What Your Money Buys in Ireland

Shopping in Ireland, by infomatique

There is no getting away from it, Ireland is an expensive country both to visit and to live in.

This has become much more obvious to those of us living here since the advent of the Euro, since it is now very easy to compare prices when travelling elsewhere in Europe. If you are doing the same you will surely notice it too.

While the recent downturn in the economy has seen a fall in the rate of inflation, there is still a big gap between what your money will buy in, say, the USA compared to what it will buy in Ireland.

What Will Your Euro Buy?

• 1c: Nothing
• 2c: Um, nothing
• 5c: Still nothing.
• 10c: Some ‘penny’ candy, the sort that rots your teeth!!
• 20c: A small box (book) of matches
• 50c: A stamp to send a postcard home (if you live in the UK or Ireland)
• €1: A postcard to put the stamp on
• €2: A National Lottery scratch card – win €20,000 instantly! (or, more likely, not)
• €5: A cut-price cinema ticket for an afternoon show
• €10: Paperback novel to while away a rainy evening
• €25: Two tickets for the Historical Walking Tour of Dublin
• €55: A family heritage card, for admission to many historic sites.
• €120: A room for two for one night in a good 3 star hotel

What Stuff Costs in Ireland

These prices are current as of July 2008. Prices are averages, and generally Dublin is more expensive than the rest of the country. These figures are from all over the place, but all from sources we consider reliable.

• Pound of Butter: €2.40
  
• A Big Mac: €3.45
• Pint of Guinness: €4.80 (or up to €6 in Dublin)
• Cinema Ticket: €9.50
• A Music CD: €19.95
• 1 Litre Unleaded Petrol: €1.30 -which equates to about $7 per US gallon (July 2008)
• Two course Meal for 2: €70-€90 (includes coffee and a bottle of house wine)

Accommodation (1 room, 1 night, 2 people, inc breakfast)

• Ultra Luxury Hotel: €350 – €500
• Average 4 star hotel: €160 – €350
• Average 3 star hotel: €120 – €200
• Country House: €120 – €250
• Guest House: €80 – €150
• Bed & Breakfast: €60 – €100
• Hostel: €20 – €40 (private room, dorm rooms are cheaper)

Ford Focus (1.4l Zetec 4 door saloon): €22,800

Apartment Rental (2 bedroom):

• Dublin – €1600/month
• Outside Dublin – €900/month

Average House Prices

• Dublin: €430,000
• Outside Dublin: €310,000

Ouch! However Ireland is experiencing something of a crisis in the housing market, and those prices are heading downwards and fast.