Quality of Life in Dublin, Ireland

Purchasing Power Index 112.32   Very High
Safety Index 46.38   Moderate
Health Care Index 51.47   Moderate
Climate Index 85.89   Very High
Cost of Living Index 65.61   Moderate
Property Price to Income Ratio 9.27   Moderate
Traffic Commute Time Index 40.64   Moderate
Pollution Index 41.52   Moderate
ƒ Quality of Life Index: 153.50   High

Minimum contributors for an underlying section: 236

Maximum contributors for an underlying section: 882

Last update: December 2024

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17 Comments so far
Anonymous on Apr 01, 2024:
lived in dublin all my life, the cost of living has spiked dramatically. can barley live here anymore. crime has increased too, people publically doing drugs on the streets and more attacks are happening.
Get me out of heee on Feb 27, 2024:
Somebody get Tracy outta England ! They seem very asthmatic.
I also hate this country
Somebody get me out of here !
Anonymous on Feb 12, 2024:
I have lived in Dublin since 2004 and oh boy. The country was great and all before 2020 but since 2020 it's been really fucked up. Covid is most likely to blame.
- The average salary here for 1 person is €3000 per month while the average rent for 1 bedroom is €2000 per month. Yeah, not great.
- Public transport is terrible. I haven't really had any bad experiences with trains or the Luas but buses are not on time half of the time. There's not even a metro system.
- For healthcare you have 2 options, public healthcare or private healthcare. DO NOT get public healthcare because it is very very slow. There have been cases when people died because they didn't get the care they needed in time. This is especially the case with surgery.
- And finally, safety. I always thought Dublin was very safe before Covid but since covid it has really gone downhill. As a whole I still think it's generally safe and that you should take the same precautions as you would in other european cities but it's still been worse in recent times.
Dublin is still enjoyable as long as you make at least €75K per year and Ireland is still an enjoyable country but I would recommend you to live anywhere but Dublin.
Dan1239 on Jan 01, 2024:
Hello All,

I have moved to Dublin in 2007.Back than it was a pleasure to live here.I was able to earn around 2000eur a month when 2 bed apartment was 1150 ,rent wise.Adding this cost of living was way lower,as example paint of Guinness was 3.70eur in the city.Now 2023 it is completely different story.I do not honestly know how people can live here!Cost of living in comparison to salaries is extremely bad.Rent,medical expenses,child care.I do not recommend to move here.Dublin is a second Zurich now when it comes to cost of living!
Dubliner on Sep 17, 2023:
We live in Dublin for more than 15 years, it always was expensive city but now its much worse, eating out is 25e for main course; electricity, gas, petrol prices raised; medical prices up again! GP visit is 70e, if you have private insurance you can claim 30e back.
No free childcare, quality of private childcare is not the best.
This is first year when they started giving school books for free in primary school, good move!
For secondary school books and ipad you still have to pay more than 1000e!
Public transport is not good. There are no buses to the airport from Dublin 15 - one of the biggest areas in Dublin.
So cost of leaving is high for Dublin, quality is different.
Rup on Aug 20, 2023:
Main points:

Rent extremely expensive.
Politicians doing nothing and very corrupted.
Dublin is extremely insecure.
Ireland is 20-30 years behind compared to any other European country. Health system really bad, public transport very bad.

I would not recommend Ireland at all. People are moody, culture is based on alcohol, and nothing to do unless you spend money. Weather will drive you crazy!
KOP on Aug 06, 2023:
No joke, Dublin is out of control. Rent is insane and the people who think it's fine are seriously out of touch. I know multiple people in their 30s who have moved in with their family to save money for a deposit which they're likely not going to be eligible for unless they decide to buy with their partners. Theses people are not on a bad salary, they just know that paying mid 1000s for accommodation in Dublin is never going to be worth it. On top of that pints can easily scoot towards 8 euro and a meal out is never under 30 euro a head not including drink. Every single form of socialisation is trying to squeeze as much money out of you as you can. There is no future for anyone under 35 in Ireland at the moment unless their career is already established. There is no sign of improvement and there is no legislative action being put in place to prevent things from getting worse. Inflation is whittling away any disposable income that people would have had and the people getting hit hardest are the most vulnerable.
Anonymous on Feb 08, 2023:
I'd avoid moving here unless you are getting a six figure salary. Rent is extortion, rent for a tiny box room (which will be moudly & no insulation so heating costs will bankrupt you) in a shared apartment is reaching 1100-1200 pm now. Lower income people are having to resort to living in slumlike conditions, paying 500-600pm to sleep in bunk beds of 3 or 4 to a small room. There is 2 bed apartments with 8 ppl inside. The Political & Landlord class are doing nothing to improve the situation. There is no future in this country for the young. A meagre existence, where you will never have your own place or afford to have a family.

