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Dublin vs Tokyo cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐ฎ๐ช Dublin
๐ฏ๐ต Tokyo
At a glance
- Where Tokyo is clearly cheaper: Street food (71%โ), Local meal (64%โ), Bottled water (58%โ)
- Where Dublin is clearly cheaper: Half-day tour (43%โ), Laundry (31%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Both cities are about equally easy to travel. Biggest gap: language โ Dublin 1 vs Tokyo 3. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Dublin | Tokyo | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | โฌ 18$20.9 | ยฅ 1,100$7.43 | Tokyo โ64% |
| Street food1 item | โฌ 10$11.6 | ยฅ 500$3.38 | Tokyo โ71% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | โฌ 40$46.5 | ยฅ 4,000$27 | Tokyo โ42% |
| Coffeeone cup | โฌ 4.5$5.23 | ยฅ 600$4.05 | Tokyo โ23% |
| Beerone bottle | โฌ 7.5$8.72 | ยฅ 650$4.39 | Tokyo โ50% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | โฌ 13$15.1 | ยฅ 1,500$10.1 | Tokyo โ33% |
| Bottled water | โฌ 1.8$2.09 | ยฅ 130$0.88 | Tokyo โ58% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | โฌ 2.4$2.79 | ยฅ 180$1.22 | Tokyo โ56% |
| Taxi5 km in town | โฌ 13$15.1 | ยฅ 2,400$16.2 | Dublin โ7% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | โฌ 9$10.5 | ยฅ 1,000$6.76 | Tokyo โ35% |
| Transitone ride | โฌ 2$2.33 | ยฅ 210$1.42 | Tokyo โ39% |
| Scooter rentalper day | โฌ 20$23.3 | ยฅ 2,000$13.5 | Tokyo โ42% |
| Hotel night3-star | โฌ 175$203 | ยฅ 16,000$108 | Tokyo โ47% |
| Studio rent (month) | โฌ 2,000$2,326 | ยฅ 150,000$1,014 | Tokyo โ56% |
| Laundry | โฌ 4$4.65 | ยฅ 1,000$6.76 | Dublin โ31% |
| SIM card1 week data | โฌ 15$17.4 | ยฅ 2,500$16.9 | similar |
| Haircutcut | โฌ 22$25.6 | ยฅ 4,000$27 | Dublin โ5% |
| Massage1 hour | โฌ 75$87.2 | ยฅ 5,500$37.2 | Tokyo โ57% |
| Half-day tourper person | โฌ 30$34.9 | ยฅ 9,000$60.8 | Dublin โ43% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | โฌ 22$25.6 | ยฅ 2,000$13.5 | Tokyo โ47% |
Reference prices start as estimates from published price levels; items with 3+ traveler reports use the median of real reports. Hostels and local eateries cut both by 30%+.
FAQ
Which is cheaper, Dublin or Tokyo?
Tokyo is 47% cheaper than Dublin. Daily budget $369 vs $212; a month $7,755 vs $3,723.
Which is easier to travel, Dublin or Tokyo?
About the same: Dublin 1.6/5, Tokyo 1.6/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Dublin and Tokyo?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Dublin is about $7,755 and Tokyo about $3,723 per month.
Where do the numbers come from?
They start as estimates informed by published price levels; any item with 3+ traveler reports switches to the median of real reports. Live reports are in the app.