Is Dublin cheaper or less expensive than Paris?

Question

I am talking about common things that people need in their (daily) life such as:

food

public transport

fuels

housing (rent or let for the moment)

health, house, car and other inssurances

I might have forgotten other things, but I hope you guys understood what I am talking about.

Best regards and thanks in advance,

B.

Answer 1

Well i have been to Paris, i have not been to Dublin but i have been all over Great Britain (everything but Ireland). When i went the Great Britain trip was cheaper than the Paris trip.  And the English are nicer than the French. But in the United Kingdom, they drive the total opposite. I would go to Dublin any day than to go to Paris.  In Dublin you can live in the suburbs or out in a tiny town where everyone knows each other, then you could get hook ups and get free things.  haha jk.  Dublin most likely has taxis in the city or some kind of transit.  I hope i answered sort of what you wanted, if not sorry.

Answer 2

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RENT

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Depends on so many factors, but I would say there's better value in Dublin.

A single person can expect to pay anything upwards of €500-600 a month for a place in either city. Of course as you move out to the suburbs, you can certainly find something for much less.

There are some major differences in looking for accommodation though. Apartments and houses in Dublin are usually let furnished; this is much less common in Paris. (And I've found that the French definition of "furnished" is a little lax. Does a couch bed in a studio count as "furnished"?)

Also, a Dublin apartment will at minimum have a washing machine, cooker, oven, microwave, fridge... (all mod cons). A "cuisine équipée" in Paris can mean a fridge and two rings for cooking. (A washing machine is a rare luxury.)

If you're on a budget and want to live alone, you can find a studio in Paris. Studios (or "bedsits" as they were called before the celtic tiger!) are rare in Dublin. You'd have to share unless you could pay around €1000 a month for a one-bedroom apartment.

But, it's much better value to share in Paris too. Your €600 studio will probably be 15m2 (if even that) with a corner kitchen, whereas you could share a nice two-bedroom place with a living room and separate kitchen for the same price.

One more thing: if you'd like to live in a house with a garden, you're much more likely to find that in Dublin, even right in the city (Dublin 3, 7, 8).

Edited to add:

I should say, this is as the market stands now. The Dublin market is more volatile than that of Paris. Because most tenants in Paris have long term contracts, rents are fairly stable. That's not the case in Dublin.

And bear in mind there is NO rent control in Ireland.

Edited to add:

20/08/07 Irish rents now at an all time high. http://rte.ie/news/2007/0820/rent.html

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TRANSPORT

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Public transport in Paris is much better value than in Dublin. With a "Carte Orange" at €53.50 a month, you have access to all public transport in the city - métro, bus, tram, RER, regional trains, night bus. If you get a yearly pass, it's €49.10 a month with one month free. And employers usually pay 50% of the cost, so you're talking about €22.50 a month for unlimited access to one of the best public transport systems in the world.

Dublin's transport system, while not terrible, can't compare. It's also much more expensive, and ticketing is not fully integrated.

Though transport within Paris is cheap, travelling to the rest of the country by train is very expensive, and there's no national bus network. With Ryanair and other discount airlines, it can be cheaper to travel from Paris to the South of France via Dublin!

By contrast, travelling around Ireland by train or bus is very good value. You can get to Cork from Dublin for €18 return. And there are budget airlines doing internal flights, so if you're lucky you can get a flight to Cork for even less than the price of a bus ticket.

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TELEPHONE

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Mobile phones are definitely more expensive in France. Calls from a pay-as-you-go phone will cost you twice as much in France. And if you buy a €10 top-up for a French network, it expires in 15 days and you lose any remaining credit.

As for home phones, I'm not sure; in Paris I have an all-in-one phone/internet package that gives me free calls, so I can't compare minute by minute costs.

You can compare offers by different phone and internet providers in Ireland at http://www.callcosts.ie

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BANKING

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Another thing that's far more expensive in France. Every bank in Ireland offers transaction-fee free current accounts and phone banking for less than the price of a local call. In France, you usually pay 34c *a minute* (which as far as I'm concerned is a premium rate call) just to talk to your bank. That one annoys me a lot!

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FOOD

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Very little difference. So much will depend on what you get and where you shop.

You have your discount supermarkets in Ireland (Aldi, Lidl), and in France (Leader Price), and of course your upmarket chains (Superquinn in Ireland, Monoprix in France). Dublin is just as good as Paris now for regional and specialist foods, and there are great markets in both cities.

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INSURANCE

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I'm afraid I can't speak of car insurance, as I've never had a car in either city. Be aware though that the cost of car insurance in Ireland can vary *hugely* depending on your profile. A young male driver will pay thousands of euros a year.

As for health insurance, again I think there's very little difference. Private health insurance would start at around €30 a month in both countries.

Your access to and the costs associated with the public health services in both countries depend on a few factors, but in general the French public service covers more. The French service is justifiably held up as one of the best in the world.

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The truth is, Paris and Dublin are both on the list of "most expensive cities in the world", and there really is very little between them.

In the end, things balance out. Maybe social security is better in France, but the employment market is far better in Ireland.

Even small things (the price of cinema tickets, a sandwich...) seem to be pretty much the same in both cities.

I think it comes down to *lifestyle*. Though the cost of living in both cities is almost identical, the lifestyle you would live in Dublin would be very different to that of Paris. If you're trying to choose between the two cities, that's where you have to make your decision.

Answer 3

I agree with Tom L above. I live in Dublin and I find it is more Expensive than most Countries on the Continent. I was in Paris twice and found it was much cheaper than Dublin for Food and Transport and Clothing. It has all the top Shops in Paris like Dolce and Gabbana etc these are Expensive of course but other Shops are quite Economic. Art Galleries and Museums in France and Italy you have to Pay for Admittance but in Ireland you do not unless it is a very special Exhibit in Art Gallery Like ,National Gallery of Art in Merrion Square like they brought a collection of Art from Hermitage in St Petersburg on a temporary basis and they charge for that Exhibit This is Rare otherwise it is Entree Librement Free in Ireland into museums and Galleries.

Good Luck.

Answer 4

My husband worked in Dublin for 6 months and Paris for 7 and commuted back and forth to Co.Kerry Ireland.

At the time when he was thinking about working in Paris and coming back to Ireland on the weekends or me going over to Paris during the week for a couple of days, I thought he was wasting his time as he wouldn't have any money left over to save,but we had alot more money to save when he was working in Paris compared to working in Dublin.It was even cheaper  sometimes for me to fly over to Paris to see my husband during the week compared to catching a train from Killarney station to Dublin.Rent would be on par with Dublin,but food,wages,household bills,transport is way cheaper in Paris compared to Dublin.

Answer 5

Much cheaper in Dublin, Paris is a VERY popular and highly business / art area with a lot of price on property. And soon fuel prices will rise further because it is a bigger city and new rules in accordance with population of cities will take place

Answer 6

You cant compare dublin and paris with the UK.

Answer 7

dublin is both cheaper and less expensive than paris

Answer 8

i live just outside dub and have been to paris and dublin is much more expensive, and ireland has been proven to be one the most expensive cities in the world and ireland has one of the highest rate of inflation.

Answer 9

I'm from near Dublin and have lived in Paris for a little while. I know Paris is cheaper to live in for food and public transport, not sure about which is better for other things like rent and quality of life but both are very nice cities