Dublin is the ninth most expensive city in which to live in Europe, driven by rental expenses, according to cost-of-living website Numbeo.
The rankings are based on prices of consumer goods like groceries, restaurants, transportation, utilities and rent across 141 cities, from Aachen in Germany to Zagreb, capital of Croatia. Cites are given an index reading relative to living costs in New York City.
Zurich emerged as the most expensive location on the list, with an index reading of 84.1, meaning costs are almost 16 per cent below the largest US city by population. Fellow Swiss cities Geneva, Lausanne, Basel and Berne took up four of the next six spots.
London was fifth, with a reading of 72.6. Dublin registered a reading of 58.7, while a number of Russian cities took up places at the bottom of the list.
Looking only at rent costs Dublin came fourth, behind London, Zurich and Geneva and ahead of Amsterdam and Luxembourg.
Average monthly rents in Dublin ranged between €2,294 and €2,704 depending on location in the third quarter of 2024, according to the most recent figures from property website Daft.ie. The national average was €1,955.
Dublin was 41st when it came the grocery costs ranking, which was dominated by Swiss cities. Cork came in at 20 on that measure, while Belfast ranked 65th. Irish consumer price inflation was running at 1 per cent in November, according to the Central Statistics Office (CSO), down from a rate of 8.9 per cent two years earlier.
Numbeo also looked at local purchasing power, which shows relative purchasing power in buying goods and services in a given country for the average net salary in that region. Dublin and Cork were 55th and 56th respectively on this metric.
The cost of living and housing crises dominated public debate in the run-up to general election at the end of November. They remain key areas of focus as Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael intensify talks this week with a view to forming a coalition, most likely supported by Independents, and setting out a programme for government.
The hope among negotiators is that most of the programme will have been agreed by the time the Dáil is next scheduled to convene on January 22nd.
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