One of the biggest concerns of an exchange student when choosing Ireland, and especially its capital Dublin, is the cost of living in the city. Like any European capital, Dublin has all the attributes of a great metropolis. With one of the world’s highest average salaries, the cost, and quality of life in the Irish capital is something totally fair and acceptable.

We listed some of the essential expenses that an average student has when they start living in Dublin. Check out below:

Rent:

This is the most expensive of all. The prices around the city center are expensive for everybody, it doesn’t matter if you a student or a local. Depending on the place, you will have to spend around € 350 plus the bills. So in total, it will variate between € 380 – € 390. A very good option is to find a place out of the city center where the prices are not so expensive. But, you will have to walk a lot or ride a bike.

Food:

Surprisingly good-quality food in Ireland is not expensive at all and very accessible to an average student. With a budget of € 80 per month (€ 20 euro per week), you can have some good meals, eating vegetables, meat, delicacies etc. without spending a lot. You can have a variety of dishes if you plan and take advantage of some good prices that the local supermarkets will offer you, especially Audi, Lidl, and Tesco.

Internet:

This expense is more than essential for newly arrived students. It will be useful to find locations, to contact people and to keep in touch with your relatives in your home country. The most popular and also the most recommendable internet operator is Three. It will allow you to use internet for a month-long period, free local calls from Three to Three numbers, and also some international calls. The good piece news is that it will cost only € 20 per month. Trust me, the internet is absolutely amazing and fast, and if you will be able to access the internet even if you travel to another country in the Europe Zone without having to pay anything else.

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READ MORE: GET TO KNOW THE MAIN MOBILE PHONE OPERATORS IN IRELAND
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Transportation:

Especially if you don’t find a place close to the city center and you don’t want to walk a lot, you will have to spend some money with Dublin’s means of transport. For this expense, it’s hard to measure because the prices will variate a lot depending on the place you get the bus and the place you leave the bus. Check out the pricing system of the buses in Dublin here. For this expense, it’s always good to point out that you get can your Leap Card and it will give you some good discounts on buses, trains, and the luas.

Extra Expenses:

Some expenses can be considered as extra because they are not essential and you could live without them, but everybody deserves a little bit of spoiling and that’s why we decided to add them to this publication. So here they go:

• Clothing: Depending on the country you come from, you will need to buy some clothes so as not to suffer from the implausible Irish weather. And you won’t need to worry at all about it. Why? Because of Penneys Store. The most famous Irish department store will give you the chance to find everything you need. Trust me, you will really find everything there. Try to take advantage of the low-prices section. You will be able to find clothes for €3, €4, €5 depending on the day;
• Leisure: Living in Ireland makes it almost impossible not to go the traditional and popular Irish pubs or even clubs available for everybody. It’s possible to find clubs with pints costing €3. It’s really affordable.
• Trips: Another amazing thing about moving to the Emerald Isle is that here you will have the chance to travel a lot. So, when you have some extra money, go to Ryanair’s website and book your plane ticket to get to know another country. It’s amazing and it’s me coolest part of this experience.

This list absolutely doesn’t represent the expenses of all the student who lives in Dublin and also the cost of living in the city but we tried to list the average expenses of an average student. The good thing about coming to Ireland is that you will have the chance to work as well and things will become a way easier for you when you find a job. Good luck!

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