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
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) | Ireland | UK |
| 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 insurance | PRSI 4.2% (4.35% from Oct 2026) | NI 8% on £242 to £967 a week |
| Property tax on home | LPT about €333 (€400k home) | Council tax £2,392 (Band D average) |
| GP visit | €50 to €70 | Free (NHS) |
| Prescription | Capped at €80 a month per family | £9.90 per item (England) |
| Full-time childcare, under 3 | Max €183.70 a week after universal subsidy | 30 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.
