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: $2,601 in Ireland versus $711 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,741 in Ireland versus $1,131 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,881 in Ireland versus $1,550 in China.

Living in Ireland is roughly 266% more expensive than China on average.

Ireland (94% above) and China (47% below) straddle the global median.

Internal cost variation is higher in Ireland: monthly costs span $1,849 to $3,675, compared to $525–$1,220 in China. City choice carries more weight in Ireland.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.14 €18.06

$2.75 ¥18.83

668.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.6 €78.2

$24.03 ¥165

281.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.79 €10.07

$4.96 ¥33.95

137.70%

Cappuccino

$4.31 €3.68

$3.12 ¥21.37

38.14%

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

$2.63 €2.25

$0.48 ¥3.26

447.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 €1.78

$0.27 ¥1.84

674.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.99 €5.97

$0.98 ¥6.73

613.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.45 €5.51

$2.15 ¥14.69

200.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.54 €1.32

$1.83 ¥12.53

-15.85%

White Bread (500g)

$2.18 €1.86

$1.68 ¥11.54

29.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 €1.65

$0.91 ¥6.21

113.19%

Eggs

$4.25 €3.63

$1.56 ¥10.66

172.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.48 €8.95

$12.97 ¥88.9

-19.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.46 €9.78

$3.25 ¥22.23

252.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.94 €11.05

$10.51 ¥72.0

23.12%

Apples (1kg)

$3.06 €2.62

$1.81 ¥12.41

69.06%

Banana (1kg)

$2.15 €1.83

$1.30 ¥8.90

65.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.14 €2.68

$1.50 ¥10.26

109.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.35 €3.71

$1.15 ¥7.87

278.26%

Potato (1kg)

$2.24 €1.91

$0.76 ¥5.20

194.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 €1.32

$0.89 ¥6.07

73.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 €1.19

$0.58 ¥3.97

139.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 €1.69

$0.58 ¥3.95

241.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.42 €16.59

$3.50 ¥23.95

454.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.97 €11.93

$11.55 ¥79.1

20.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.40 €2.91

$0.78 ¥5.31

335.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 €3.15

$1.61 ¥11.03

129.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.29 €1.96

$0.44 ¥3.01

420.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$97.2 €83.0

$21.15 ¥145

359.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.65 €4.83

$1.36 ¥9.35

315.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.10 €1.79

$0.36 ¥2.44

483.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$37.23 €31.79

$6.61 ¥45.28

463.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.00 €1.71

$1.13 ¥7.74

76.99%

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

$43.2K €36.9K

$19.7K ¥135.2K

118.74%

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

$40.0K €34.2K

$17.1K ¥117.0K

134.43%

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

$244 €209

$50.9 ¥349

379.93%

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

$23.16 €19.78

$10.03 ¥68.7

130.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.7 €46.67

$11.33 ¥77.6

382.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.0 €48.71

$40.13 ¥275

42.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.35 €19.09

$14.97 ¥103

49.30%

Cinema Ticket

$13.85 €11.83

$6.09 ¥41.74

127.42%

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

$1,219 €1,041

$418 ¥2,860

191.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,911 €7,610

$17.3K ¥118.2K

-48.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$98.2 €83.8

$46.40 ¥318

111.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.50 €40.57

$32.92 ¥226

44.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €88.0

$71.1 ¥487

44.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 €98.3

$72.9 ¥499

57.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,815 €1,550

$438 ¥3,003

313.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,563 €1,335

$259 ¥1,775

502.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,097 €2,645

$926 ¥6,341

234.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,602 €2,222

$548 ¥3,754

374.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,390 €4,603

$5,047 ¥34.6K

6.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,073 €3,479

$2,666 ¥18.3K

52.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,562 €3,042

$1,074 ¥7,357

231.65%

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: April 26, 2026

Last update for China: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $1,522 in Ireland, $286 in China. Capital cities: $2,334 in Dublin vs $886 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $3,521 in Ireland, $834 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 432% higher in Ireland.

Dining out costs 324% more in Ireland.

Public transport is 472% more expensive in Ireland.

Salaries are 322% 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 $873 per month in China and $2,762 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.

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.