In fact, the Irish capital has become so popular with expats since the upturn in the city's economic prospects that the demand for housing has skyrocketed, which in turn drove prices up to an extent where many locals can't even afford to live in the city any longer. Ireland has a wide range of accommodation available to suit any budget.
Many metros, especially Dublin, are extremely expensive to live in, but more affordable accommodation is available towards the outskirts of these cities. Conveniently, most places come furnished, including couches, tables, dressers and usually a new mattress. Many city dwellers are moving away from metros and into "commuter towns" in surrounding counties.
While this often means travel times of up to two hours each way, the financial savings are considerable and, if expats are looking for somewhere rural, quiet, and with a good sense of community, bargains can be had in these areas. Thanks to its excellent location, Ireland is a perfect launching pad for travelling.
Barcelona is two hours away, Rome is three hours, and for a really short trip, the UK is barely 45 minutes away. If looking to experience other European cultures, Ireland is a great base to do that from. It can be sunny, rainy or a mixture of both at any point in the day. Although it rarely snows in Ireland, if expats are unprepared the perpetual wet weather can definitely be a shock, so it's important to have warm jackets and umbrellas on hand regardless of the time of year.
By law, all those who work full-time in Ireland are entitled to 20 days of annual leave. It's not usually possible to get away with not taking leave and most employers will also award extra vacation days to long-term employees. Everything is priced in EUR, and the high demand for accommodation in cities such as Dublin is driving the cost of living through the roof. Naturally, the further one moves from Dublin, the lower the cost of living will be.
Ireland is very safe. Guns are illegal unless one owns a farm. Naturally, some are smuggled in, and shootings do occur every now and then and are hyped up by the media. However, like anywhere, there are bad areas and caution should still be taken. Ireland has the 32nd-biggest GDP in the world according to the International Monetary Fund , while lying just th in terms of country size.
On a related note, you will no doubt be at least partially aware of the painful history Ireland has with the UK. The Anglo-Irish Treaty ended the war and gave Ireland its independence, but prompted the Irish Civil War , which led to at least 1, deaths. This only ended in , with the Good Friday Agreement, after resulting in 3, deaths — more than half of whom were civilians.
Irish nationals come from exactly countries, according to the census , and this is reflected in the wonderful diversity of events and food you can find in your new home. Party at Oktoberfest celebrations, enjoy nationwide Culture Night events, and delight in three days of fireworks, music and dancing that honour St.
Patrick every March. Known as the land of a hundred thousand welcomes, you should be able to easily settle in after arriving in Ireland. Ireland is also the second-best country in the world at providing excellent service and hospitality, according to TripAdvisor. This accepting atmosphere is emphasised by the relative lack of hate crimes.
There were in Ireland in — 21 times less than in England and Wales , according to government figures. Since , when authorities stopped punishing homosexuality, Ireland has quickly moved towards equality. Same-sex couples are also both automatically registered as the parents of their child. Try not to just mix with expats, though.
In both cultures, people like to get rounds at the pub, generally thank the bus driver okay, maybe not in London , and enjoy the works of Irish writers Oscar Wilde and Samuel Beckett — plus, of course, everyone speaks English. You should definitely try Irish lamb stew, colcannon mashed potatoes with cabbage or kale , and a potato pancake dish called boxty — but your palate will be prepared. Boxty is one of the many familiar culinary delights Ireland has to offer. But not like this. Ireland has won Eurovision a record seven times , with four of those triumphs coming between and Unfortunately, luck has deserted Irish entrants in recent times, with the country making the top 10 only once in the past 13 contests.
For example, for more than years in Killorglin, County Kerry, locals have held the Puck Fair, in which a wild goat is captured in the mountains, brought to the town square, and crowned King Puck by a local schoolgirl — who is herself known as Queen Puck.
And on Halloween, barmbrack a sweet bread with sultanas and raisins is traditionally baked so it contains a pea, piece of cloth, ring, stick, and small coin. Symbolic meanings are drawn from who receives which item in their slice.
Where else in the world can you enjoy customs like these? Enjoy it. The largest airport in Ireland is the Dublin Airport, which services around 30 million travelers annually. By comparison, other airports throughout the country are quite small, but it is still possible to fly in and out of them regularly. Other airports in the country include:. Galway also has two smaller airports with Connemara Airport and Inishmore, which services the Aran Islands.
The average cost of living in Ireland is not cheap, but it is also not as exorbitant as other European countries such as the UK or Sweden. Expats relocating to the country should not expect to save a lot of money, nor should they expect a luxurious way of life for little money. However, they can expect to live easily without breaking the bank each month. Read on the learn more. Is it expensive to live in Ireland? Yes and no. With the local salaries, it is possible to live a comfortable life without living paycheck to paycheck.
