Moving to New York from Ireland

moving to

What to Expect

A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Ireland to New York — from daily expenses to quality of life.

If you moved from Ireland to New York, you would find that New York is 30.7% more expensive than Ireland overall. A €65,374 salary in Ireland would need to be roughly $70,970 in New York to maintain the same lifestyle. You’ll also switch from driving on the left to the right.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

How your spending power changes when you relocate from Ireland to New York.

What does your salary buy?

€65,374 $70,970

To maintain the same standard of living in New York

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 1.9% more

Groceries

pay 44.5% more

Transportation

pay 26.8% less

Housing

pay 11.8% more

Childcare

pay 2.6 times more

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 EUR = 1.15 USD (June 2026)

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 New York cost about 7% more than cities in Ireland.

Ireland

Athlone 66%
Sligo 63%

New York

Queens 73%
Ithaca 62%

Compare cities head-to-head

Get free moving quotes to New York

We've teamed up with a vetted network of international movers to help MyLifeElsewhere readers plan their move with confidence. Tell us about your move and get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes in under 2 minutes.

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

Real numbers on people moving from Ireland to New York, and how the trend has changed.

Moved in 2023
1,530 ↓ 2% vs 2022

people moved from Ireland to United States · OECD (latest data available)

Who's moving to United States?

Top countries of origin for United States's foreign-born residents.

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

How Ireland and New York stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

How's the healthcare?

Adult obesity rate The World Factbook, 2022

share of adults with obesity

IE
25.3%
NY
29.9%

Ireland performs better than New York across all health & wellbeing metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Internet access The World Factbook, 2023

share of households with internet

IE
95.0%
NY
89.7%

Ireland performs better than New York across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

IE
4.3%
NY
4.4%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

IE
$115,600
NY
$91,992

Ireland generally does better on employment & economy, though New York leads in poverty rate.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

IE
81.7 yrs
NY
77.7 yrs

Ireland performs better than New York across all family life metrics.

Data: The World Factbook

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Dublin Rain: 29.8 in/yr (758 mm)
56° / 44°F

Avg. annual high / low

Albany Rain: 39.4 in/yr (1000 mm)
58° / 39°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Dublin Albany
Jan–Mar 49°/37°F (10°/3°C) 37°/19°F (2°/-7°C)
Apr–Jun 59°/44°F (15°/7°C) 68°/47°F (20°/8°C)
Jul–Sep 66°/52°F (19°/11°C) 78°/58°F (26°/14°C)
Oct–Dec 51°/41°F (11°/5°C) 48°/31°F (9°/-1°C)
View all months
Month Dublin Albany
Jan 47°/36°F (8.1°/2.4°C) 31°/15°F (-0.8°/-9.7°C)
Feb 47°/36°F (8.3°/2.3°C) 35°/17°F (1.4°/-8.2°C)
Mar 54°/38°F (12.1°/3.4°C) 44°/26°F (6.9°/-3.5°C)
Apr 54°/40°F (12.1°/4.6°C) 58°/37°F (14.6°/2.9°C)
May 59°/44°F (14.8°/6.9°C) 69°/47°F (20.8°/8.4°C)
Jun 64°/49°F (17.6°/9.6°C) 78°/56°F (25.5°/13.6°C)
Jul 67°/53°F (19.5°/11.7°C) 82°/61°F (27.9°/16.3°C)
Aug 67°/53°F (19.2°/11.5°C) 80°/60°F (26.9°/15.5°C)
Sep 63°/50°F (17.0°/9.8°C) 72°/52°F (22.3°/10.9°C)
Oct 56°/45°F (13.6°/7.3°C) 60°/40°F (15.4°/4.2°C)
Nov 51°/40°F (10.3°/4.5°C) 48°/31°F (8.8°/-0.3°C)
Dec 47°/37°F (8.3°/2.8°C) 36°/21°F (2.1°/-6.0°C)

Data: Met Éireann, The Irish Meteorological Service Met Éireann, The Irish Meteorological Service, National Weather Service National Weather Service

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Ireland and United States. To live, work, or study long-term in United States, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check United States's immigration authority.

Ireland passport

Ireland passport holder visiting United States

Electronic Travel Authorisation
Ireland passport holders need an electronic travel authorisation (ETA) to enter United States.
United States passport

United States passport holder visiting Ireland

Visa Free
United States passport holders can enter Ireland without a visa.

Data: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to live in New York than Ireland?

Generally yes: New York runs about 5% cheaper than Ireland on average, though it depends heavily on the city.

How much money do I need to move to New York?

A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a €65,374 comparable salary, that's around $17,742 in New York for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.

Can I work remotely from New York?

Working remotely from New York's major cities is generally feasible. The legal layer matters more — visa category, employer policy on overseas employees, and tax residency in Ireland and New York.

How is healthcare in New York compared to Ireland?

Ireland performs better than New York across all health & wellbeing metrics.

What's the weather like in New York compared to Ireland?

The average high temperature in Albany is 58°F, compared to 56°F in Dublin. Albany receives around 39.4 in of rainfall per year, while Dublin gets 29.8 in.

What language do they speak in New York?

The official language in New York is English. In Ireland, the official languages are English and Irish.

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At a Glance

IE
Population 5,275,004 19,378,102
Currency Euro (€) United States Dollar ($)
Languages English, Irish English
Driving side Left Right
Calling code +353 +1
Time zones 1 11
Emergency number 112 911