Ireland today lost its rip off title after an EU survey found it was more affordable and competitive than some of its neighbours.
The European Consumer Centre (ECC) carried out a price comparison survey on clothes and cosmetics for men and women in chain stores across 29 European countries.
It found Irish consumers should shop around at home and away and not just buy all their goods across the border.
The ECC said results showed Ireland, although slightly more expensive than the European average, is far cheaper than the Scandinavian countries. Norway is the most expensive country surveyed, while Portugal offers the best value for consumers.
While some items were cheaper to buy in the UK than in Ireland, others were more expensive.
Elsewhere prices in the new member states such as Hungary, Lithuania, Latvia or Estonia varied only slightly from those in Ireland.
However the ECC said since consumer spending power in these countries is far lower than in Ireland - with people earning just 25 per cent of Irish income per capita - these products worked out to be far more expensive for consumers than in Ireland.
Ann Neville, manager of the European Consumer Centre, said: “The survey shows that Ireland has improved its competitiveness in terms of clothing and cosmetics, especially in relation to the UK. It also indicates that shopping around will always get you cheaper prices.”
Countries which participated in the survey were: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and the UK.
PA