Moving to Ireland from Australia
What to Expect
Considering a move from Australia to Ireland? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Australia to Ireland, you would find that Ireland is 3.1% more expensive than Australia overall. A A$110,000 salary in Australia would need to be roughly €70,700 in Ireland to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Dublin averages 56°F vs 67°F in Canberra, making it significantly cooler.
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A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Australia and Ireland.
What does your salary buy?
A$110,000 → €70,700
To maintain the same standard of living in Ireland
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 7.8% more
Groceries
pay 11.0% less
Transportation
pay 35.3% more
Housing
pay 16.4% more
Childcare
pay 54.3% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 6.7% less
Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.
Cost of living by city
Cost of living varies a lot by city. Each figure is a city's overall cost of living as a percentage of New York City (the priciest, = 100%).
On average, cities in Ireland cost about 6% more than cities in Australia.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
What the data shows about people moving from Australia to Ireland.
Who's moving to Ireland?
Top countries of origin for Ireland's foreign-born residents.
- 305,197
- 146,211
- 44,229
- 35,190
- 25,371
- 25,104
- · · ·
-
20.7,568
Australia
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Ireland compared to Australia.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Ireland performs significantly better than Australia across all safety metrics.
How's the healthcare?
annual government + private spending per person
affects wait times and access to care
WHO index from 0–100 measuring essential service access
share of adults with obesity
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Australia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Ireland leads in adult obesity rate.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Australia generally does better on environment, though Ireland leads in co₂ emissions per capita.
Will I have good infrastructure?
fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work
higher means greater strain on freshwater supply
annual consumption — reflects grid capacity
share of households with internet
Australia generally does better on infrastructure, though Ireland leads in internet access.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
the highest marginal rate on personal income
share of people below the poverty line
Australia generally does better on employment & economy, though Ireland leads in gdp per capita.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better
government spending on education as % of GDP
Australia performs better than Ireland across all family life metrics.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Australian Taxation Office (2016), The Office of the Revenue Commissioners (2016), The World Factbook (2020). How we calculate this
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Canberra | Dublin |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 80°/54°F (26°/12°C) | 49°/37°F (10°/3°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 61°/39°F (16°/4°C) | 59°/44°F (15°/7°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 56°/35°F (13°/1°C) | 66°/52°F (19°/11°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 73°/47°F (23°/9°C) | 51°/41°F (11°/5°C) |
View all months
| Month | Canberra | Dublin |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 82°/55°F (27.7°/13.0°C) | 47°/36°F (8.1°/2.4°C) |
| Feb | 81°/55°F (27.0°/12.9°C) | 47°/36°F (8.3°/2.3°C) |
| Mar | 76°/51°F (24.4°/10.7°C) | 54°/38°F (12.1°/3.4°C) |
| Apr | 68°/44°F (19.8°/6.6°C) | 54°/40°F (12.1°/4.6°C) |
| May | 60°/38°F (15.4°/3.1°C) | 59°/44°F (14.8°/6.9°C) |
| Jun | 54°/34°F (12.1°/0.9°C) | 64°/49°F (17.6°/9.6°C) |
| Jul | 52°/32°F (11.2°/-0.2°C) | 67°/53°F (19.5°/11.7°C) |
| Aug | 55°/34°F (12.9°/1.0°C) | 67°/53°F (19.2°/11.5°C) |
| Sep | 61°/38°F (16.0°/3.1°C) | 63°/50°F (17.0°/9.8°C) |
| Oct | 67°/43°F (19.2°/6.0°C) | 56°/45°F (13.6°/7.3°C) |
| Nov | 72°/47°F (22.4°/8.5°C) | 51°/40°F (10.3°/4.5°C) |
| Dec | 79°/52°F (26.0°/11.2°C) | 47°/37°F (8.3°/2.8°C) |
Data:
Bureau of Meteorology,
Met Éireann, The Irish Meteorological Service
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Australia and Ireland. To live, work, or study long-term in Ireland, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Ireland's immigration authority.
Australia passport holder visiting Ireland
Visa Free
Ireland passport holder visiting Australia
Electronic Travel AuthorisationData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Ireland than Australia?
On average Ireland is around 3% pricier than Australia, with notable variation by city.
How much money do I need to move to Ireland?
Budget about €17,675 for 3 months in Ireland (based on a A$110,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Ireland?
Connectivity is usually fine (Ireland: 32.3 fixed broadband per 100). What actually decides it is legal: does Ireland offer a digital nomad visa, will your employer permit overseas work, and where are you tax-resident?
Is Ireland safe for expats?
Ireland performs significantly better than Australia across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Ireland is 0.7 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.8 in Australia.
How is healthcare in Ireland compared to Australia?
Australia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Ireland leads in adult obesity rate. There are 38.8 doctors per 10,000 people in Ireland, compared to 40.9 in Australia. Ireland scores 83 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Australia: 87).
What's the weather like in Ireland compared to Australia?
The average high temperature in Dublin is 56°F, compared to 67°F in Canberra. Dublin receives around 29.8 in of rainfall per year, while Canberra gets 24.8 in.
What language do they speak in Ireland?
The official languages in Ireland are English and Irish. In Australia, the official language is English.
