If you like cheap beer, avoid New York and hit Prague instead. If you resent paying through the nose for public transport, don’t go to London. And avoid Dublin too.
We complain a lot in Ireland about the cost of things, but according to Expatistan's Summer 2015 cost comparison report, we're not faring too badly compared with other major cities. Dublin is ranked as the 28th most expensive city worldwide (down from 26th last year), and number 10 in Europe.
The international survey is based on contributions from people around the world, and measures costs such as: how far you can travel for $1 worth of petrol, or how much beer you can drink for the equivalent of $1.
Zurich emerged as the world's priciest city, 49 per cent more expensive than Dublin, followed by Geneva and Grand Cayman in the Cayman Islands.
While Dubliners get slightly more beer for their euro than Londoners or New Yorkers, the €5.78 Expatistan users report paying for a pint in Dublin is 22 per cent more than in Sydney, and 412 per cent more than in Prague.
Public transport is also much more expensive in Dublin than in many other major cities. A monthly pass costs the most in London, at the equivalent of €184, but Dubliners report paying €122 per month, ahead of New York (€105), Toronto (€96), Sydney (€90) and Brussels (€50).
Expatistan.com collects prices for everyday items and living costs from people living in every city in the world. Since 2009, more than 1.2 million prices have been submitted from 340,000 contributors based in almost 2,000 cities in 200 countries.
That’s a heck of a lot of data, but the website simplifies things by ranking the overall cost of living in each city based on the prices provided by users. It also allows users to compare costs in particular cities. To keep the data current, the most recent prices are given greater weight.
So how do prices in Dublin compare to some of the most popular cities for Irish emigrants worldwide?
London
Think Dublin is pricey? Then stay well away from London, which is 47 per cent more expensive than the Irish capital and the fourth most expensive city in the world, according to Expatistan. Food will cost you 16 per cent more, and clothing 19 per cent more, but the biggest difference comes in the cost of housing; average monthly rent for a two-bed apartment in an expensive area will cost about £2,468 (approximately €3,500) in London, 113 per cent more than the €1,663 you could expect to pay in Dublin. Transport costs are also much higher; a monthly public transport pass will set you back £128 (€184), 59 per cent more than the €116 Dublin residents report paying, while a litre of petrol is 26 per cent more expensive than Dublin at £1.25 (€1.80).
Sydney
Sydney is 6 per cent more expensive than Dublin overall, according to the 18,790 prices submitted to the site by 2,103 people living in both cities. The cost of accommodation may come as the biggest shock; monthly rent is about 38 per cent more expensive in Sydney than in Dublin. Food is 9 per cent more expensive, while entertainment is 14 per cent more expensive and clothing 11 per cent more expensive than in Dublin. On the upside, transport will cost you much less; petrol is 30 per cent cheaper in Sydney than in Dublin, while a monthly public transport ticket is 23 per cent cheaper. With all that sunshine you’ll be spending less time indoors, which means you’ll be spending less on household utilities such as electricity, gas and broadband; monthly bills are about 6 per cent cheaper in Sydney than in Dublin.
The cost of living in Perth and Brisbane is about the same as Sydney, according to the site, but Melbourne is about 5 per cent cheaper.
Toronto
Toronto, the most popular city for Irish emigrants, is about 7 per cent cheaper to live in than Dublin. Food and rent will cost you about the same as home, but your monthly bills for gas and electricity will be about half the price, despite the colder weather. Transport is also much cheaper; a new Volkswagen Golf is 26 per cent cheaper than in Dublin, while a litre of petrol costs 43 per cent less at just €0.82 (CA$1.15), and a monthly public transport ticket 20 per cent less. The pubs might not be as good as home, but the drink is cheaper; a pint of beer costs about 11 per cent less, and cocktails 20 per cent less than in Dublin.
Toronto is about 7 per cent more expensive than Vancouver and Calgary, and 27 per cent more expensive than Montreal.
