Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Limerick and Derry, Ireland

For one person, living is cheaper in Derry: $2,515 a month against $2,991 in Limerick, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

143

Cost of Living Index in Limerick
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Limerick Living Index
120

Cost of Living Index in Derry
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Derry Living Index

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Limerick

🇮🇪 Ireland

$2,991

/mo nomad

Derry

🇮🇪 Ireland

$2,515

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Limerick and in Derry

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,991 in Limerick versus $2,515 in Derry.

Limerick $2,991
Derry $2,515

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,185 in Limerick versus $3,028 in Derry.

Limerick $4,185
Derry $3,028

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,379 in Limerick versus $3,541 in Derry.

Limerick $5,379
Derry $3,541

Living in Limerick is roughly 19% more expensive than in Derry, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Limerick 120% above, Derry 85% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.09 €17.99

$20.72 €18.55

-3.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.6 €74.9

$52.6 €47.14

58.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.36 €11.96

$9.12 €8.17

46.49%

Cappuccino

$4.49 €4.02

$4.50 €4.03

-0.22%

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

$2.60 €2.33

$1.67 €1.49

55.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 €1.99

$1.61 €1.44

37.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.35 €6.59

$5.28 €4.73

39.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.63 €5.94

$6.62 €5.93

0.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 €1.52

$1.54 €1.38

10.39%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 €1.60

$1.48 €1.33

20.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.81 €1.62

$2.01 €1.80

-9.95%

Eggs

$5.25 €4.70

$3.45 €3.09

52.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.25 €7.39

$13.14 €11.76

-37.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.82 €11.48

$9.96 €8.92

28.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.47 €12.96

$13.20 €11.82

9.62%

Apples (1kg)

$4.05 €3.63

$2.96 €2.65

36.82%

Banana (1kg)

$2.62 €2.34

$1.56 €1.40

67.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.95 €3.54

$3.15 €2.82

25.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.99 €3.57

$4.04 €3.62

-1.24%

Potato (1kg)

$4.37 €3.92

$1.05 €0.94

316.19%

Onion (1kg)

$2.68 €2.40

$1.36 €1.22

97.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 €1.10

$1.04 €0.93

18.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.31 €2.06

$1.84 €1.65

25.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.85 €18.67

$20.70 €18.54

0.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.80 €15.05

$10.27 €9.20

63.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.96 €2.65

$2.31 €2.07

28.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.86 €3.45

$2.57 €2.30

50.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.48 €2.22

$2.51 €2.25

-1.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.1 €59.2

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.69 €5.09

$5.26 €4.71

8.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 €1.35

$1.44 €1.29

4.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$66.0 €59.1

$56.8 €50.9

16.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.85

$2.08 €1.86

-0.96%

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

$38.5K €34.4K

$38.3K €34.3K

0.33%

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

$38.8K €34.8K

$38.3K €34.3K

1.34%

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

$162 €145

$244 €219

-33.49%

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

$21.34 €19.11

$21.20 €18.99

0.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.47 €40.72

$50.4 €45.15

-9.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.8 €46.35

$34.99 €31.34

47.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.16 €22.53

$25.97 €23.26

-3.12%

Cinema Ticket

$11.15 €9.99

$12.98 €11.63

-14.10%

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

$851 €762

$1,180 €1,056

-27.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,233 €2,000

$5,539 €4,961

-59.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.3 €79.0

$101 €90.7

-12.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.24 €32.45

$47.33 €42.39

-23.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.1 €81.6

$97.5 €87.4

-6.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.3 €87.2

$72.2 €64.7

34.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,167 €1,941

$1,599 €1,432

35.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,760 €1,576

$1,365 €1,223

28.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,147 €2,818

$1,344 €1,204

134.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,531 €2,267

$1,103 €988

129.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,397 €3,938

$2,303 €2,062

90.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,835 €3,434

$3,403 €3,048

12.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,268 €2,926

$2,650 €2,374

23.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.6

3.68

-2.17%

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

Last update for Limerick: October 26, 2026

Last update for Derry: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Limerick

$1.8K 58.8%

Derry

$1.4K 54.3% 22.4% $395

Groceries & Markets

Limerick

$374 12.5%

Derry

$307 12.2% 17.9% $67

Eating Out

Limerick

$324 10.8%

Derry

$300 11.9% 7.4% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Limerick

$229 7.7%

Derry

$316 12.6% 37.8% $87

Clothing & Footwear

Limerick

$141 4.7%

Derry

$143 5.7% 1.7% $2.4

Getting Around

Limerick

$89 3%

Derry

$22 * 0.9% 74.8% $67

Sport & Entertainment

Limerick

$74 2.5%

Derry

$61 2.4% 17.7% $13

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,167 in Limerick and $1,599 in Derry. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Limerick pays 23% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $84 in Limerick vs $53 in Derry for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $374 vs $307 per month, with Derry cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇪 Limerick

🇮🇪 Derry

🕒 Local time

00:46 12:46 AM

Same time as Limerick

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

94,192

85,016

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Limerick Derry 270 km

From you

Limerick
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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 Derry: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Derry is about 16% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, transport, and eating out. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 23% higher in Limerick, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,167 in Limerick versus $1,599 in Derry. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 22% higher in Limerick. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $2,991 per month in Limerick versus $2,515 in Derry – Derry is about 16% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Derry is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Limerick and Derry are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Derry wins on affordability, Limerick on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.