Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Limerick and Donegal

For one person, living is cheaper in Donegal: $1,877 a month against $2,991 in Limerick, rent and utilities included – about $13,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Limerick, Ireland
Donegal, Ireland
Limerick
🇮🇪 Ireland
$2,991
/mo nomad
Donegal
🇮🇪 Ireland
$1,877
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Limerick and in Donegal

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

A single person spends $2,991 per month in Limerick vs $1,877 in Donegal, rent included.

  • Limerick $2,991
  • Donegal $1,877

A couple spends around $4,185 per month in Limerick vs $2,775 in Donegal, rent included.

  • Limerick $4,185
  • Donegal $2,775

A family of three spends $5,379 per month in Limerick vs $3,673 in Donegal, rent included.

  • Limerick $5,379
  • Donegal $3,673

Limerick costs about 59% more than Donegal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Limerick and Donegal sit above the global median – Limerick by 120%, Donegal by 38%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Limerick
Donegal
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.09 €18.00
$20.37 €18.25
-1.37%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$83.6 €75.0
$84.0 €75.3
-0.48%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.36 €11.97
$5.74 €5.14
132.75%
Cappuccino
$4.49 €4.02
$2.85 €2.55
57.54%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.60 €2.33
$1.71 €1.53
52.05%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.22 €1.99
$1.14 €1.02
94.74%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.35 €6.59
$7.31 €6.55
0.55%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.63 €5.94
$6.61 €5.93
0.30%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Limerick
Donegal
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.70 €1.52
$1.61 €1.44
5.59%
White Bread (500g)
$1.79 €1.60
$1.81 €1.62
-1.10%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.81 €1.62
$1.82 €1.63
-0.55%
Eggs
$5.25 €4.70
$3.36 €3.01
56.25%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.25 €7.39
$7.74 €6.94
6.59%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$12.82 €11.49
$12.61 €11.30
1.67%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.47 €12.96
$13.33 €11.94
8.55%
Apples (1kg)
$4.05 €3.63
$2.28 €2.04
77.63%
Banana (1kg)
$2.62 €2.34
$1.66 €1.49
57.83%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.95 €3.54
$1.35 €1.21
192.59%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.99 €3.57
$4.15 €3.72
-3.86%
Potato (1kg)
$4.37 €3.92
$1.36 €1.21
221.32%
Onion (1kg)
$2.68 €2.40
$2.82 €2.52
-4.96%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.23 €1.11
$1.30 €1.16
-5.38%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.31 €2.07
$2.07 €1.85
11.59%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$20.85 €18.68
$20.88 €18.71
-0.14%
Wine (Bottle)
$16.80 €15.05
$16.80 €15.06
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.96 €2.65
$3.04 €2.73
-2.63%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.86 €3.46
$2.78 €2.49
38.85%
🚌 Getting Around
Limerick
Donegal
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.48 €2.22
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$66.1 €59.2
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.69 €5.09
$5.49 €4.92
3.64%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.51 €1.35
$1.51 €1.35
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$66.0 €59.1
$66.3 €59.4
-0.45%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.06 €1.85
$2.00 €1.79
3.00%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.5K €34.5K
$39.5K €35.4K
-2.59%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.8K €34.8K
$37.6K €33.7K
3.25%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Limerick
Donegal
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$162 €146
$166 €149
-2.12%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$21.34 €19.12
$20.98 €18.80
1.72%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$45.47 €40.75
$44.62 €39.98
1.90%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Limerick
Donegal
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$51.8 €46.38
$56.5 €50.6
-8.36%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$25.16 €22.54
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$11.15 €9.99
$11.32 €10.15
-1.50%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Limerick
Donegal
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$851 €763
$849 €761
0.22%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$2,233 €2,001
$2,265 €2,030
-1.44%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Limerick
Donegal
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$88.3 €79.1
$73.1 €65.5
20.71%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$36.24 €32.47
$36.54 €32.74
-0.82%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$91.1 €81.6
$77.7 €69.7
17.20%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$97.3 €87.2
$97.0 €87.0
0.28%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Limerick
Donegal
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,167 €1,942
$1,108 €993
95.58%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,760 €1,577
$827 €741
112.93%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,147 €2,820
$1,595 €1,429
97.35%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,531 €2,268
$1,238 €1,109
104.54%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,397 €3,940
$1,699 €1,522
158.85%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,835 €3,436
$1,107 €992
246.39%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Limerick
Donegal
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,268 €2,928
$4,241 €3,800
-22.95%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.6
3.6
-

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

Last update for Limerick: October 26, 2026

Last update for Donegal: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Limerick
$1.8K
Donegal
$827 53% $933
Groceries & Markets
Limerick
$374
Donegal
$323 13.7% $51
Eating Out
Limerick
$324
Donegal
$275 15% $48
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Limerick
$229
Donegal
$232 1% $2.3
Clothing & Footwear
Limerick
$141
Donegal
$128 9.1% $13
Getting Around
Limerick
$89
Donegal
$13 * 85.4% $76
Sport & Entertainment
Limerick
$74
Donegal
$79 6.8% $5.1

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,167 in Limerick versus $1,108 in Donegal. 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 30% higher in Donegal, 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 $84 in Limerick versus $84 in Donegal. Groceries tell a different story – $374 in Limerick vs $323 in Donegal – so Donegal wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇮🇪 Limerick
🇮🇪 Donegal
🕒 Local time
06:07 6:07 AM
06:07 6:07 AM
Same time as Limerick
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
94,192
2,600
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Limerick Donegal 220 km
From you
  • Limerick
  • Donegal

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 Donegal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Donegal cheaper than Limerick?
Yes – Limerick is pricier by about 59%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,487 per month in Limerick and $2,815 in Donegal. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Donegal, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,108 there versus $2,167 in Limerick.
How do food prices compare in Limerick and in Donegal?
Groceries cost about 16% more in Limerick, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $851 per month in Limerick and $849 in Donegal. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $2,500 a realistic budget for living in Limerick or in Donegal?
A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Donegal, where all-in costs run around $1,877, than in Limerick at $2,991. In Donegal it covers expenses comfortably, while in Limerick it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is it better to live in Limerick or in Donegal?
It depends on your priorities. Donegal has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,877 in Donegal to $2,991 in Limerick. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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