The EU's English-speaking tech capital: Google, Meta and friends run their European operations here and salaries follow. The housing crisis is the defining daily struggle.
What it costs to live in Dublin
Rent here sits close to the national baseline for Ireland, at roughly EUR 1,700 a month for a one-bed. That puts Dublin in the most expensive tenth of the 60 EU cities we profile, with one city above it.
Set against a typical net salary in Ireland of about EUR 2,800, that single rent would swallow roughly 61% of it, which is why flat-sharing and longer commutes are the norm here rather than the exception.
What the economy runs on
Big tech EMEA HQs, pharma, finance.
Dublin suits remote and freelance workers, since the country is set up for them, but the rent means you want income that is already established rather than a first freelance year.
How far English gets you
English is effectively a working language in Dublin: work, healthcare, banking and a social life are all available in English alone. English is an official language here, which removes the paperwork problem newcomers hit almost everywhere else in the EU.
Dublin rates 98/100 for English, broadly in line with Ireland as a whole at 98/100. There is a fuller breakdown on the English in Ireland page.
What day-to-day life leans on
Going out is easy and late: Ireland scores 78/100 nationally for nightlife, and as the capital, Dublin is where most of that concentrates.
Public transport is the weak point, at 62/100 for Ireland, so budget for a car unless you plan to live centrally in Dublin.
Worth weighing
Severe housing shortage; rent eats salaries.
Dublin is the most expensive of the cities we cover in Ireland, so it is worth pricing the alternatives before you commit: Cork (about EUR 1,360 a month).
City picked, country still open? See the full Ireland overview including cost of living, safety, healthcare and the path to residence, or compare Ireland with other EU countries.