Cost of Living Comparison Between Spain and Ireland Cost of Living Comparison Between Spain and Ireland

Name: Ireland
Address: IE

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,642 in Spain versus $2,595 in Ireland.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,393 in Spain versus $3,711 in Ireland.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,144 in Spain versus $4,827 in Ireland.

Living in Spain costs about 37% less than in Ireland on average.

Both countries sit above the global median: Spain 23% above, Ireland 94% above.

Spain ($1,125–$3,182) and Ireland ($1,821–$3,670) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.46 €14.38

$20.75 €18.13

-20.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.1 €50.7

$93.5 €81.7

-37.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 €9.25

$11.39 €9.95

-7.02%

Cappuccino

$2.30 €2.01

$4.38 €3.83

-47.49%

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

$2.59 €2.26

$2.72 €2.38

-4.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.65

$2.07 €1.81

-9.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.41 €2.98

$7.06 €6.17

-51.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.97 €3.47

$6.33 €5.53

-37.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.03

$1.54 €1.34

-23.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.54 €1.34

$2.22 €1.94

-30.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.59 €1.39

$2.00 €1.74

-20.50%

Eggs

$3.05 €2.67

$4.26 €3.72

-28.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.38 €12.56

$10.57 €9.23

36.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.46 €7.39

$11.67 €10.19

-27.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.94 €13.93

$13.41 €11.71

18.87%

Apples (1kg)

$2.54 €2.22

$3.19 €2.79

-20.38%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$2.16 €1.88

-3.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 €1.77

$3.04 €2.65

-33.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.66 €2.32

$4.36 €3.81

-38.99%

Potato (1kg)

$1.82 €1.59

$2.17 €1.90

-16.13%

Onion (1kg)

$1.88 €1.65

$1.59 €1.39

18.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.35 €1.18

$1.39 €1.22

-2.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 €0.66

$2.02 €1.77

-62.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.35 €5.55

$19.52 €17.06

-67.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.75 €5.02

$13.39 €11.70

-57.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 €1.14

$3.44 €3.01

-62.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 €1.85

$3.68 €3.21

-42.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.72 €1.50

$2.26 €1.97

-23.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.11 €30.67

$97.7 €85.4

-64.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.56 €3.99

$5.86 €5.12

-22.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.30 €1.13

$2.03 €1.77

-35.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.70 €23.33

$38.19 €33.37

-30.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.81 €1.58

$1.98 €1.73

-8.59%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$42.9K €37.5K

-8.47%

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

$30.6K €26.7K

$39.2K €34.2K

-21.89%

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

$153 €133

$246 €215

-37.93%

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

$20.36 €17.79

$23.62 €20.63

-13.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.00 €29.71

$54.4 €47.50

-37.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.13 €42.05

$57.0 €49.82

-15.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.14 €14.10

$22.98 €20.08

-29.77%

Cinema Ticket

$9.37 €8.19

$13.66 €11.94

-31.41%

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

$520 €454

$1,209 €1,056

-57.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.2K €8,888

$8,711 €7,611

16.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.9 €75.1

$95.9 €83.8

-10.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.75 €32.11

$47.26 €41.29

-22.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.7 €80.1

$104 €90.8

-11.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 €94.7

$114 €99.6

-4.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,043 €911

$1,882 €1,645

-44.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$834 €729

$1,591 €1,390

-47.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,674 €1,462

$3,075 €2,686

-45.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 €1,069

$2,543 €2,222

-51.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,158 €3,633

$4,948 €4,323

-15.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,629 €2,297

$3,824 €3,341

-31.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,965 €1,717

$3,572 €3,121

-45.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.51

4.47

-21.48%

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

Last update for Spain: July 12, 2026

Last update for Ireland: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $897 in Spain, $1,502 in Ireland. Capital cities: $1,607 in Madrid vs $2,368 in Dublin.

National salary averages: $1,989 in Spain, $3,400 in Ireland. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 67% higher in Ireland.

Dining out costs 68% more in Ireland.

Public transport is 200% more expensive in Ireland.

Salaries are 71% higher in Ireland.

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

Spain vs Ireland: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $2,746 per month in Ireland and $2,154 in Spain, there's a 27% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in Spain: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in Ireland is consistently higher than in Spain across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In Spain, $3,000 covers most cities easily; in Ireland it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after: Spain wins on affordability; Ireland may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.