Cost of Living Comparison Between Ireland and Italy Cost of Living Comparison Between Ireland and Italy

Name: Italy
Address: IT

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,740 in Ireland versus $1,796 in Italy.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,978 in Ireland versus $2,739 in Italy.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,216 in Ireland versus $3,682 in Italy.

Living in Ireland is roughly 53% more expensive than in Italy on average.

Both countries sit above the global median: Ireland 99% above, Italy 30% above.

Internal cost variation is higher in Ireland: monthly costs span $1,320 to $3,887, compared to $1,152–$2,626 in Italy. City choice carries more weight in Ireland.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.10 €19.91

$21.24 €18.31

8.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$92.9 €80.1

$80.8 €69.7

14.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.55 €10.82

$11.41 €9.84

9.99%

Cappuccino

$4.56 €3.93

$2.08 €1.79

119.23%

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

$2.95 €2.54

$3.05 €2.63

-3.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 €1.90

$1.38 €1.19

59.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.02 €6.05

$5.79 €4.99

21.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.84 €5.90

$5.75 €4.96

18.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 €1.38

$1.70 €1.46

-5.88%

White Bread (500g)

$2.29 €1.97

$2.41 €2.08

-4.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.06 €1.78

$3.01 €2.59

-31.56%

Eggs

$4.60 €3.97

$4.32 €3.72

6.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.53 €9.94

$17.93 €15.45

-35.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.11 €10.44

$12.67 €10.92

-4.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.95 €12.89

$20.57 €17.73

-27.32%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 €2.79

$2.62 €2.26

23.66%

Banana (1kg)

$2.39 €2.06

$2.15 €1.85

11.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.23 €2.79

$2.80 €2.41

15.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.67 €4.03

$3.32 €2.87

40.66%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 €1.87

$2.10 €1.81

3.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 €1.37

$1.89 €1.63

-15.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.42 €1.23

$1.55 €1.33

-8.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.08 €1.80

$0.56 €0.48

271.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$21.32 €18.38

$7.16 €6.17

197.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.07 €12.13

$7.35 €6.33

91.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.68 €3.17

$1.80 €1.55

104.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.89 €3.35

$2.41 €2.07

61.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.93 €1.66

19.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$110 €94.7

$45.24 €39.00

142.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.67 €4.88

$5.74 €4.95

-1.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.71 €1.47

$1.70 €1.47

0.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.03 €29.34

$35.25 €30.38

-3.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.14 €1.85

$2.04 €1.76

4.90%

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

$41.3K €35.6K

$37.5K €32.3K

10.02%

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

$39.8K €34.3K

$37.1K €31.9K

7.28%

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

$247 €213

$231 €199

6.95%

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

$22.79 €19.65

$12.34 €10.64

84.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.4 €46.86

$31.17 €26.87

74.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.2 €48.41

$55.2 €47.62

1.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.21 €18.29

$24.91 €21.47

-14.85%

Cinema Ticket

$14.33 €12.36

$11.13 €9.59

28.75%

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

$1,199 €1,033

$568 €490

110.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K €10.6K

$12.5K €10.8K

-2.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$100 €86.5

$93.0 €80.1

7.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.33 €41.66

$39.82 €34.32

21.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 €93.4

$104 €89.8

3.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 €102

$135 €116

-12.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,863 €1,606

$852 €734

118.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,623 €1,399

$645 €556

151.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,901 €2,501

$1,449 €1,249

100.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,483 €2,141

$1,084 €935

128.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,019 €4,327

$3,813 €3,287

31.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,016 €3,462

$2,357 €2,032

70.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,641 €3,138

$1,933 €1,666

88.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.16

3.57

16.53%

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

Last update for Ireland: September 6, 2026

Last update for Italy: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $1,597 in Ireland, $755 in Italy. Capital cities: $2,597 in Dublin vs $1,247 in Rome.

National salary averages: $3,469 in Ireland, $1,964 in Italy. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 112% higher in Ireland.

Dining out costs 20% more in Ireland.

Public transport is 126% more expensive in Ireland.

Salaries are 77% 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 Italy: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $2,604 per month in Ireland and $1,889 in Italy, there's a 38% 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 Italy: 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 Italy across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

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; Ireland may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.