In their 2024 report, the price comparison service Switcher ranked Irish student cities according to their cost of living. Citing the cost of living as one of the students’ most pressing concerns, their report details the price of monthly groceries, rent, tuition,entertainment, transport, and gym. In addition, Switcher also tracks how much the cost of living has risen year by year.
Out of the 12 ranked cities, Dublin came out as the most expensive city for students with an annual cost of 19,527, including fees. This figure is almost a thousand euros higher than last year’s, as Dublin had a 5% annual increase in the cost of living. Maynooth and Cork are second to Dublin, with both cities costing almost 17,000 euros annually. Following suit are Limerick, Carlow, and Tralee with Galway landing in the middle as the sixth most expensive city. Letterkenny, home of Atlantic Technological University’s Donegal campus, is the least expensive student city with an annual cost of 13,147. The overall average cost of living for students is 15,632 euros which is 536 euros more than last year.
Since their study last year, Switcher has found an average 3% increase in the cost of living. The average cost for entertainment and groceries jumped the most, with both increasing by 5%, or 165 euros and 90 euros respectively. Rent also saw a steep increase with student accommodations in Dublin, Carlow, Limerick, and Kerry occasionally charging an extra 500 euros per year. Dublin was also ranked as the city with the most expensive rent, with an average cost of 958 euros per month. To contrast, the monthly rent is 574 euros in Galway and 381 euros per month in Letterkenny. The commercial director of Switcher, Eoin Clarke, commented on the increase, saying “essentials like rent, food shops, and energy bills have skyrocketed in the past few years, and additional costs for gym membership, cheap eats, and the price of a pint are on the up, too. Our study found that in 2024, college-goers will have to pay around €536 more per year, while non-EU students could spend up to €924 more”.
The report included international students as well, whose living costs rise because of international tuition. The cheapest city for international students is Sligo, where tuition fees are 10,500 euros, while the most expensive city is Dublin where students are charged 19,875 euros. Other than tuition their costs remain on average the same as Irish and EU students.
“Though the rate of inflation has eased, the cost of living is still soaring, leaving hard-pressed students skipping meals just to make ends meet”, said Clarke,
“The good news is that students can avoid breaking the bank of mum and dad with supports like grants, tax relief, scholarships, and student discounts, while weekly budgets, tracking spending, and savvy shopping can help their income go that bit further”.
As Clarke states, students can get support with their finances as included in the Switcher report, where tips are given on how to get grants like the Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) grant or the Student Assistance Fund. Switcher also recommends students to take advantage of the rent tax relief or to take advantage of scholarships and bursaries.
