# Moving to Ireland vs the UK: cost, tax, healthcare and rent compared | Cost of living | Moving to Ireland > Ireland and the UK share a language, a Common Travel Area that lets citizens of each live and work freely in the other, and a lot of the same shops. What… Source: https://www.movingtoireland.co/guides/cost-of-living/moving-to-ireland-vs-uk/ Cost of living · Step 7 of 8 # Moving to Ireland vs the UK: cost, tax, healthcare and rent compared 4 min read · Updated 13 September 2026 Ireland and the UK share a language, a Common Travel Area that lets citizens of each live and work freely in the other, and a lot of the same shops. What they do not share is a cost structure. Ireland pays more, taxes differently, charges you to see a doctor and has a far tighter housing market. Here is how the two compare on the numbers that matter in 2026, in each country's own currency. ## Rent and housing Ireland's rental market is smaller, tighter and dearer relative to income. The RTB Rent Index puts the average new tenancy at **€1,839 a month nationally** and **€2,335 in Dublin** in Q1 2026, and Daft.ie counted fewer than 2,400 homes to rent in the entire country in August 2026. The UK's ONS puts the average private rent at **£1,383 a month** in May 2026, with London at **£2,294** and the North East at about £770. In practice London and Dublin cost similar amounts for a one-bed in a good area, while every other UK city is markedly cheaper than Cork, Galway or Limerick, where the RTB average new tenancy was €1,903 to €2,004. Rent control also differs: since March 2026 Ireland caps annual increases nationwide at 2% or inflation, whichever is lower, while England has no rent caps. Buying is similar in the two capitals and cheaper in Ireland's regions than in southern England. The CSO's national median price paid was €396,000 in the 12 months to June 2026; Daft.ie puts a three-bed semi at €580,000 in Dublin, €439,000 in Cork and €379,000 in Limerick. ## Income tax and take-home pay Ireland has a lower entry point into the higher rate but more generous credits at the bottom. A single person pays 20% on the first **€44,000** and 40% above that, plus USC (0.5% to 8%) and 4.2% PRSI, with €4,000 of tax credits. In the UK you pay nothing on the first **£12,570**, 20% up to **£50,270**, 40% up to £125,140 and 45% above, plus 8% National Insurance on earnings between £242 and £967 a week. Broadly, low and middle earners keep a similar share of their pay in both countries, while high earners keep a little more in the UK because Ireland's 40% band starts so much earlier and USC adds up to 8% on top. Ireland has no council tax; homeowners pay Local Property Tax instead (€333 a year on a €400,000 home at the basic rate), against an average Band D council tax of **£2,392** in England in 2026/27, which tenants pay too.
Item (2026)IrelandUK
Average rent, new tenancy / private rent€1,839 (RTB Q1 2026)£1,383 (ONS May 2026)
Capital city average rent€2,335 Dublin£2,294 London
Minimum wage (adult)€14.15 an hour£12.71 an hour (21 and over)
Higher-rate tax starts at€44,000 (40%)£50,270 (40%)
Social insurancePRSI 4.2% (4.35% from Oct 2026)NI 8% on £242 to £967 a week
Property tax on homeLPT about €333 (€400k home)Council tax £2,392 (Band D average)
GP visit€50 to €70Free (NHS)
PrescriptionCapped at €80 a month per family£9.90 per item (England)
Full-time childcare, under 3Max €183.70 a week after universal subsidy30 funded hours a week for working parents from 9 months
## Healthcare This is the biggest practical difference. The NHS is free at the point of use for residents, with a **£9.90** prescription charge in England (free in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland). Ireland's public system is free for inpatient hospital care, but you pay **€50 to €70** to see a GP unless you qualify for a medical card or GP visit card (all children under 8 and adults over 70 do), €100 to attend an emergency department without a referral, and up to €80 a month for prescriptions under the Drugs Payment Scheme. Waiting lists for public consultants are long, so about half the population carries private health insurance at an average of **€1,902 a year per adult** (Health Insurance Authority, March 2026). Budget €100 to €200 a month for healthcare in Ireland that would cost you nothing