Cost of Living Comparison Between Ireland and Spain Cost of Living Comparison Between Ireland and Spain

Name: Spain
Address: ES

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,595 in Ireland versus $1,642 in Spain.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,711 in Ireland versus $2,393 in Spain.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,827 in Ireland versus $3,144 in Spain.

Living in Ireland is roughly 58% more expensive than in Spain on average.

Both countries sit above the global median: Ireland 94% above, Spain 23% above.

Ireland ($1,821–$3,670) and Spain ($1,125–$3,182) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.75 €18.13

$16.46 €14.38

26.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$93.5 €81.7

$58.1 €50.7

60.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.39 €9.95

$10.59 €9.25

7.55%

Cappuccino

$4.38 €3.83

$2.30 €2.01

90.43%

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

$2.72 €2.38

$2.59 €2.26

5.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 €1.81

$1.88 €1.65

10.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.06 €6.17

$3.41 €2.98

107.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.33 €5.53

$3.97 €3.47

59.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.54 €1.34

$1.18 €1.03

30.51%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 €1.94

$1.54 €1.34

44.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.00 €1.74

$1.59 €1.39

25.79%

Eggs

$4.26 €3.72

$3.05 €2.67

39.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.57 €9.23

$14.38 €12.56

-26.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.67 €10.19

$8.46 €7.39

37.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.41 €11.71

$15.94 €13.93

-15.87%

Apples (1kg)

$3.19 €2.79

$2.54 €2.22

25.59%

Banana (1kg)

$2.16 €1.88

$2.08 €1.82

3.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.04 €2.65

$2.02 €1.77

50.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.36 €3.81

$2.66 €2.32

63.91%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 €1.90

$1.82 €1.59

19.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 €1.39

$1.88 €1.65

-15.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 €1.22

$1.35 €1.18

2.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.02 €1.77

$0.75 €0.66

169.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.52 €17.06

$6.35 €5.55

207.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.39 €11.70

$5.75 €5.02

132.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.01

$1.30 €1.14

164.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 €3.21

$2.11 €1.85

74.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 €1.97

$1.72 €1.50

31.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$97.7 €85.4

$35.11 €30.67

178.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.86 €5.12

$4.56 €3.99

28.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.03 €1.77

$1.30 €1.13

56.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$38.19 €33.37

$26.70 €23.33

43.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.98 €1.73

$1.81 €1.58

9.39%

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

$42.9K €37.5K

$39.2K €34.3K

9.25%

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

$39.2K €34.2K

$30.6K €26.7K

28.02%

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

$246 €215

$153 €133

61.11%

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

$23.62 €20.63

$20.36 €17.79

16.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.4 €47.50

$34.00 €29.71

59.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.0 €49.82

$48.13 €42.05

18.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.98 €20.08

$16.14 €14.10

42.38%

Cinema Ticket

$13.66 €11.94

$9.37 €8.19

45.78%

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

$1,209 €1,056

$520 €454

132.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,711 €7,611

$10.2K €8,888

-14.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.9 €83.8

$85.9 €75.1

11.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.26 €41.29

$36.75 €32.11

28.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €90.8

$91.7 €80.1

13.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 €99.6

$108 €94.7

5.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,882 €1,645

$1,043 €911

80.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,591 €1,390

$834 €729

90.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,075 €2,686

$1,674 €1,462

83.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,543 €2,222

$1,223 €1,069

107.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,948 €4,323

$4,158 €3,633

19.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,824 €3,341

$2,629 €2,297

45.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,572 €3,121

$1,965 €1,717

81.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.47

3.51

27.35%

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

Last update for Ireland: July 12, 2026

Last update for Spain: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $1,502 in Ireland, $897 in Spain. Capital cities: $2,368 in Dublin vs $1,607 in Madrid.

National salary averages: $3,400 in Ireland, $1,989 in Spain. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 67% higher in Ireland.

Dining out costs 68% more in Ireland.

Public transport is 200% more expensive in Ireland.

Salaries are 71% higher 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 Spain: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $2,746 per month in Ireland and $2,154 in Spain, there's a 27% 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 Spain: 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 Spain across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

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