Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ireland and Germany

Name: Germany
Address: DE

For one person, living is cheaper in Germany: $2,056 a month against $2,960 in Ireland, rent and utilities included – about $10,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

143

Cost of Living Index in Ireland
Learn more

Ireland Living Index
100

Cost of Living Index in Germany
Learn more

Germany Living Index

Jump to prices

🇮🇪 Ireland

$2,960

/mo nomad

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,056

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ireland and in Germany

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 Germany actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,960 in Ireland versus $2,056 in Germany.

Ireland $2,960
Germany $2,056

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,217 in Ireland versus $3,129 in Germany.

Ireland $4,217
Germany $3,129

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,475 in Ireland versus $4,202 in Germany.

Ireland $5,475
Germany $4,202

Internal cost variation is higher in Ireland: monthly costs span $1,755 to $3,729, compared to $1,329–$2,658 in Germany. City choice carries more weight in Ireland.

Living in Ireland is roughly 44% more expensive than in Germany on average.

Both countries sit above the global median: Ireland 119% above, Germany 52% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.11 €19.67

$16.62 €14.79

33.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 €79.4

$72.6 €64.6

22.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.49 €11.11

$12.24 €10.89

2.04%

Cappuccino

$4.56 €4.06

$4.08 €3.63

11.76%

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

$2.75 €2.45

$3.37 €3.00

-18.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 €1.96

$3.01 €2.67

-26.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.86 €6.10

$4.90 €4.36

40.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.82 €6.06

$4.38 €3.90

55.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 €1.41

$1.32 €1.17

19.70%

White Bread (500g)

$2.25 €2.00

$2.11 €1.88

6.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 €1.66

$3.37 €3.00

-44.51%

Eggs

$4.40 €3.91

$3.91 €3.48

12.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.26 €10.01

$14.23 €12.66

-20.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.39 €10.13

$11.79 €10.49

-3.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.26 €12.68

$20.95 €18.64

-31.93%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 €2.65

$3.18 €2.83

-6.29%

Banana (1kg)

$2.26 €2.01

$2.06 €1.83

9.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.20 €2.85

$2.22 €1.98

44.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.51 €4.01

$4.14 €3.68

8.94%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 €1.89

$1.46 €1.30

45.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 €1.34

$1.43 €1.27

5.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 €1.24

$1.60 €1.42

-12.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.00 €1.78

$1.06 €0.95

88.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.21 €17.98

$9.67 €8.61

109.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.27 €11.80

$5.97 €5.31

122.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.49 €3.10

$1.13 €1.01

208.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 €3.30

$1.62 €1.44

129.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.17 €1.93

$3.90 €3.47

-44.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$109 €96.8

$70.8 €62.9

53.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.49 €4.89

$5.38 €4.78

2.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 €1.37

$2.81 €2.50

-45.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.64 €29.92

$38.76 €34.48

-13.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.07 €1.85

$2.12 €1.88

-2.36%

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

$39.0K €34.7K

$32.9K €29.3K

18.45%

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

$38.2K €34.0K

$37.7K €33.5K

1.40%

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

$243 €216

$338 €301

-28.26%

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

$22.59 €20.10

$25.29 €22.49

-10.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.4 €45.73

$48.19 €42.86

6.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.0 €49.83

$40.85 €36.34

37.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.95 €18.63

$27.91 €24.83

-24.94%

Cinema Ticket

$13.62 €12.11

$14.64 €13.02

-6.97%

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

$1,116 €992

$564 €502

97.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K €10.6K

$17.4K €15.4K

-31.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.1 €88.2

$90.5 €80.5

9.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.25 €40.25

$43.21 €38.44

4.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €92.7

$99.3 €88.3

5.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 €105

$127 €113

-7.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,752 €1,558

$917 €816

90.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,576 €1,402

$696 €619

126.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,767 €2,461

$1,660 €1,476

66.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,388 €2,124

$1,310 €1,165

82.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,961 €4,412

$5,987 €5,326

-17.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,968 €3,529

$4,049 €3,601

-2.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,416 €3,038

$3,321 €2,954

2.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.17

3.96

5.30%

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

Last update for Ireland: October 11, 2026

Last update for Germany: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ireland

$1.6K 53.3%

Germany

$696 33.8% 55.9% $880

Groceries & Markets

Ireland

$351 11.9%

Germany

$333 16.2% 5.1% $18

Eating Out

Ireland

$337 11.4%

Germany

$278 13.5% 17.6% $59

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ireland

$317 10.7%

Germany

$412 20% 30% $95

Clothing & Footwear

Ireland

$165 5.6%

Germany

$162 7.9% 1.7% $2.8

Getting Around

Ireland

$131 4.4%

Germany

$106 5.2% 19.1% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Ireland

$83 2.8%

Germany

$70 3.4% 15.8% $13

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $1,561 in Ireland, $801 in Germany. Capital cities: $2,503 in Dublin vs $1,469 in Berlin.

National salary averages: $3,213 in Ireland, $3,101 in Germany. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 95% higher in Ireland.

Dining out costs 21% more in Ireland.

Public transport is 18% more expensive in Germany.

Good to know

🇮🇪 Ireland

🇩🇪 Germany

🕒 Local time

06:07 6:07 AM

07:07 7:07 AM

1 h ahead of Ireland

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,149,139

84,358,845

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ireland Germany 1,320 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Ireland
Germany

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 Germany: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $2,056 per month in Germany and $2,960 in Ireland, there's a 44% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $1,561 in Ireland and $801 in Germany. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

In Germany, $3,000 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: Germany wins on affordability; Ireland may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.