Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Waterford and Dublin

For one person, living is cheaper in Waterford: $2,687 a month against $3,729 in Dublin, rent and utilities included – about $12,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

130

Cost of Living Index in Waterford
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Waterford Living Index
180

Cost of Living Index in Dublin
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Dublin Living Index

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Waterford

🇮🇪 Ireland

$2,687

/mo nomad

Dublin

🇮🇪 Ireland

$3,729

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Waterford 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 Waterford and in Dublin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,687 per month in Waterford vs $3,729 in Dublin, rent included.

Waterford $2,687
Dublin $3,729

A couple spends around $3,901 per month in Waterford vs $5,239 in Dublin, rent included.

Waterford $3,901
Dublin $5,239

A family of three spends $5,115 per month in Waterford vs $6,748 in Dublin, rent included.

Waterford $5,115
Dublin $6,748

Waterford is about 28% cheaper than Dublin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Waterford and Dublin sit above the global median – Waterford by 99%, Dublin by 176%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.19 €19.74

$23.58 €20.97

-5.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.1 €81.0

$101 €89.6

-9.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.03 €10.70

$13.50 €12.00

-10.89%

Cappuccino

$4.15 €3.69

$4.82 €4.29

-13.90%

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

$3.04 €2.70

$2.87 €2.55

5.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.83

$2.24 €1.99

-8.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.32 €6.51

$7.80 €6.94

-6.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.00 €5.33

$7.32 €6.51

-18.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 €1.27

$1.66 €1.48

-13.86%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 €2.07

$2.42 €2.15

-3.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.27 €2.02

$1.98 €1.76

14.65%

Eggs

$4.38 €3.89

$4.90 €4.35

-10.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.70 €13.96

$10.02 €8.91

56.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.97 €9.76

$12.79 €11.38

-14.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.36 €11.89

$15.78 €14.04

-15.34%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 €2.61

$2.85 €2.53

2.81%

Banana (1kg)

$2.19 €1.95

$2.17 €1.93

0.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.07 €2.73

$2.65 €2.36

15.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.01 €3.56

$5.29 €4.71

-24.20%

Potato (1kg)

$1.48 €1.31

$1.84 €1.64

-19.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 €1.34

$1.48 €1.32

2.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 €1.11

$1.31 €1.16

-4.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 €1.66

$2.02 €1.80

-7.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.37 €16.34

$20.78 €18.48

-11.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.06 €12.50

$13.63 €12.12

3.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.08 €2.74

$3.44 €3.06

-10.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 €2.77

$3.46 €3.07

-9.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.84 €2.53

$2.19 €1.95

29.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.4 €55.5

$109 €97.1

-42.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.07 €4.51

$5.05 €4.49

0.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.42 €1.26

$1.55 €1.38

-8.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$54.9 €48.81

$37.01 €32.92

48.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.80

$2.15 €1.91

-6.05%

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

$38.5K €34.2K

$38.9K €34.6K

-1.14%

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

$37.2K €33.1K

$39.5K €35.1K

-5.82%

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

$243 €217

$281 €250

-13.33%

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

$21.08 €18.75

$17.94 €15.96

17.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.89 €44.37

$51.6 €45.88

-3.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.49 €44.02

$68.0 €60.5

-27.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.17 €12.60

$20.55 €18.28

-31.05%

Cinema Ticket

$16.96 €15.08

$15.45 €13.74

9.77%

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

$985 €876

$1,281 €1,140

-23.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.2K €12.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.1 €70.4

$107 €95.0

-25.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.30 €42.96

$51.2 €45.51

-5.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 €97.1

$112 €99.4

-2.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 €100

$130 €115

-13.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,697 €1,509

$2,503 €2,226

-32.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,363 €1,212

$2,245 €1,997

-39.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,555 €2,272

$4,443 €3,951

-42.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,145 €1,907

$3,431 €3,051

-37.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,136 €2,789

$9,378 €8,341

-66.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,573 €2,288

$5,995 €5,332

-57.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,161 €2,812

$3,914 €3,481

-19.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.14

3.82

8.38%

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

Last update for Waterford: October 11, 2026

Last update for Dublin: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Waterford

$1.4K 50.7%

Dublin

$2.2K 60.2% 64.7% $882

Groceries & Markets

Waterford

$351 13.1%

Dublin

$363 9.7% 3.5% $12

Eating Out

Waterford

$332 12.4%

Dublin

$361 9.7% 8.6% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Waterford

$314 11.7%

Dublin

$350 9.4% 11.4% $36

Clothing & Footwear

Waterford

$157 5.9%

Dublin

$180 4.8% 14.4% $23

Getting Around

Waterford

$86 3.2%

Dublin

$131 3.5% 52.1% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Waterford

$83 3.1%

Dublin

$99 2.7% 18.5% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,697 in Waterford 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 24% 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 $91.0 in Waterford versus $101 in Dublin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $351 vs $363 – making Waterford the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇪 Waterford

🇮🇪 Dublin

🕒 Local time

09:06 9:06 AM

Same time as Waterford

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

40,300

588,233 Capital

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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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

Waterford vs Dublin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,687 in Waterford, $3,729 in Dublin – roughly 39% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,031 per month in Waterford and $5,594 in Dublin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Waterford, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $91.0 in Waterford and $101 in Dublin. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,687 in Waterford and $3,729 in Dublin. That's a gap of about 39%.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,687 in Waterford and $3,729 in Dublin. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Dublin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,687 in Waterford to $3,729 in Dublin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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.

If budget matters most, go with Waterford. 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.