Compare rental costs, cities, towns and commuter areas to find more affordable places to live in Ireland.
Ireland has a wide range of housing markets, and the cost of renting can vary considerably between Dublin, the other major cities, regional towns and rural areas.
If your priority is reducing housing costs, looking beyond Dublin can significantly expand the number of locations worth considering. Waterford, Limerick and many regional towns can offer alternatives to the higher rents found in Dublin, although actual asking rents depend on the property, location, size and availability.
The table below uses the RTB/ESRI standardised average rent for new tenancies in Q4 2025. This is useful for comparing the major cities, but it is not the same thing as the price of every one-bedroom apartment currently advertised.
| City |
New Tenancy Standardised Average Rent |
Existing Tenancy Standardised Average Rent |
General Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Waterford | €1,317 / month | €1,011 / month | Lower-cost major city option |
| Cork | €1,756 / month | €1,413 / month | Regional city with a large employment market |
| Limerick | €1,814 / month | €1,212 / month | Regional city; rents have been rising |
| Galway | €1,834 / month | €1,409 / month | Strong rental demand and higher city rents |
| Dublin | €2,191 / month | €1,875 / month | Highest of the five major cities in this comparison |
Source: RTB/ESRI Rent Index, Q4 2025. These are standardised average rents for new and existing tenancies and are not advertised asking rents for a specific property.
Waterford is one of the first places to investigate if you want city living without paying Dublin-level rents. It is a major city in the south-east of Ireland and has a smaller urban housing market than Dublin, Cork or Galway.
The RTB/ESRI Q4 2025 Rent Index recorded a standardised average rent of €1,317 per month for new tenancies in Waterford City, the lowest figure among the five major cities covered by that comparison.
Waterford can be particularly interesting for people who want access to shops, services, employment and city amenities while keeping housing costs below the largest Irish cities.
Limerick is another major Irish city worth considering for people looking beyond Dublin. It has a substantial employment base, universities, technology companies and a large student population.
The RTB/ESRI Rent Index recorded a standardised average rent of €1,814 per month for new tenancies in Limerick City in Q4 2025.
However, Limerick should not automatically be considered a “cheap” rental market. The RTB reported that new-tenancy rents in Limerick had increased significantly compared with previous years, so current listings should always be checked before making a relocation decision.
Cork is Ireland's second-largest city and has a substantial employment market, particularly in technology, pharmaceuticals, healthcare, education and professional services.
Cork is generally more expensive than Waterford, but it can still provide alternatives to Dublin, especially when you compare different suburbs and towns outside the city centre.
The Q4 2025 RTB/ESRI Rent Index recorded a standardised average rent of €1,756 per month for new tenancies in Cork City.
Prices can vary substantially between these locations, so compare individual properties rather than assuming an entire suburb is inexpensive.
If you are not tied to Dublin, Cork, Galway or another large city, regional towns can open up additional housing options. However, smaller markets can have fewer available properties, so a lower average rent does not necessarily mean it will be easy to find a suitable property.
Towns such as Thurles, Clonmel and Nenagh can be worth investigating for people who are flexible about location and commuting.
Smaller towns can sometimes provide alternatives to the larger urban rental markets, although available properties and prices vary considerably.
Wexford and other towns in the county can be alternatives for people who do not need to live in Dublin or another major city.
Compare both rent and commuting costs before choosing a location.
Donegal has a number of smaller towns and a predominantly rural housing market. For people who can work remotely or have local employment, it may provide alternatives to the higher-cost major cities.
Leitrim is one of Ireland's more rural counties and can be relevant to people prioritising housing affordability and access to rural surroundings over proximity to a major city.
Dublin has Ireland's largest concentration of jobs, universities, transport connections and services, but it also has the highest standardised average rent among the five major cities in the Q4 2025 RTB comparison.
If you need access to Dublin but want to investigate potentially lower-cost housing markets, consider looking beyond the central city and comparing commuter towns.
Drogheda is north of Dublin and has rail connections to the capital. It can be worth comparing with Dublin rents for people who are comfortable with commuting.
Naas is a major town in County Kildare and is connected to the wider Dublin region by road and public transport.
Housing costs vary considerably, so compare the actual rental listings available at the time you move.
Newbridge is another Kildare town that can be considered by people looking for a location outside Dublin while retaining access to the capital.
Balbriggan is north of Dublin and has rail connections to the city. It can be included when comparing Dublin commuter locations.
If you specifically need to live in Dublin, the cheapest option is not necessarily a particular neighbourhood. Rental prices depend heavily on property size, condition, transport access, building type and the exact street.
Nevertheless, renters can investigate areas such as Finglas, Ballymun, Tallaght, Clondalkin, Coolock, Crumlin, Inchicore and parts of Dublin 8 when comparing properties.
These areas should not be treated as uniformly cheap. A newly renovated apartment can cost considerably more than an older property nearby.
The Residential Tenancies Board provides a Rent Register that can be used to find comparable rents. Searches can be based on a Local Electoral Area and property characteristics such as dwelling type, bedroom number and floor space.
This can be more useful than relying on a generic “average rent” for an entire county or city when evaluating a particular property.
Choosing a cheaper place to live in Ireland should not be based solely on monthly rent. Your total monthly budget may also include electricity, heating, internet, mobile phone costs, groceries, transport, insurance and other expenses.
A property outside a major city might have lower rent but require a car or a long daily commute. In that situation, some of the housing saving can disappear through fuel, insurance, parking or public transport costs.
For this reason, the most affordable location for one person may not be the same as the most affordable location for another.
Ireland's rental market remains under pressure. The RTB reported that the standardised average rent for new tenancies was €1,755 per month in Q4 2025, while the corresponding figure for existing tenancies was €1,503.
The difference between new and existing tenancies is important: someone already renting a property may be paying substantially less than someone searching for a new tenancy in the same broad market.
The RTB also introduced a new national rent-control system from 1 March 2026. Under the current rules, rent can generally only be increased once per year by 2% or the rate of inflation, whichever is lower, subject to the applicable rules and exceptions.
Anyone renting in Ireland should check the latest RTB rules rather than relying on older information about Rent Pressure Zones (RPZs).
In the RTB/ESRI Q4 2025 comparison of Dublin, Cork, Galway, Limerick and Waterford, Waterford had the lowest standardised average rent for new tenancies at €1,317 per month.
Based on the RTB/ESRI Q4 2025 standardised average rent for new tenancies, Waterford was substantially lower than Dublin. Waterford recorded €1,317 compared with €2,191 in Dublin. Individual properties can of course differ significantly from these averages.
Limerick can be an alternative to Dublin, but its rental market has become more expensive. The RTB recorded a standardised average new-tenancy rent of €1,814 in Q4 2025, so it should not simply be assumed to be a low-cost rental market.
The RTB/ESRI Q4 2025 city figures show a lower standardised average rent for new tenancies in Cork than Dublin. Cork City recorded €1,756 compared with €2,191 in Dublin.
There is no single location that is cheapest for every household. Smaller towns and rural areas can have lower housing costs, while larger cities provide greater access to employment, universities, healthcare and public transport. The right comparison depends on your rent, transport and living-cost requirements.
It can be worth comparing locations outside Dublin, particularly if you can work remotely or do not need to commute every day. However, calculate your complete monthly cost rather than comparing rent alone.