Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Limerick and Ballina

For one person, living is cheaper in Ballina: $2,218 a month against $2,815 in Limerick, rent and utilities included – about $7,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Limerick outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

137

Cost of Living Index in Limerick
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Limerick Living Index
107

Cost of Living Index in Ballina
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Ballina Living Index

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Limerick

🇮🇪 Ireland

$2,815

/mo nomad

Ballina

🇮🇪 Ireland

$2,218

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Limerick and in Ballina

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Limerick and in Ballina actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,815 per month in Limerick vs $2,218 in Ballina, rent included.

Limerick $2,815
Ballina $2,218

A couple spends around $3,956 per month in Limerick vs $3,255 in Ballina, rent included.

Limerick $3,956
Ballina $3,255

A family of three spends $5,097 per month in Limerick vs $4,293 in Ballina, rent included.

Limerick $5,097
Ballina $4,293

Limerick costs about 27% more than Ballina, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Limerick and Ballina sit above the global median – Limerick by 108%, Ballina by 64%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.23 €17.99

$16.90 €15.04

19.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.0 €73.9

$66.2 €58.9

25.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.48 €11.99

$12.43 €11.05

8.45%

Cappuccino

$4.53 €4.03

$3.84 €3.42

17.97%

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

$2.63 €2.34

$1.55 €1.38

69.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 €1.99

$1.31 €1.16

70.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.23 €6.43

$5.75 €5.12

25.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.76 €6.01

$7.60 €6.76

-11.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 €1.52

$1.63 €1.45

4.91%

White Bread (500g)

$1.87 €1.66

$2.21 €1.97

-15.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.81 €1.61

$2.07 €1.84

-12.56%

Eggs

$5.39 €4.80

$3.12 €2.77

72.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.50 €7.56

$10.21 €9.08

-16.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.79 €11.38

$12.91 €11.48

-0.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 €12.63

$16.16 €14.37

-12.13%

Apples (1kg)

$4.10 €3.65

$2.77 €2.47

48.01%

Banana (1kg)

$2.71 €2.41

$1.61 €1.43

68.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.97 €3.53

$2.72 €2.42

45.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.06 €3.61

$5.13 €4.57

-20.86%

Potato (1kg)

$4.40 €3.92

$1.87 €1.66

135.29%

Onion (1kg)

$2.84 €2.53

$1.54 €1.37

84.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.26 €1.12

$1.35 €1.20

-6.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.28 €2.03

$2.10 €1.86

8.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.45 €18.19

$20.99 €18.67

-2.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.76 €14.90

$9.99 €8.89

67.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.98 €2.65

$3.44 €3.06

-13.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.98 €3.54

$3.43 €3.06

16.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 €2.16

$5.51 €4.90

-55.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.3 €53.6

$137 €122

-56.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.48 €4.87

$5.01 €4.45

9.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 €1.34

$1.53 €1.36

-1.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$66.7 €59.3

$37.53 €33.38

77.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.05 €1.82

$1.99 €1.77

3.02%

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

$39.6K €35.2K

$33.9K €30.1K

17.04%

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

$38.1K €33.9K

$38.0K €33.8K

0.16%

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

$164 €146

$280 €249

-41.54%

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

$20.70 €18.42

$18.65 €16.59

10.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.67 €41.51

$39.19 €34.86

19.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 €46.31

$51.4 €45.71

1.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.97 €22.21

$11.02 €9.80

126.59%

Cinema Ticket

$11.32 €10.07

$12.15 €10.80

-6.83%

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

$848 €755

$1,265 €1,125

-32.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,247 €1,999

$14.5K €12.9K

-84.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.3 €76.7

$106 €94.6

-18.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.72 €31.78

$49.68 €44.19

-28.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.4 €82.2

$116 €103

-20.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.1 €84.6

$112 €100

-15.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,869 €1,663

$892 €793

109.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,584 €1,409

$839 €746

88.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,467 €2,194

$1,294 €1,151

90.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,254 €2,005

$1,361 €1,210

65.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,460 €3,967

$3,418 €3,040

30.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,865 €3,438

$2,838 €2,524

36.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,220 €2,865

$3,322 €2,955

-3.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.6

3.82

-5.76%

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

Last update for Limerick: October 17, 2026

Last update for Ballina: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Limerick

$1.6K 56.3%

Ballina

$839 37.8% 47% $745

Groceries & Markets

Limerick

$377 13.4%

Ballina

$346 15.6% 8.2% $31

Eating Out

Limerick

$326 11.6%

Ballina

$274 12.4% 15.9% $52

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Limerick

$231 8.2%

Ballina

$338 15.3% 46.2% $107

Clothing & Footwear

Limerick

$139 5%

Ballina

$173 7.8% 24.2% $34

Getting Around

Limerick

$83 3%

Ballina

$172 7.8% 107% $89

Sport & Entertainment

Limerick

$75 2.7%

Ballina

$76 3.4% 1.3% $1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,869 in Limerick versus $892 in Ballina. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 3% higher in Ballina, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $83.0 in Limerick versus $66.0 in Ballina. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $377 vs $346 – making Ballina the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇪 Limerick

🇮🇪 Ballina

🕒 Local time

16:40 4:40 PM

Same time as Limerick

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

94,192

10,556

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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

Limerick vs Ballina: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Limerick costs about 27% more than Ballina, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,222 per month in Limerick and $3,327 in Ballina. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ballina, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 128% less in Ballina. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $848 per month in Limerick and $1,265 in Ballina. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Ballina, where all-in costs run around $2,218, than in Limerick at $2,815. In Ballina it covers expenses comfortably, while in Limerick it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Ballina costs $2,218 versus $2,815 in Limerick. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Ballina. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Limerick makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.