Moving to Ireland from New Zealand
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from New Zealand to Ireland — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from New Zealand to Ireland, you would find that Ireland is 28.7% more expensive than New Zealand overall. A NZ$130,000 salary in New Zealand would need to be roughly €83,800 in Ireland to maintain the same lifestyle.
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How your spending power changes when you relocate from New Zealand to Ireland.
What does your salary buy?
NZ$130,000 → €83,800
To maintain the same standard of living in Ireland
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 38.4% more
Groceries
pay 5.1% more
Transportation
pay 31.8% more
Housing
pay 54.8% more
Childcare
pay 21.4% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 26.9% more
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 29% more than cities in New Zealand.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from New Zealand to Ireland, and how the trend has changed.
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
- · · ·
-
35.2,604
New Zealand
Key Indicator Comparison
How New Zealand and Ireland stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Ireland performs significantly better than New Zealand 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
Ireland generally does better on health & wellbeing, though New Zealand leads in healthcare spending per person.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
New Zealand performs better than Ireland across all environment metrics.
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
New Zealand 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
Ireland generally does better on employment & economy, though New Zealand leads in top income tax rate.
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
Ireland generally does better on family life, though New Zealand leads in education spending.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), New Zealand Inland Revenue Department (2016), The Office of the Revenue Commissioners (2016). 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 | Wellington | Dublin |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 69°/58°F (21°/14°C) | 49°/37°F (10°/3°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 59°/49°F (15°/10°C) | 59°/44°F (15°/7°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 56°/46°F (13°/8°C) | 66°/52°F (19°/11°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 64°/53°F (18°/12°C) | 51°/41°F (11°/5°C) |
View all months
| Month | Wellington | Dublin |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 70°/58°F (21.2°/14.7°C) | 47°/36°F (8.1°/2.4°C) |
| Feb | 70°/59°F (21.3°/14.8°C) | 47°/36°F (8.3°/2.3°C) |
| Mar | 68°/56°F (19.8°/13.5°C) | 54°/38°F (12.1°/3.4°C) |
| Apr | 63°/53°F (17.4°/11.5°C) | 54°/40°F (12.1°/4.6°C) |
| May | 59°/49°F (15.2°/9.7°C) | 59°/44°F (14.8°/6.9°C) |
| Jun | 56°/46°F (13.1°/7.9°C) | 64°/49°F (17.6°/9.6°C) |
| Jul | 54°/44°F (12.3°/6.9°C) | 67°/53°F (19.5°/11.7°C) |
| Aug | 55°/45°F (12.9°/7.4°C) | 67°/53°F (19.2°/11.5°C) |
| Sep | 58°/48°F (14.5°/8.8°C) | 63°/50°F (17.0°/9.8°C) |
| Oct | 60°/50°F (15.8°/10.0°C) | 56°/45°F (13.6°/7.3°C) |
| Nov | 64°/53°F (17.5°/11.4°C) | 51°/40°F (10.3°/4.5°C) |
| Dec | 67°/56°F (19.6°/13.5°C) | 47°/37°F (8.3°/2.8°C) |
Data:
New Zealand National Meteorological Service,
Met Éireann, The Irish Meteorological Service
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between New Zealand 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.
New Zealand passport holder visiting Ireland
Visa Free
Ireland passport holder visiting New Zealand
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 New Zealand?
Day-to-day costs in Ireland run about 29% higher than New Zealand on average; specific cities can swing further.
How much money do I need to move to Ireland?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a NZ$130,000 comparable salary, that's around €20,950 in Ireland for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Ireland?
With 32.3 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Ireland can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in New Zealand and Ireland.
Is Ireland safe for expats?
Ireland performs significantly better than New Zealand across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Ireland is 0.7 per 100,000 people, compared to 1.5 in New Zealand.
How is healthcare in Ireland compared to New Zealand?
Ireland generally does better on health & wellbeing, though New Zealand leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 38.8 doctors per 10,000 people in Ireland, compared to 36.1 in New Zealand. Ireland scores 83 on the WHO universal health coverage index (New Zealand: 85).
What's the weather like in Ireland compared to New Zealand?
The average high temperature in Dublin is 56°F, compared to 62°F in Wellington. Dublin receives around 29.8 in of rainfall per year, while Wellington gets 37.7 in.
What language do they speak in Ireland?
The official languages in Ireland are English and Irish. In New Zealand, the official languages are English, Māori and New Zealand Sign Language.