Because Ireland is a small island nation, many goods need to be imported into the country. This ups the price of everyday necessities such as groceries and gas. This makes occasions such as going out for dinner or driving more expensive than in some mainland European countries.
Living expenses in Ireland will depend slightly on where you live. This is mostly due to the cost of housing you will find within cities. Expats can cut this cost significantly by living on the outskirts of a city.
Even just living further away from a public transportation stop will go a decent way toward cutting costs in the Emerald Isle. As stated, because Ireland is an island country, goods such as groceries, alcohol, and gas need to be imported and are therefore more expensive than what you may experience in mainland countries. This expense will not be too great, but it is worth noting so that you do not get caught off guard at the end of each month and wonder where did my money go?
Do you eat out often? Or is going to a restaurant more of a special treat? In Ireland, whether you eat out every week or a few times a month will depend on several factors: your salary and the types of restaurants you choose to visit. The cost of a single coffee is about 1. While all of Ireland provides a great quality of life, there are a few cities that are especially popular among expats.
Some of them are popular simply because they are cities, making it easy to get around, travel in and out of the country, and provide a larger international community for fellow foreigners to integrate into. These cities are also popular for their vibrant cultural and arts scenes, giving expats a unique and immersive look into different aspects of Irish culture. Dublin and Cork are the most expensive, although Limerick is swiftly gaining on both.
As a perk, it is even more affordable than Galway. Dublin, Cork, and Limerick have some of the higher rental prices, while Galway and Waterford are slightly less. Keep in mind that the closer you live to public transportation, the more rent you can expect to pay. The outskirts of Dublin are also popular living places for expats, although the rental prices will only be slightly lower than accommodation found within the city proper.
Take note that although Galway has an overall lower cost of living than Limerick, rental prices are slightly higher. While it is possible to rent accommodation in Ireland where the utilities are included in the price, it is still good to know what utilities cost to ensure you are not paying more than you should.
In general, a combination of electric, heating, gas, and water will cost between — EUR — USD depending on where you live in the country. For example, expats can expect to pay more for utilities in Dublin than they would for utilities in Galway. For more on the cost of accommodation and utilities in Ireland, see our Housing section. Public education in Ireland is free and of very high quality.
Parents will only need to pay for uniforms, lunches, and school materials. These costs will vary and depend on the school and what you prefer to spend.
Education at a private or international school will incur a tuition fee for both Irish locals and recently arrived expats. See our Education section for more details. Healthcare costs are only covered for Medical Card holders. You can read more about this in our Healthcare section. Expats who want to take out private insurance can expect to pay anywhere between 30— EUR 33— USD per month dependent on the plan they choose.
Traveling around Ireland by bus or train is simple and affordable. Most of the public transport systems within each Irish city are accessible by the Leap system, which can be used as a physical card or through a mobile app on your phone.
Single fare costs for a bus or train is typically around 2 EUR 2. For more, see our section on Public Transportation in Ireland below.
When relocating to a new country, it is important to understand the cultural norms and social etiquette expected in your new home. Being unaware of social taboos can either lead to an embarrassing situation for you or, at worst, lead to a disastrous consequence such as jail time or social ostracizing. Luckily, in a country such as Ireland, committing a social faux pas will not lead to something as serious as jail or deportation. Is it possible to think of Ireland without thinking of religion?
The northern half of Ireland was largely dominated by Protestants, and the south primarily Catholic. This led to decades of low-level fighting and terrorist attacks, and ultimately led to the separation of Northern Ireland which is governed by the UK from the rest of the country, which is officially termed the Republic of Ireland. That being said, Catholicism plays a large role in everyday Irish society and politics. In fact, when compared to the rest of Europe, this is why Ireland took so long to pass laws legalizing abortions and marriage equality.
Expats should be sensitive when discussing issues dealing with the Catholic Church or issues deemed controversial within that religion. You should always keep in mind that, at its core, Ireland is a fairly conservative country. While this conservatism is gradually loosening with time, as a guest in the country, it is still best to be respectful of Irish views. Family is very important in Irish culture.
Families are close-knit and holidays and Sundays after church are often spent together. Humor plays a big role in everyday Irish conversation.
There are even two words for this: craic , which means having a quick wit, and slagging , which refers to teasing. The Irish will constantly make quick witted remarks and jokes in casual conversation. Depending on the country you come from, this could be seen as rude, aggressive, or not taking something seriously. In Ireland, this is not the case.
The Irish have a long, rich history of storytelling, and this will become evident with the engaging, humorous banter that is in nearly every conversation.
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