Cost of living in Dublin: London prices for rent, a bargain on the bus

Dublin isn't cheaper than London: rent is roughly level, a few things cost less, and a few cost more than you're used to.

The short version

• Rent is the big one. A two-bed flat in Dublin averaged about EUR 2,536 (about £2,113) a month in early 2026, against an average London rent of £2,338 and a UK average of £1,406 [1][2].
• Public transport is cheaper than London: a 90-minute Leap Card fare is EUR 2.00 (about £1.67), with a weekly cap of EUR 24 (about £20) across bus, Luas, DART and commuter rail [3][4].
• Healthcare costs money at the point of use. A GP visit is usually paid for, and A&E without a GP letter is EUR 100 (about £83) [5].
• The weekly shop and eating out cost more than the UK average and are broadly in London territory.
• Pay is often higher too, but so is tax at the top end (see our guide to Irish taxes for Brits).

Pound conversions use the Bank of England spot rate of 5 November 2026 (£1 = EUR 1.2002), rounded.

Rent: the number that decides everything

For most Brits moving to Dublin, rent decides whether the move adds up. Here's how Dublin's average asking rents in the first quarter of 2026 compare with what people pay in the UK [1][2]:

Sources: Daft.ie Rental Price Report Q1 2026 [1]; ONS Private rent and house prices, 21 October 2026 [2].

The figures aren't measured the same way. Daft tracks asking rents on new listings, while the ONS figure covers what all private tenants pay, including those in long tenancies on older rents. Even so, the picture is clear: a Dublin flat costs about the same as a London one, and far more than the UK average. Dublin rents were also rising faster than London's in 2026, partly because the new rental rules let landlords reset rents when tenants moved out [6].

There's also very little to choose from. Fewer than 1,150 homes were listed to rent across the whole of Dublin on 1 August 2026 [6]. Budget for a few weeks in a short-term let while you hunt; our guide to renting in Dublin explains how.

Buying

House prices in Dublin are high by Irish standards but below London's. For a UK yardstick, the ONS put the average UK house price at £273,000 in August 2026 [2]. Our guide to buying a home in Dublin covers prices, stamp duty and Central Bank mortgage limits.

Getting around: cheaper than London

Here Dublin wins. Fares are integrated across Dublin Bus, Go-Ahead Ireland, the Luas trams, the DART and commuter rail within Zone 1, and the TFI Leap Card caps what you pay [3].

Sources: Transport for Ireland [3]; Transport for London [4].

The Dublin cap covers the trams and trains too, while London's bus cap doesn't cover the Tube, which costs a good deal more. Young adults aged 19 to 25 and students pay half on Leap, and children under 5 travel free [3]. Paying cash on a Dublin bus is a false economy: EUR 2.60 (about £2.17) for a longer single, with no transfers [3].

What Dublin doesn't have is a Tube. The Luas and DART cover a few corridors well, and the rest is buses. Many people end up cycling, and in the suburbs a car is handy, though insurance for newcomers can be steep. See our guide to driving and getting around Dublin.

Healthcare: no free GP for most adults

This is the culture shock for most Brits. Ireland's public system covers hospital care, but most adults pay to see a GP, and there's no NHS-style free appointment.

Sources: Citizens Information (edited 1 August 2026) [5]; HSE [7].

Medical cards (means-tested) and GP visit cards make GP care free for those who qualify, and young children and people over 70 get free GP visits. Many working Brits also take out private health insurance, often through their employer, to skip the public waiting lists. It adds a monthly bill you didn't have back home in Blighty. Our guide to healthcare and health insurance in Dublin explains the options.

The weekly shop, a pint and a night out

We couldn't find an official price comparison between Dublin and UK supermarkets for 2026, so here it is in words rather than made-up numbers.

• Groceries. Tesco, Lidl, Aldi, Dunnes Stores and SuperValu cover most of Dublin. Prices for the basics feel a notch above a UK supermarket, and much of that gap is VAT and higher wages. Shopping at the discounters keeps the weekly shop within reach of what you'd pay in a London Tesco.
• British favourites. Tesco Ireland stocks plenty of familiar brands, and Marks & Spencer has a big store on Grafton Street. PG Tips and Marmite aren't hard to find, though Barry's and Lyons are the local teas. See our guide to British food, shops and pubs in Dublin.
• A pint. Brace yourself. A pint in a city-centre pub, especially around Temple Bar, can cost as much as in central London, or more. Suburban locals are kinder.
• Eating out. Mid-range restaurants charge London prices or close to it. Tipping around 10% for table service is normal but less expected than in the US.
• Energy. Irish household electricity prices have been among the highest in the EU in recent years, so budget more than you'd expect for heating and power, especially in an older, draughty house.

Putting it together

What does Dublin cost against London and the rest of the UK?

1. Against London: rent is about level, transport is cheaper, and healthcare, energy and a night out cost more. Many people end up roughly even, depending on pay.
2. Against the UK average: Dublin is clearly dearer, mostly because of rent. Moving from Manchester, Cardiff or Glasgow, expect your housing bill to be much higher.
3. Pay and tax: salaries in tech, pharma and finance are often higher than UK equivalents, but income tax hits 40% at a lower income than in the UK, and USC and PRSI come off on top. Run your own numbers on a take-home pay calculator before signing a contract.

Ask in our community group for Brits in Ireland, here, and you'll get plenty of real-life budgets and a few strong opinions about the price of a pint.

Sources

1. Daft.ie Rental Price Report, Q1 2026 (PDF, via RTÉ)
2. ONS: Private rent and house prices, UK: October 2026 (21 October 2026)
3. Transport for Ireland: Bus fare info, Dublin Zone 1 and fare capping
4. Transport for London: Bus and tram fares
5. Citizens Information: Charges for hospital services (edited 1 August 2026)
6. Laois Nationalist: Daft.ie report for the second quarter of 2026 (24 August 2026)
7. HSE: Drugs Payment Scheme

Keep reading

• Renting in Dublin
• Irish taxes for Brits: the UK link and your State Pension
• Healthcare and health insurance in Dublin
• Sending money between the UK and abroad