Cost #27/31 · Cost of living · Europe · Eurostat PLI 2024
🇮🇪 Cost of living in Ireland
Ireland runs pricier than most of the EU-27 across rent, groceries and transport - see where the gap is widest and how far local income actually stretches.
- Cost rank · cheapest = #1 of 31
- #27
- Affordability rank · highest purchasing power = #1 of 29
- #9
Ireland's livability score
Livability score
31/100
Ireland, weighted across 8 of 8 tracked dimensions
A cost-and-income composite (price-level indices plus purchasing power), not an overall quality-of-life judgment, it does not weigh climate, safety, culture, or healthcare outcomes.
- Purchasing power B €35,138
Median net income adjusted for local cost level
- Overall cost F 141
Eurostat overall price level (EU27=100)
- Rent F 187
Housing / rent price level (EU27=100)
- Groceries F 115
Food and non-alcoholic beverages (EU27=100)
- Healthcare F 179
Healthcare price level (EU27=100)
- Transport F 109
Transport price level (EU27=100)
- Utilities F 117
Electricity / gas / water (EU27=100)
- Restaurants F 129
Restaurants and hotels (EU27=100)
Ireland: quiet 2024 Eurostat pass
Overall cost index barely moved (+0.1) vs 2023 - a near-flat European release print.
- Healthcare index 182 179 2023 → 2024
Healthcare index fell from 182 to 179 between the 2023 and 2024 Eurostat releases.
- Utilities index 120 117 2023 → 2024
Utilities index fell from 120 to 117 between the 2023 and 2024 Eurostat releases.
- Housing & utilities index 186 187 2023 → 2024
Housing & utilities index rose from 186 to 187 between the 2023 and 2024 Eurostat releases.
- Transport index 107 109 2023 → 2024
Transport index rose from 107 to 109 between the 2023 and 2024 Eurostat releases.
- Restaurants index 128 129 2023 → 2024
Restaurants index rose from 128 to 129 between the 2023 and 2024 Eurostat releases.
Ireland in the 120+ cost band
On the EU-27 = 100 scale, Ireland's overall index (141) sits in the 120+ band with 9 other published countries. The Europe-wide band mix lives on the rankings hub, not repeated here.
Where Ireland's high price level concentrates
Bars + gauge for an above-EU overall index (141): which categories drive the premium, not a restated Europe lecture.
Ireland - price level by category (EU-27 = 100)
🇮🇪 Ireland vs EU-27 = 100
Gauge reads the same overall cost_index (141); the tick marks the EU average.
In Ireland, housing & utilities is the most expensive category and transport the least.
Why Ireland reads expensive on Eurostat
Ireland's overall consumer price level is 41% above the EU-27 average. (How this index is built →)
Housing and utilities lead the way in Ireland, the priciest category at index 187, ahead of transport at index 109. Because housing and household energy are typically the largest lines in a household budget, that pulls overall affordability down more than an equally high index in a smaller category would.
That price gap bites hard into real purchasing power here: Ireland's prices run well above the EU average, so the headline income of €35,138 is worth only about €24,885 once translated into EU-27-average terms - a steep discount.
Cities in Ireland
National averages hide the big-city premium. See real monthly rent, groceries and transit costs for Ireland's cities.
Eurostat PLI Basket · similar price levels and purchasing power
Two peer sets for Ireland: nearest overall price-level indices (EU-27 = 100) and nearest cost-adjusted incomes (median net income ÷ cost index). The cost band block above stays cohort-based; these neighborhoods vary by entity.
Similar overall cost index
Nearest countries by Eurostat price level (141 here, EU-27 = 100).
PLI neighbourhood · Ireland
Similar purchasing power
Nearest countries by cost-adjusted income (€24,885 here).
What to do with this Ireland data
Ireland ranks #9 of 29 for cost-adjusted purchasing power. A raw price index alone does not tell you whether income stretches further here than elsewhere.
- Run the numbers for Ireland in the calculator
- Compare Ireland vs Denmark side by side
- See the full best-value ranking
- Browse every country we track
These are Eurostat comparative price-level averages for the whole country, not a personal budget. Regional and city-level costs can differ substantially from the national figure.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Ireland expensive to live in?
Ireland's overall cost of living is 41% above the EU-27 average (index 141). Housing & utilities is the priciest category and transport the cheapest.
What are housing & utilities costs in Ireland?
Ireland's housing & utilities price index is 187, above the EU norm.
How does income compare to costs in Ireland?
That price gap bites hard into real purchasing power here: Ireland's prices run well above the EU average, so the headline income of €35,138 is worth only about €24,885 once translated into EU-27-average terms - a steep discount.
PlainCostOfLiving is rendered directly from Eurostat comparative price levels and median equivalised net income, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-08-20. Primary sources: Eurostat comparative price levels (prc_ppp_ind) and Eurostat median equivalised net income (ilc_di03).