Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Limerick and Portlaoise

For one person, living is cheaper in Portlaoise: $1,924 a month against $2,991 in Limerick, rent and utilities included – about $12,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Limerick, Ireland
Portlaoise, Ireland
Limerick
🇮🇪 Ireland
$2,991
/mo nomad
Portlaoise
🇮🇪 Ireland
$1,924
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Limerick and in Portlaoise

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

A single person spends $2,991 per month in Limerick vs $1,924 in Portlaoise, rent included.

  • Limerick $2,991
  • Portlaoise $1,924

A couple spends around $4,185 per month in Limerick vs $3,046 in Portlaoise, rent included.

  • Limerick $4,185
  • Portlaoise $3,046

A family of three spends $5,379 per month in Limerick vs $4,168 in Portlaoise, rent included.

  • Limerick $5,379
  • Portlaoise $4,168

Limerick costs about 55% more than Portlaoise, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Limerick and Portlaoise sit above the global median – Limerick by 120%, Portlaoise by 41%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Limerick
Portlaoise
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.09 €18.00
$18.81 €16.85
6.80%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$83.6 €75.0
$78.2 €70.1
7.00%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.36 €11.97
$12.23 €10.96
9.24%
Cappuccino
$4.49 €4.02
$3.93 €3.52
14.25%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.60 €2.33
$2.15 €1.92
20.93%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.22 €1.99
$1.29 €1.16
72.09%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.35 €6.59
$6.85 €6.14
7.30%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.63 €5.94
$5.45 €4.89
21.65%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Limerick
Portlaoise
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.70 €1.52
$1.64 €1.47
3.66%
White Bread (500g)
$1.79 €1.60
$2.27 €2.04
-21.15%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.81 €1.62
$1.30 €1.17
39.23%
Eggs
$5.25 €4.70
$7.65 €6.86
-31.37%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.25 €7.39
-
-
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$12.82 €11.49
-
-
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.47 €12.96
-
-
Apples (1kg)
$4.05 €3.63
$2.19 €1.96
84.93%
Banana (1kg)
$2.62 €2.34
$2.28 €2.04
14.91%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.95 €3.54
$2.23 €1.99
77.13%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.99 €3.57
-
-
Potato (1kg)
$4.37 €3.92
$1.10 €0.99
297.27%
Onion (1kg)
$2.68 €2.40
-
-
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.23 €1.11
-
-
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.31 €2.07
-
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$20.85 €18.68
$19.43 €17.41
7.31%
Wine (Bottle)
$16.80 €15.05
-
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.96 €2.65
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.86 €3.46
-
-
🚌 Getting Around
Limerick
Portlaoise
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.48 €2.22
$4.55 €4.07
-45.49%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$66.1 €59.2
$44.78 €40.13
47.54%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.69 €5.09
$6.23 €5.59
-8.67%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.51 €1.35
$1.43 €1.28
5.59%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$66.0 €59.1
$18.81 €16.85
250.88%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.06 €1.85
$2.02 €1.81
1.98%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.5K €34.5K
$40.4K €36.2K
-4.72%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.8K €34.8K
$33.3K €29.8K
16.58%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Limerick
Portlaoise
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$162 €146
$234 €210
-30.56%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$21.34 €19.12
$33.50 €30.02
-36.30%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$45.47 €40.75
$56.6 €50.7
-19.66%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Limerick
Portlaoise
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$51.8 €46.38
$56.0 €50.2
-7.52%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$25.16 €22.54
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$11.15 €9.99
$16.74 €15.00
-33.39%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Limerick
Portlaoise
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$851 €763
-
-
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$2,233 €2,001
$5,113 €4,582
-56.33%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Limerick
Portlaoise
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$88.3 €79.1
-
-
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$36.24 €32.47
$27.80 €24.91
30.36%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$91.1 €81.6
$68.3 €61.2
33.49%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$97.3 €87.2
-
-
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Limerick
Portlaoise
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,167 €1,942
$1,211 €1,085
78.92%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,760 €1,577
$986 €884
78.44%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,147 €2,820
$2,324 €2,083
35.39%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,531 €2,268
$2,104 €1,886
20.29%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,397 €3,940
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,835 €3,436
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Limerick
Portlaoise
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,268 €2,928
$2,851 €2,555
14.60%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.6
3.5
2.86%

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

Last update for Limerick: October 26, 2026

Last update for Portlaoise: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Limerick
$1.8K
Portlaoise
–
Groceries & Markets
Limerick
$374
Portlaoise
–
Eating Out
Limerick
$324
Portlaoise
–
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Limerick
$229
Portlaoise
–
Clothing & Footwear
Limerick
$141
Portlaoise
–
Getting Around
Limerick
$89
Portlaoise
–
Sport & Entertainment
Limerick
$74
Portlaoise
–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,167 in Limerick versus $1,211 in Portlaoise. 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 15% higher in Limerick, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $84 in Limerick versus $78 in Portlaoise. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $374 vs $112 – making Portlaoise the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇮🇪 Limerick
🇮🇪 Portlaoise
🕒 Local time
04:28 4:28 AM
04:28 4:28 AM
Same time as Limerick
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
94,192
23,494
💱 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 Portlaoise 98 km
From you
  • Limerick
  • Portlaoise

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 Portlaoise: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Limerick and in Portlaoise compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $2,991 in Limerick, $1,924 in Portlaoise – Portlaoise comes out roughly 36% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Limerick compared to Portlaoise?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,487 per month in Limerick and $2,887 in Portlaoise. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Limerick and Portlaoise?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Portlaoise, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,211 there versus $2,167 in Limerick.
Which city is more expensive overall: Limerick or Portlaoise?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,991 in Limerick and $1,924 in Portlaoise. That makes Portlaoise about 36% cheaper.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $84 in Limerick and $78 in Portlaoise. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How does quality of life compare between Limerick and Portlaoise?
It depends on your priorities. Limerick has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,924 in Portlaoise to $2,991 in Limerick. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Limerick or Portlaoise safer for residents?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.
How do I decide between Limerick and Portlaoise?
If budget matters most, go with Portlaoise. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Limerick makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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