Cost of Living · KR vs IE
🇰🇷 Seoul vs 🇮🇪 Dublin: what everyday life costs
Monthly essentials: $1,390 in South Korea vs $2,276 in Ireland — 63.76% more expensive.
Biggest differences
Much cheaper in Ireland
- 🍻 Imported beer, 330ml bottle: 17.34%
- 👟 Running shoes (brand): 17.36%
- 👖 Jeans (mid-range brand): 17.37%
Closest to South Korea prices
- 🏢 Rent: 3-bedroom, city center: +75.13%
- 🏡 Rent: 1-bedroom, outside center: +75.13%
- 🏙️ Rent: 1-bedroom, city center: +75.13%
The full basket (32 items)
| Item | South Korea | Ireland | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing | |||
| 🏙️ Rent: 1-bedroom, city center | $937 | $1,641 (1,516 EUR) | +75.13% |
| 🏡 Rent: 1-bedroom, outside center | $750 | $1,313 (1,213 EUR) | +75.13% |
| 🏢 Rent: 3-bedroom, city center | $1,713 | $3,000 (2,772 EUR) | +75.13% |
| Food out | |||
| 🍜 Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $11.02 | $17.11 (16 EUR) | +55.26% |
| 🍽️ Dinner for two, mid-range | $45.90 | $71.30 (66 EUR) | +55.34% |
| 🍔 Fast-food combo meal | $7.04 | $10.51 (10 EUR) | +49.29% |
| Groceries | |||
| 🥛 Milk, 1L | $0.77 | $1.06 (1 EUR) | +37.66% |
| 🍞 Bread, fresh loaf 500g | $2.24 | $3.08 (3 EUR) | +37.5% |
| 🥚 Eggs, dozen | $2.38 | $3.28 (3 EUR) | +37.82% |
| 🍗 Chicken breast, 1kg | $7.00 | $9.64 (9 EUR) | +37.71% |
| 🍚 White rice, 1kg | $2.80 | $3.86 (4 EUR) | +37.86% |
| 🍎 Apples, 1kg | $3.36 | $4.63 (4 EUR) | +37.8% |
| 🧀 Local cheese, 1kg | $8.40 | $11.57 (11 EUR) | +37.74% |
| 💧 Water, 1.5L bottle | $1.40 | $1.93 (2 EUR) | +37.86% |
| Drinks | |||
| 🍺 Domestic beer, pint (draught) | $3.67 | $5.70 (5 EUR) | +55.31% |
| 🍻 Imported beer, 330ml bottle | $6.69 | $7.85 (7 EUR) | +17.34% |
| ☕ Cappuccino | $3.06 | $4.75 (4 EUR) | +55.23% |
| 🥤 Coke/Pepsi, 330ml | $1.61 | $2.22 (2 EUR) | +37.89% |
| Transport | |||
| 🚇 Public transport, monthly pass | $41.60 | $62.08 (57 EUR) | +49.23% |
| 🎫 Public transport, one-way | $1.76 | $2.63 (2 EUR) | +49.43% |
| 🚕 Taxi start (normal tariff) | $2.45 | $3.80 (4 EUR) | +55.1% |
| 🛣️ Taxi, per km | $1.10 | $1.71 (2 EUR) | +55.45% |
| ⛽ Petrol/gasoline, 1L | $0.79 | $0.93 (1 EUR) | +17.72% |
| Utilities & comms | |||
| 💡 Basic utilities, 85m² apartment | $128 | $191 (176 EUR) | +49.22% |
| 🌐 Internet, 60Mbps+ unlimited | $44.80 | $66.85 (62 EUR) | +49.22% |
| 📱 Mobile plan, 10GB+ data | $28.80 | $42.98 (40 EUR) | +49.24% |
| Lifestyle | |||
| 🏋️ Gym membership, month | $30.60 | $47.53 (44 EUR) | +55.33% |
| 🎬 Cinema seat | $8.57 | $13.31 (12 EUR) | +55.31% |
| 💈 Men's haircut | $18.36 | $28.52 (26 EUR) | +55.34% |
| 👖 Jeans (mid-range brand) | $46.01 | $54.00 (50 EUR) | +17.37% |
| 👟 Running shoes (brand) | $75.29 | $88.36 (82 EUR) | +17.36% |
| 💻 Coworking hot desk, month | $153 | $238 (220 EUR) | +55.31% |
Estimated from World Bank — Consumption price levels with per-item elasticity — model figures, not quotes. Compare any pair in the interactive tool.
Related
Frequently asked questions
- How much more expensive is Ireland than South Korea?
- A single person's monthly essentials run about $2,276 in Ireland versus $1,390 in South Korea — 63.76% more. Rents differ the most; world-priced goods like petrol and electronics the least.
- What does a beer cost in Ireland?
- A domestic draught pint is roughly $5.70 in Ireland (≈ 5.27 EUR), versus about $3.67 in South Korea.
- How much is rent in Ireland compared to South Korea?
- A 1-bedroom city-center apartment is estimated at $1,641/month in Ireland versus $937/month in South Korea (+75.13%). Housing is the most locally-priced item in the basket.
- How are these prices estimated?
- Curated US baseline prices scaled by each country's purchasing-power price level with per-item elasticities (housing 1.4, services 1.1, groceries 0.8, world-priced goods 0.4) — model estimates for orientation, not quotes.