Living in Ireland

What it really costs, and how to sort a tax number, bank account, SIM, and healthcare once you land in Ireland.

New to Ireland?

Start here: first-week checklist

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Cost of living →Banking →SIM & connectivity →Healthcare →Tax & work number →

Cost of living

What you'll spend

Indicative

Min funds to show

Varies by nationality (see the route page)

Rent (shared room)

EUR 200 to 260/wk for a room in a shared Dublin flat (indicative)

Rent (1-bed, city)

EUR 2,154/mo Dublin average for new tenancies (RTB, Q4 2025)

Average wage

EUR 14.15/hr national minimum wage (from 1 January 2026)

Casual meal

EUR 15 to 20 for a basic restaurant main (indicative)

Monthly transport

EUR 24/wk TFI Leap Card fare cap, Dublin

Cost figures are indicative, from Citizens Information / WRC (wages), the RTB Rent Index and TFI (transport). Visa facts and fees are verified against official sources.

Verified on 23 June 2026 by the WHE research team · Source: citizensinformation.ie · How we verify →

Tax / work number

You need a PPS number to be taxed correctly. Register your job with Revenue through myAccount to avoid emergency tax; income tax, USC and PRSI come off through PAYE.

Banking

Open a local account soon after you arrive in Ireland so you can get paid and skip foreign-card fees. Most banks let you start the application online before you land.

Providers: Wise, Revolut

Read the banking guide →

Mobile & connectivity

Set up a Ireland number or eSIM for data and calls. The major networks have the widest coverage; budget MVNOs run on the same towers for less.

Providers: Airalo, Holafly

Read the SIM guide →

Healthcare

Staying healthy in Ireland

Access

The Working Holiday Authorisation gives no reciprocal public-health cover of its own. Australia has a Reciprocal Health Care Agreement with Ireland, so Australians can use medically necessary public care on the same basis as residents; New Zealand and Canada have no agreement and are private patients unless ordinarily resident.

Seeing a doctor

GP visits are usually paid privately, around EUR 50 to 70 and higher in Dublin. The emergency department charge is EUR 100 if you have not been referred by a GP.

Emergency

112 or 999

Police, fire, and ambulance in Ireland.

Insurance

Health & travel insurance

Private health insurance is strongly advised for everyone. For Canadian applicants a full year of cover is a documented visa requirement; Australian and New Zealand applicants are not asked for it at application (see your route page).