Living in Dublin, Ireland
Dublin is a large coastal city in Leinster, Ireland (1 to 5 million people in the city proper). It has a cool climate, averaging 11°C over the year with about 761 mm of rain. We estimate a couple needs about €4,127 a month to live centrally, and Ireland sits in our high tax tier. For citizens from outside the UK and Ireland (Common Travel Area) and the EU, EEA and Switzerland, long-term residency in Ireland is possible, with conditions, with a self-funded route from about $4,850 a month in income.
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- Est. cost
- €4,127
- a month for a couple
- Tax tier
- High
- personal income tax
- Climate
- 11°C
- 761 mm rain a year
- Size
- Large
- 1 to 5 million people
- Safety
- 60/100
- country-level
- Internet
- ~130 Mbps
- median fixed broadband
- Residency
- Possible, with conditions
- outside free-movement blocs
What stands out about Dublin
- Pricier than 96% of the cities we compare
- Colder than 88% of the cities we track
- English is widely spoken
- On or near the sea
Cost of living
We estimate a couple needs about €4,127 a month to live centrally in Dublin, 51% above the €2,729 median across the 900 cities we compare. That makes it more affordable than 4% of them.
Source: OurNextCity model: a country-level cost index (New York = 100) scaled up for larger cities. An estimate for comparing cities, not a budget.
Language and culture
Main languages: English, Irish. English proficiency: native or near-native. Social openness scores 80 out of 100.
Source: EF English Proficiency Index (country-level); social openness is our secularism and tolerance composite.
Climate
Dublin averages 11°C across the year with about 761 mm of rain, which makes it cool and moderately wet. It is warmer than 12% of the 1225 cities we track, and it sits on the coast.
Source: Temperature from the Open-Meteo historical weather archive, daily means for 2019 to 2023; rainfall from TerraClimate (University of Idaho) 1991 to 2020 normals. Annual averages; monthly breakdowns are not in our dataset yet.
Taxes
Ireland sits in our high tax tier: high personal income tax. We use three tiers (zero or very low, low to medium, high) and apply them to every city in the country.
Taxes are a dealbreaker filter in OurNextCity: a couple who caps tax at low to medium will not see Dublin in their results.
Source: OurNextCity tax tiers, assigned by hand from each country's top marginal personal income tax rate and overall tax reputation, with no fixed rate cut-offs. Country-level and coarse by design; not tax advice.
Residency and visas
Possible, with conditions, for people from outside the UK and Ireland (Common Travel Area) and the EU, EEA and Switzerland. Realistic long-term residency runs mainly through skilled employment permits that lead to Stamp 4 and eventual citizenship, with a start-up entrepreneur route and a renewable sufficient-means (Stamp 0) option for the self-funded, while the investor golden visa is closed.
Citizens of the UK and Ireland (Common Travel Area) and the EU, EEA and Switzerland have freedom-of-movement or simplified residency rights here.
The cheapest self-funded routes we track for Ireland:
- Income: about $4,850 a month (Ireland Stamp 0 'persons of independent means', EUR 50,000/yr (~EUR 4,167/mo) for a single applicant, plus an emergency lump sum; converted at EUR 1 = USD 1.164 (Jun 2026); as of June 2026)
For short visits, 82 of 198 passports can enter visa-free and 116 need a visa in advance.
Source: OurNextCity residency dataset, hand-reviewed approximations researched against published immigration rules, figures as of June 2026. Not legal advice: check the official source before you apply. Short-stay entry from the passport-index dataset (ilyankou, MIT).
Healthcare
Ireland scores 70 out of 100 for healthcare, stronger than 71% of the cities we compare.
Source: Our own country-level healthcare estimate (0 to 100), shared by every city in Ireland.
Internet and remote work
Median fixed broadband in Ireland runs at about 130 Mbps, faster than 49% of the cities we compare.
Source: Ookla Speedtest Global Index, median fixed broadband download speed, country-level.
Safety and stability
Ireland scores 60 out of 100 on safety, safer than 50% of the cities we compare. Its EIU Democracy Index score is 9.2 out of 10.
Source: Our own country-level safety estimate (0 to 100, higher is safer), shared by every city in Ireland. Stability: EIU Democracy Index.
Questions couples ask about Dublin
Is Dublin a good place to live for couples?
It depends on what the two of you weigh most. Compared with the other cities we track, Dublin scores well on healthcare, English, political stability and social openness. It is weaker on affordability. Expect a cool, moderately wet climate (11°C average). OurNextCity has each partner answer 12 questions privately, then ranks Dublin and 914 other cities for both of you at once.
How much does it cost a couple to live in Dublin?
We estimate about €4,127 a month for a couple living centrally, 51% above the €2,729 median across the cities we compare. It is a model estimate from a country-level cost index adjusted for city size, so use it to compare cities rather than to set a budget.
What are taxes like in Dublin?
Ireland is in our high tax tier (high personal income tax). Tiers are country-level and deliberately coarse: zero or very low, low to medium, and high. Couples who make low or medium tax a must-have will not see Dublin in their results.
Can foreigners live in Ireland long term?
Citizens of the UK and Ireland (Common Travel Area) and the EU, EEA and Switzerland have freedom-of-movement or simplified residency rights. Our assessment for everyone else: possible, with conditions. Realistic long-term residency runs mainly through skilled employment permits that lead to Stamp 4 and eventual citizenship, with a start-up entrepreneur route and a renewable sufficient-means (Stamp 0) option for the self-funded, while the investor golden visa is closed. The cheapest self-funded routes we track: income, about $4,850 a month (as of 2026-06).
What is the weather like in Dublin?
Dublin averages 11°C across the year with about 761 mm of rain, which makes it cool and moderately wet. It is warmer than 12% of the cities we track.
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