Best Places To Live in Ireland 2024: Where Are They?

By David Tait

Editorial Manager

Galway is currently the safest place to live in Ireland! If you’re thinking about moving to Ireland then you’ll definitely want to know where the best places to live are. Ireland’s a beautiful and diverse country and no two spots are the same so when you’re looking for a place to live, you’re spoilt for choice! In this guide, we’ll walk you through the best places to live in Ireland and what they’re like!

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Why Should I Live in Ireland?

Ireland is filled with great opportunities for so many people. Whether you’re European or from outside, Ireland is a great place to live, study and work in English. After Brexit and the UK leaving the European Union, Ireland has now become the only country where English is an official language and with a developed economy, both expats, students and those looking for new working opportunities will find Ireland one of the best options.

If you’re thinking about moving to Ireland, before you start shipping your belongings, you will want to know where the best places are to make your studies or retirement wonderful. In fact, there are so many great places to live in Ireland, but we’ve got it down to 5 of the best.

What Do I Need To Move to Ireland?

If you want to come to live in Ireland, you’ll need to make sure you can come and live here with all the correct documentation. What you’ll need will generally depend on what you’re coming to do in Ireland and what passport you have:

1. European Citizens 
   If you are a European citizen, or come from a country in the EEA, you are allowed to come and work in Ireland on your European passport. Since Ireland is in the European Union, your EU citizenship permits you to settle in Ireland without needing to get a visa!
2. International Citizens 
   If you’re from a country outside of the EU, you will need to make sure you have a job offer and an Irish work visa which lasts 5 years. Work visas in Ireland cost around €100.
3. UK Citizens 
   If you’re from the UK, you are allowed to settle and work in Ireland without any restrictions. This is due to the Common Travel Area (CTA) which has always permitted both Irish and British citizens to live and work in each other’s country freely and without the need for a visa.

Where Are the Best Places To Live in Ireland?

Finding the best place to live in Ireland isn’t easy since there are so many fantastic places to make your home. Also, it’s difficult to suggest which is the best place to live when different areas of the country could be home for different people. In this guide, we’ve given an overview of life in each of the chosen best places to live in Ireland compared with their costs of living.

Dublin

Dublin is the capital of Ireland and the country’s largest city. It is rich in both history and tradition, and has a very modern, vibrant culture that presents opportunities for both students and retirees alike! Dublin has a very active nightlife and great pubs, and since it’s near the coast, it has beautiful beaches and scenery.

Since it’s Ireland’s financial hub, there are lots of job opportunities and you’ll never miss out on any of the action in the city! You can also choose to live in the suburbs which are a little cheaper for finding accommodation.

Check Out Our Renting in Cork Guide!

Source: Numbeo - Dublin 
Source: 14/10/2022

Galway

Galway is another of the great Irish cities in the west of the country. It’s a great destination for foodies as it’s become a real hub with some of the best fine dining restaurants. Galway is also great for expats who are living alone since it’s the city with the most number of single people! Galway is also the centre for many international companies too.

Source: Numbeo - Galway 
Source: 14/10/2022

Cork

Cork is Ireland’s second largest city after Dublin and is really the social hub of the country. Cork is also a technological hub with many digitally-oriented professionals being attracted there to work. Cork is also known for its great quality food with great restaurants and local food markets.

Check Out Our Renting in Cork Guide!

Source: Numbeo - Cork 
Source: 14/10/2022

Limerick

Limerick is another great city to the west of Ireland. As one of the oldest cities in Ireland and is steeped in history, culture and tradition. Limerick is also much cheaper to live in as opposed to other parts of the country, despite not having many job opportunities.

Source: Numbeo - Limerick 
Source: 14/10/2022

Westport

Westport is one of the most peaceful towns in Ireland so if you’re looking for a quiet retirement, you should consider it at the top of your list. Westport is a great place to start enjoying a stress-free life and is relatively cheap as opposed to Dublin.

Source: Numbeo - Westport 
Source: 14/10/2022

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What Is the Cost of Living Like in Ireland?

Ireland - like most of the world - is going through a cost of living crisis. The housing crisis has made rental properties a lot more expensive and the energy crisis has caused energy bills to keep creeping up and up. One thing is clear: Ireland is not the cheapest country to live in, so if you’re planning on moving, you should prepare for high costs!

Household bills and rent in Ireland are some of the highest in the EU, making it very difficult to find an affordable cost of living. In Ireland, you will expect to pay for rent, energy, broadband and even your waste collection as part of your monthly budget, which can add up to quite a lot! The most significant cost of living you’ll face in Ireland will be rent, which has grown exponentially over the last decade:

Data based on the Standardised Average Rent 2007-2022 [5] provided by the Housing Agency. 
Last Updated: 14/10/2022.

What’s the Most Affordable Place To Live in Ireland?

The most affordable place in Ireland to make your home is in the country Leitrim in the north of Ireland on the borders of Northern Ireland. Leitrim has some of the lowest costs in the entire country and is endowed with beautiful scenery - including the Glencar Waterfall. It also has a vibrant nightlife while remaining tranquil and rural at the same time.

Source: Numbeo - Leitrim 
Source: 14/10/2022

What Is the Safest Place To Live in Ireland?

When looking into where to live in Ireland, it’s also important to consider where the safest place to live is as well as the cheapest. Even though Ireland is one of the most developed countries in the EU, there are problems with crime like in any other and some regions in Ireland do have higher crime rates.

The more dangerous places in Ireland tend to be Drogheda and Dublin that have relatively higher crime rates compared to Cork and Galway where the rates are much lower. Statistically speaking, Galway is the safest place to live in Ireland with a crime rate of 28.92 and a safety rating of 71.08. This is compared to Dublin’s crime rate of 52.23.