in the UK. ## Childcare and schools The UK has moved faster on childcare. Since September 2025, working parents in England get **30 funded hours a week** (38 weeks a year) from nine months to school age; families who do not qualify pay an average of £189 a week for a part-time under-two place (Coram, 2026). Ireland caps creche fees instead: from September 2026 a full-time place in a Core Funding service costs at most **€183.70 a week** after the universal subsidy, and less again with income-assessed subsidies, plus two free preschool years from age 3. State schools are free in both countries. ## Wages and everyday prices Irish wages are higher in nominal terms. The minimum wage is **€14.15** against the UK's **£12.71**, and CSO average weekly earnings were €1,046.88 in Q2 2026 (about €54,400 a year). Groceries cost a little more in Ireland, and energy noticeably more: Irish electricity is 35 to 38 cent per kWh and the average annual bill about €1,805. Public transport is cheaper in Ireland: a Dublin 90-minute fare is €2 and a monthly bus and Luas ticket €96. ## Which is cheaper? For a single professional, Dublin and London cost about the same and both are hard on renters; Dublin wins on transport and loses on healthcare and energy. For a family, the UK's free GP care and funded childcare hours make a real difference, but Ireland's regional cities give you a house you can afford on two ordinary salaries, which is increasingly rare in southern England. For anyone from outside the Common Travel Area, Ireland's EU membership is an advantage no cost table captures. ## ★ Useful links - [RTB Rent Index (Ireland)](https://www.rtb.ie/data-insights/rtb-research-reports/rtb-esri-rent-index/) - [ONS: Private rent and house prices, UK](https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/inflationandpriceindices/bulletins/privaterentandhousepricesuk/latest) - [Revenue: Irish tax rates and bands](https://www.revenue.ie/en/jobs-and-pensions/tax-rates-bands-and-reliefs/tax-rates-and-the-standard-rate-cut-off-point/index.aspx) - [GOV.UK: Income Tax rates and Personal Allowances](https://www.gov.uk/income-tax-rates) - [Citizens Information: hospital charges in Ireland](https://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/health/health-services/gp-and-hospital-services/hospital-charges/) ![](https://www.movingtoireland.co/apple-touch-icon.png) You have read 23% of this guide ## Keep reading in the Moving to Ireland app The rest of **Moving to Ireland vs the UK: cost, tax, healthcare and rent compared** — about 3 minutes more — is in the app, free to download, alongside 98 other guides and a checklist built around your own move. Still to come in this guide - Income tax and take-home pay - Healthcare - Childcare and schools - Wages and everyday prices [Download free on the App Store](https://apps.apple.com/app/moving-to-ireland/id6446055261) iPhone and iPad · no account needed ## More on cost of living [All 8 guides in this section](https://www.movingtoireland.co/guides/cost-of-living/) - ### [Cost of living in Ireland in 2026](https://www.movingtoireland.co/guides/cost-of-living/cost-of-living-in-ireland/) Ireland is one of the more expensive countries in Europe to live in, and rent is the reason. Almost everything else, from groceries to public transport… 4 min read - ### [Cost of living in Dublin](https://www.movingtoireland.co/guides/cost-of-living/cost-of-living-in-dublin/) Dublin is where most people moving to Ireland land first, and it is comfortably the most expensive place in the country to live. The premium is almost… 4 min read - ### [Cost of living in Cork](https://www.movingtoireland.co/guides/cost-of-living/cost-of-living-in-cork/) Cork is Ireland's second city and the obvious alternative to Dublin if you work in pharma, medtech or tech. Apple, Pfizer, Stryker and dozens of others… 3 min read - ### [Cost of living in Galway](https://www.movingtoireland.co/guides/cost-of-living/cost-of-living-in-galway/) Galway is the smallest of Ireland's main cities and, for many people, the most likeable: a compact medieval centre, the sea at Salthill, a big student… 4 min read Keep going ## Get the full cost-of-living roadmap in the app Moving to Ireland turns 99 guides into a personal checklist. 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