Monthly budget in Dublin — EUR 2,400 to 3,200
Dublin is expensive by European standards, especially for rent. A comfortable remote worker budget runs EUR 2,400-3,200/month depending on your apartment and eating habits. Rent eats 55-65% of that budget. The city is pricier than Lisbon, Prague, or Berlin — but cheaper than London or Amsterdam when you factor in that Ireland has no council tax equivalent for tenants.
The good news: groceries are reasonable if you shop at Lidl or Aldi, public transport works on a capped daily fare via Leap Card, and coworking spaces are competitively priced compared to other EU tech hubs.
Detailed cost breakdown
| Category | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Studio Rent | 1,400 EUR | City centre (Smithfield, Phibsborough). Expect a small kitchen and shared laundry. Check Daft.ie for current listings. |
| 1BR Rent | 1,800 EUR | Dublin 2 or Rathmines. Ranges EUR 1,400-2,000 depending on condition and exact location. |
| Groceries | 300 EUR | Weekly shop at Lidl (Parnell St) or Aldi (Thomas St): EUR 65-75/week. Tesco for specialty items only. |
| Eating Out | 200 EUR | Pub lunch: EUR 12-15. Dinner: EUR 18-30. Budget 2-3 restaurant meals per week. |
| Transport | 100 EUR | Leap Card — capped at EUR 8/day, EUR 32/week for Dublin Bus + Luas tram. Monthly spend rarely exceeds EUR 100. |
| Coworking | 250 EUR | Hot desk at The Tara Building or Iconic Offices. Dogpatch Labs from EUR 300/month. |
| Internet | 45 EUR | Eir fiber or Virgin Media broadband. 150-500 Mbps plans available. |
| Entertainment | 150 EUR | Pint at a pub: EUR 6-7. Cinema: EUR 13. Many museums free. Budget for 2-3 pub nights + weekend activities. |
| Health Insurance | 100 EUR | SafetyWing or Genki nomad travel insurance. EU citizens: bring EHIC card for public healthcare. |
| Total | 2,545 EUR | Minimum comfortable budget with a studio. Add EUR 400-700 for a 1BR or more eating out. |
Money-saving tips
Groceries: Do your main weekly shop at Lidl (Parnell Street, Rathmines) or Aldi (Thomas Street, Phibsborough). They’re 25-35% cheaper than Tesco or Dunnes Stores for staples. Hit Tesco only for specific brands or items the discounters don’t carry.
Eating out: Go for lunch, not dinner. Most restaurants offer lunch specials at EUR 12-15 that would cost EUR 22-30 at dinner. The Woollen Mills on Ormond Quay and Assassination Custard in Smithfield both do solid affordable lunches.
Transport: Walk when possible — Dublin’s city centre is compact (30 min walk end to end). For longer trips, the Leap Card daily cap means you never pay more than EUR 8/day no matter how many buses or trams you take. Skip taxis; Dublin Bus and the Luas cover everywhere you’d want to go.
Accommodation: Look outside Dublin 2. Phibsborough, Stoneybatter, and Smithfield are 15-20 min walk to the city centre with rents EUR 200-400/month cheaper. Daft.ie is the main rental platform — avoid Airbnb for stays over a month, it’s 30-50% more expensive.
Payment and banking
Ireland uses the Euro (EUR). Contactless card payments are universal — you can go weeks without cash. Apple Pay and Google Pay work everywhere.
For nomads: Revolut or Wise are the best options. No foreign transaction fees, real-time EUR exchange rates, and Irish IBAN available on Revolut. Almost every remote worker in Dublin uses one of these.
ATMs: Available on every main street. Bank of Ireland and AIB ATMs are free for EU cards. Avoid standalone ATMs in tourist areas (Euronet machines) — they charge EUR 3-5 per withdrawal and offer bad exchange rates.