.68%

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

$244 €211

$51.7 ¥349

370.80%

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

$23.70 €20.53

$10.09 ¥68.1

134.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.7 €47.35

$11.38 ¥76.8

380.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.0 €48.47

$39.24 ¥265

42.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.51 €19.49

$14.84 ¥100

51.68%

Cinema Ticket

$14.08 €12.19

$6.30 ¥42.53

123.49%

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

$1,204 €1,043

$414 ¥2,793

191.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,810 €7,629

$17.4K ¥117.5K

-49.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$98.9 €85.7

$46.77 ¥316

111.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.17 €40.85

$33.08 ¥223

42.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.5

$70.9 ¥479

45.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 €98.3

$74.5 ¥503

52.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,859 €1,610

$440 ¥2,971

322.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,586 €1,374

$253 ¥1,706

527.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,040 €2,632

$911 ¥6,150

233.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,567 €2,223

$531 ¥3,582

383.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,885 €4,231

$4,778 ¥32.3K

2.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,786 €3,279

$2,403 ¥16.2K

57.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,527 €3,054

$1,058 ¥7,140

233.41%

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: July 26, 2026

Last update for China: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $1,504 in Ireland, $287 in China. Capital cities: $2,359 in Dublin vs $909 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $3,416 in Ireland, $857 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 444% more expensive in Ireland.

Salaries are 299% higher in Ireland, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Ireland.

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 $873 per month in China and $2,770 in Ireland, there's a 217% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in China: 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 is consistently higher than in 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 stretches only to regional areas and 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.