Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ireland and Italy

Name: Italy
Address: IT

For one person, living is cheaper in Italy: $1,832 a month against $2,918 in Ireland, rent and utilities included – about $13,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

141

Cost of Living Index in Ireland
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Ireland Living Index
88

Cost of Living Index in Italy
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Italy Living Index

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🇮🇪 Ireland

$2,918

/mo nomad

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,832

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ireland and in Italy

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,918 in Ireland versus $1,832 in Italy.

Ireland $2,918
Italy $1,832

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,203 in Ireland versus $2,809 in Italy.

Ireland $4,203
Italy $2,809

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,488 in Ireland versus $3,787 in Italy.

Ireland $5,488
Italy $3,787

Internal cost variation is higher in Ireland: monthly costs span $1,786 to $3,690, compared to $1,163–$2,537 in Italy. City choice carries more weight in Ireland.

Living in Ireland is roughly 59% more expensive than in Italy on average.

Both countries sit above the global median: Ireland 116% above, Italy 35% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.09 €18.82

$20.47 €18.26

3.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.7 €80.0

$78.9 €70.4

13.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.37 €11.04

$11.23 €10.02

10.15%

Cappuccino

$4.55 €4.05

$2.04 €1.82

123.04%

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

$2.87 €2.56

$3.09 €2.75

-7.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.90

$1.34 €1.19

58.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.60 €5.89

$5.71 €5.10

15.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.85 €6.11

$5.43 €4.84

26.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 €1.40

$1.57 €1.40

-0.64%

White Bread (500g)

$2.25 €2.01

$2.39 €2.14

-5.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 €1.70

$2.85 €2.54

-32.98%

Eggs

$4.45 €3.97

$4.19 €3.74

6.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.38 €10.15

$17.06 €15.22

-33.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.66 €10.40

$12.49 €11.14

-6.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 €13.11

$20.30 €18.11

-27.64%

Apples (1kg)

$3.09 €2.76

$2.61 €2.33

18.39%

Banana (1kg)

$2.24 €2.00

$2.18 €1.95

2.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.11 €2.78

$2.59 €2.31

20.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.58 €4.09

$3.31 €2.95

38.37%

Potato (1kg)

$2.20 €1.96

$2.01 €1.80

9.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.58 €1.41

$1.82 €1.62

-13.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 €1.24

$1.57 €1.40

-11.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 €1.77

$0.52 €0.46

280.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.73 €18.49

$6.74 €6.01

207.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.47 €12.02

$7.91 €7.05

70.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.07

$1.76 €1.57

95.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 €3.27

$2.36 €2.10

55.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.31 €2.06

$1.95 €1.74

18.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$96.4 €86.0

$42.83 €38.20

124.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.78 €4.27

$5.53 €4.93

-13.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 €1.35

$1.71 €1.52

-11.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.39 €28.00

$33.80 €30.15

-7.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.10 €1.88

$2.08 €1.86

0.96%

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

$38.7K €34.5K

$36.0K €32.1K

7.52%

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

$38.6K €34.5K

$37.2K €33.2K

3.92%

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

$252 €225

$231 €206

8.92%

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

$22.36 €19.95

$11.80 €10.53

89.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.5 €46.83

$29.94 €26.70

75.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.3 €49.30

$53.0 €47.30

4.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.75 €18.51

$23.61 €21.06

-12.11%

Cinema Ticket

$13.92 €12.41

$10.75 €9.59

29.49%

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

$1,094 €976

$566 €505

93.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K €10.1K

$17.6K €15.7K

-35.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$100 €89.2

$90.8 €81.0

10.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.55 €40.63

$38.57 €34.41

18.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €92.8

$103 €92.1

0.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 €102

$130 €116

-11.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,822 €1,625

$829 €740

119.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,544 €1,378

$630 €562

144.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,851 €2,543

$1,377 €1,228

107.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,427 €2,165

$1,050 €937

131.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,044 €4,499

$3,650 €3,256

38.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,871 €3,453

$2,306 €2,057

67.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,457 €3,083

$1,951 €1,740

77.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.17

3.55

17.46%

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

Last update for Ireland: November 1, 2026

Last update for Italy: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ireland

$1.5K 52.9%

Italy

$630 34.4% 59.2% $914

Groceries & Markets

Ireland

$355 12.2%

Italy

$347 18.9% 2.3% $8.1

Eating Out

Ireland

$327 11.2%

Italy

$279 15.2% 14.7% $48

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ireland

$327 11.2%

Italy

$273 14.9% 16.4% $54

Clothing & Footwear

Ireland

$164 5.6%

Italy

$163 8.9% 0.6% $0.9

Getting Around

Ireland

$118 4%

Italy

$65 3.5% 45.1% $53

Sport & Entertainment

Ireland

$83 2.9%

Italy

$75 4.1% 10.3% $8.6

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $1,578 in Ireland, $728 in Italy. Capital cities: $2,463 in Dublin vs $1,348 in Rome.

National salary averages: $3,212 in Ireland, $1,908 in Italy. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 117% higher in Ireland.

Dining out costs 19% more in Ireland.

Public transport is 177% more expensive in Ireland.

Salaries are 68% higher in Ireland.

Good to know

🇮🇪 Ireland

🇮🇹 Italy

🕒 Local time

14:13 2:13 PM

15:13 3:13 PM

1 h ahead of Ireland

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,149,139

58,850,717

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Ireland Italy 1,890 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Ireland
Italy

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 Italy: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $2,918 per month in Ireland and $1,832 in Italy, Italy comes out about 37% cheaper. 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 $1,578 in Ireland and $728 in Italy. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

In Italy, $2,500 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: Italy wins on affordability, while salaries, visas, language, and lifestyle can tip the balance either way.