Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Portlaoise and Dublin

For one person, living is cheaper in Portlaoise: $2,347 a month against $3,729 in Dublin, rent and utilities included – about $16,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Portlaoise
🇮🇪 Ireland
$2,347
/mo nomad
Dublin
🇮🇪 Ireland
$3,729
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Portlaoise and in Dublin

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

A single person spends $2,347 per month in Portlaoise vs $3,729 in Dublin, rent included.

  • Portlaoise $2,347
  • Dublin $3,729

A couple spends around $3,746 per month in Portlaoise vs $5,239 in Dublin, rent included.

  • Portlaoise $3,746
  • Dublin $5,239

A family of three spends $5,145 per month in Portlaoise vs $6,748 in Dublin, rent included.

  • Portlaoise $5,145
  • Dublin $6,748

Portlaoise is about 37% cheaper than Dublin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Portlaoise and Dublin sit above the global median – Portlaoise by 74%, Dublin by 176%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Portlaoise
Dublin
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$22.70 €20.19
$23.58 €20.97
-3.73%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$78.5 €69.8
$101 €89.6
-22.11%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.72 €11.31
$13.50 €12.00
-5.78%
Cappuccino
$4.40 €3.91
$4.82 €4.29
-8.71%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.50 €2.22
$2.87 €2.55
-12.89%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.70 €1.51
$2.24 €1.99
-24.11%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.60 €5.87
$7.80 €6.94
-15.38%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.12 €5.44
$7.32 €6.51
-16.39%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Portlaoise
Dublin
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.71 €1.52
$1.66 €1.48
3.01%
White Bread (500g)
$2.25 €2.00
$2.42 €2.15
-7.02%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.86 €1.65
$1.98 €1.76
-6.06%
Eggs
$4.62 €4.11
$4.90 €4.35
-5.71%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$14.04 €12.48
$10.02 €8.91
40.12%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$12.88 €11.45
$12.79 €11.38
0.70%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.74 €14.89
$15.78 €14.04
6.08%
Apples (1kg)
$3.32 €2.95
$2.85 €2.53
16.49%
Banana (1kg)
$2.94 €2.62
$2.17 €1.93
35.48%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.26 €2.90
$2.65 €2.36
23.02%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.86 €4.32
$5.29 €4.71
-8.13%
Potato (1kg)
$2.32 €2.07
$1.84 €1.64
26.09%
Onion (1kg)
$1.73 €1.54
$1.48 €1.32
16.89%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.38 €1.23
$1.31 €1.16
5.34%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.10 €1.87
$2.02 €1.80
3.96%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$20.38 €18.12
$20.78 €18.48
-1.92%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.49 €12.00
$13.63 €12.12
-1.03%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$4.10 €3.64
$3.44 €3.06
19.19%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.61 €3.21
$3.46 €3.07
4.34%
🚌 Getting Around
Portlaoise
Dublin
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$4.66 €4.14
$2.19 €1.95
112.79%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.08 €39.21
$109 €97.1
-59.63%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.23 €4.65
$5.05 €4.49
3.56%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.55 €1.38
$1.55 €1.38
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$33.30 €29.62
$37.01 €32.92
-10.02%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.03 €1.80
$2.15 €1.91
-5.58%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.8K €34.5K
$38.9K €34.6K
-0.18%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.0K €33.8K
$39.5K €35.1K
-3.70%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Portlaoise
Dublin
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$239 €212
$281 €250
-15.02%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$21.79 €19.38
$17.94 €15.96
21.46%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$55.6 €49.40
$51.6 €45.88
7.68%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Portlaoise
Dublin
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$55.3 €49.22
$68.0 €60.5
-18.58%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$20.55 €18.28
-
Cinema Ticket
$13.45 €11.96
$15.45 €13.74
-12.94%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Portlaoise
Dublin
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,072 €953
$1,281 €1,140
-16.38%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,427 €4,827
$14.2K €12.6K
-61.71%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Portlaoise
Dublin
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$94.5 €84.0
$107 €95.0
-11.59%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.66 €37.94
$51.2 €45.51
-16.63%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$108 €96.2
$112 €99.4
-3.19%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$121 €108
$130 €115
-6.36%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Portlaoise
Dublin
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,229 €1,093
$2,503 €2,226
-50.91%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$984 €875
$2,245 €1,997
-56.18%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,264 €2,014
$4,443 €3,951
-49.03%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,151 €1,913
$3,431 €3,051
-37.32%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$9,378 €8,341
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$5,995 €5,332
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Portlaoise
Dublin
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,785 €2,477
$3,914 €3,481
-28.86%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.5
3.82
-8.38%

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

Last update for Portlaoise: October 10, 2026

Last update for Dublin: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Portlaoise
$984
Dublin
$2.2K 128% $1.3K
Groceries & Markets
Portlaoise
$390
Dublin
$363 6.7% $26
Eating Out
Portlaoise
$335
Dublin
$361 7.9% $26
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Portlaoise
$316
Dublin
$350 10.9% $34
Clothing & Footwear
Portlaoise
$165
Dublin
$180 8.9% $15
Sport & Entertainment
Portlaoise
$82
Dublin
$99 20.2% $17
Getting Around
Portlaoise
$76
Dublin
$131 72.8% $55

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,229 in Portlaoise versus $2,503 in Dublin. 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 41% higher in Dublin, 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 $78.0 in Portlaoise versus $101 in Dublin. Groceries tell a different story – $390 in Portlaoise vs $363 in Dublin – so Dublin wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇮🇪 Portlaoise
🇮🇪 Dublin
🕒 Local time
11:32 11:32 AM
11:32 11:32 AM
Same time as Portlaoise
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
23,494
588,233 Capital
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Portlaoise Dublin 78 km
From you
  • Portlaoise
  • Dublin

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
Portlaoise vs Dublin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Portlaoise and in Dublin compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $2,347 in Portlaoise, $3,729 in Dublin – roughly 59% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.
What salary covers living expenses in Portlaoise compared to Dublin?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,521 per month in Portlaoise and $5,594 in Dublin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Portlaoise and Dublin?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Portlaoise, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $78.0 in Portlaoise and $101 in Dublin. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city is more expensive overall: Portlaoise or Dublin?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,347 in Portlaoise and $3,729 in Dublin. That's a gap of about 59%.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Portlaoise, where all-in costs run around $2,347, than in Dublin at $3,729. In Portlaoise it covers expenses comfortably, while in Dublin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Portlaoise and Dublin?
It depends on your priorities. Dublin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,347 in Portlaoise to $3,729 in Dublin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Portlaoise or Dublin safer for residents?
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.
How do I decide between Portlaoise and Dublin?
If budget matters most, go with Portlaoise. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Dublin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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