Health care system is falling apart, the wealthy use private insurance so no incentive to care, the rest have to deal with waiting lists that stretch on for years, A&E is overflowing, people lined on corridors days without treatment. Recently a 16 year old girl was left for 16 hours without treatment & died in A&E.
Conor Boden on Jul 16, 2022:
Rent prices have soared 100% in the last ten years and now there is almost zero rentals (300, actually) in Dublin city. 300 rentals in the city of 1.8m people! The cost of living comparisons don't tell that the full picture shows you pay high rents but have no choice in what you rent, you are lucky to get anything. The economy is a house of cards today (July, 2022) and will likely decline for the next few years, largely as a result of growing too big too quickly.
E on Mar 09, 2022:
Lots of people making ridiculous claims that you pay 'thousands' of euro to live in a shared room. Absolute waffle! No you don't. You pay hundreds and you are probably living very central. I've lived in Dublin for over 30 years and its gotten better and better. Yes, there are problems with housing but every city has that right now. There are loads of jobs, things to do and places to see. It's certainly not a 'slum'. Whoever said that has never seen a slum in their lives and probably works part time behind a deli while calling everyone else who lives here 'super rich'. Like any city, you have to work hard to find what you want! Dublin is no different. Lot of people don't make it in this city then blame the city when its them most of the time.. I've seen so much of it. Work hard, get where you want and you'll start seeing the reality.
YEZ on Nov 14, 2021:
Heathfield cappagh dublin

Neighbours harrasing each other and getting third parties involved.

Drug issues, gun crime
Shops and business are been targeted.
This is not colombia welcome to dublin
ZENAIDA ZAGADO on Aug 16, 2021:
rent is too high, violent teenagers, too many junkies, homelessness issues, cost of houses are very high considering they are row houses (300k to 500k in Dublin), high taxes, expensive electricity bill, needs to pay license to watch TV. I work as a nurse but half of income goes to rent.
Mark burne on Aug 05, 2021:
Im from Ireland and i agree city center can be bad as is it over crowded and young ppl travel from all over to hang around city center. If you go a to surrounding areas you can rent a bit cheaper i know of 2 self contained home,s in ppl,s back gardens for €1k for a 1 bed, sitting room, toilet per month. Theses are hard to come by. Drugs, crime, homeless, is a major problem here because there is plenty of money around and this is the problems money brings with it. To live here you need to earn at least €700 per wk to live a some what desent life. Thats why there is such crime & drug problems cause ppl are trying to survive. Its sink or swim here there is not much middle ground. If you are will to work hard and be smart with your money you can do well in Ireland. If your comeing for an easy life, unless you have plenty of money it wount be easy. If willing to work hard and have a trade you will do well here. We now have a shortage of trade men in every trade since covid. Trades can earn from €750 per wk to €1500 plus depending on your trade and the right contacts which doesent take long to make.
Tracy Lowe on Jan 10, 2021:
I would really like to move to Sligo Dublin, and get out of Sheffield England. Especially with me, being asthmatic.
Tracy Ann Lowe on Jan 10, 2021:
I would really like to move to Sligo Dublin, for a change of scenery. I really need to get out of Sheffield England.
Anshumali Shukla on Oct 03, 2020:
Dublin is costly city.it is difficult to live in, unless you have a good job,or you are a citizen having own home
Anonymous on Sep 14, 2020:
Dublin is only suitable for the very wealthy, if you have an average income you have 0 chance of finding accommodation unless you are prepared to pay the majority of your wages for a shared room in a slum building. tax is quite high , you get nothing back for it. City center youths beat innocent people all the time with no interference from the guards. often ending in murder, few are charged and most incidents dont make the newspapers. Homelessness a huge issue. roads really bad, sitting in traffic all day. Rents have not come down much despite of covid, there is no supply therefore thousands fighting over what little substandard accomation there is. Anyone thinking of coming here do your research, there are much better cities in Europe.