Your monthly budget in Dublin
Dublin is Ireland’s capital and home to the European headquarters of many global tech and finance firms. Salaries are the highest in the country, and so are the housing costs.
Calculating…
Last updated October 2026. Estimates only: your own rent, bills and habits will differ.
Accommodation costs in Dublin
A one-bedroom apartment in Dublin averaged about 2,000 a month in mid-2026 and two-bedroom homes about 2,500. A room in a shared house is still the realistic option for many early-career workers. Because rent takes such a large share of pay, location matters: living in the outer suburbs or commuting from a nearby town can save several hundred a month.
| Home | Monthly rent | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Room in a shared house | €950 | Estimate Typical room in a shared home in Dublin; Daft.ie reports show rooms near 900 to 1,000 |
| One-bedroom apartment | €2,000 | Estimate Daft.ie Irish Rental Report, Q2 2026 (Dublin, one-bed average) |
| Two-bedroom apartment | €2,500 | Estimate Daft.ie Irish Rental Report, Q2 2026 (Dublin, two-bed average) |
Utilities and internet in Dublin
Utilities are not included in most Dublin lets. Electricity and heating dominate the bills, and broadband is usually a separate contract. There is no domestic water charge, and the television licence is 160 a year per household.
| Bill | Monthly | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Electricity and heating | €170 | Estimate CRU typical household electricity is about 150 a month; flats use less, gas adds to it |
| Water | None | Published price Domestic water is paid for through general taxation in Ireland |
| Television licence | €13.33 | Published price An Post / Department of Media: 160 a year per household |
| Broadband | €55 | Estimate Typical fibre plan |
| Mobile plan | €25 | Estimate Typical SIM plan with data |
Groceries in Dublin
Groceries in Dublin cost roughly the same as in the rest of Ireland, with slightly more choice at convenience-store prices in the city centre. A single adult who cooks at home should come in near the figure here.
€350 a month for one adult
Estimate Safefood healthy food basket research, adjusted for a working adult
Transport in Dublin
Dublin has buses, the Luas tram and the DART and commuter rail. A monthly Leap pass for Dublin Bus Zone 1 costs 115. Monthly passes that include rail or the Luas cost more, while many people cycle or walk in the central area.
€115 a month on public transport
Published price TFI Leap adult monthly pass, Dublin Bus Red Zone 1. A monthly pass for Dublin city buses; adding the Luas or DART raises the cost. Many commuters use Leap fare caps instead.
Dining out and entertainment in Dublin
Eating out in Dublin is pricier than in most Irish towns, with a casual meal around 18 to 25. The three lifestyle settings assume about 100, 240 and 450 a month on eating out, entertainment and nights out.
| Lifestyle | Monthly (one adult) |
|---|---|
| Frugal | €100 |
| Moderate | €240 |
| Comfortable | €450 |
How we calculate this
Take-home pay comes from our Ireland salary calculator, with a single person and standard options. For couples, groceries are scaled to 1.6 times a single adult, utilities to 1.25, and transport, phones, leisure and other costs to roughly two people; rent stays the same because you share one home. Prices marked Published price come straight from an official or operator source; Estimate figures are our judgement from the listed sources and should be treated as a starting point.
Sources
- Daft.ie, Irish Rental Report Q2 2026
- Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU), typical consumption values
- Safefood, Food Basket research
- National Transport Authority (TFI), Leap fares
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