How Much Do You Need to Earn to Buy a Home in Ireland? The County-by-County Numbers
A single first-time buyer now needs roughly €48,000 to €108,000 in gross annual income to finance a typical first home, depending on the county.…
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Cost of Living
Independent reporting on household costs in Ireland, including food, energy, transport, housing and the wider pressures affecting everyday budgets.
IRELAND NEWSPAPERIndependent editorial desk
Why Ireland’s High Incomes Are No Longer Enough to Make a Home Affordable
Ireland’s median home now costs €396,000 despite rising wages and a strong labour market. The explanation lies in a housing shortage built over more…
Read articleWhy Ireland Became One of Europe’s Most Expensive Places to Live — and Why Lower Inflation Will Not Bring Old Prices Back
Ireland’s household prices were 36% above the EU average in 2025 and housing costs were 90% higher. Years of housing shortages, imported-energy exposure and…
Read articleMartin Leaves Door Open to Alcohol Excise Cut as Budget 2027 Tests Ireland’s Pub and Public-Health Priorities
No decision has been made, but a possible alcohol excise reduction has entered the Budget 2027 debate as Ireland confronts a 25.6% decline in…
Read articleIreland Prepares for Higher Bus and Rail Fares as the Cost of Subsidising Public Transport Surges
Public transport fares are expected to rise by about 15% on average, with Dublin’s €2 TFI 90-minute fare reportedly moving to €2.30. The increase…
Read articleIreland’s Housing Trap: Could Rent-to-Buy Create a Third Route to Home Ownership?
Irish property prices continue to outpace supply while rents absorb large shares of household income and mortgage rules leave some working households unable to…
Read articleCost of Living in Ireland 2026: What It Really Costs to Live Alone, as a Couple or as a Family
Ireland’s headline inflation rate has eased from the extremes of the recent cost-of-living crisis, but household budgets tell a more complicated story. Housing, energy,…
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IRELAND NEWSPAPER · OFFICIAL OPEN DATA
Cost of Living Data
Official consumer-price indicators from the Central Statistics Office.
OFFICIAL DATACentral Statistics Office Ireland (CSO)
Consumer Price Index
Latest period: 2026 SeptemberConsumer Price Index · Base July 1914=10012,539+0.2%
Consumer Price Index · Base August 1947=1003,931+0.2%
Consumer Price Index · Base August 1953=1003,145+0.2%
Consumer Price Index · Base November 1968=1001,933+0.2%
Consumer Price Index · Base November 1975=100879+0.2%
Consumer Price Index · Base November 1982=100321+0.2%
Consumer Price Index · Base July 1914=100
2025 April2026 September
| Indicator | Latest value | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Consumer Price Index · Base November 1989=100 | 228 | 2026 September |
| Consumer Price Index · Base November 1996=100 | 192 | 2026 September |
| Consumer Price Index · Base December 2001=100 | 162 | 2026 September |
| Consumer Price Index · Base December 2006=100 | 138 | 2026 September |
| Consumer Price Index · Base December 2011=100 | 132 | 2026 September |
| Consumer Price Index · Base December 2016=100 | 130 | 2026 September |