Cost of living in Dublin - 2013-2014

delija_sever029

Heya folks,not gonna open new thread but use this old one.

I am from Serbia,having EU passport and 2 degrees-nurse and radiographer.

I am interested to move to Dublin for some time to work any kind of job,just to get new experience and also for some fun,maybe to save some money too. I am not picky about type of job,i saw minimum wages are about 9 euro and it raises depending on a job. Right now i am not sure how evaluation of degrees is going on and what time it would take thats why i am saying i would work even out of professions but on the other hand i am sure these degrees are enough to get accepted to work as care assistant,support worker or how do you people name medical workers who are providing care. While browsing the net i saw private agencies are paying such jobs 11 euro per hour but state institutions are habing much better payrates from 13 to 16 euro p/h but its pretty hard to get hired there.

Anyway i accept every advice you could have and also you could comment more about living costs but i figured out some values so far and will write down

I dont intend to rent alone so room ensuite or not could be nice,to meet new people too but also to live cheaper

Room 500 euro
Food 350 euro
Transport 125 euro or 90 over taxsaver?
Mobile 50 euro
Random stuff 200

Correct or add smthg more if i missed

If i calculated good on 11 euro per hour salary could be around 1600 euro neto per month,i count on that as minimum i would go for.

Victor

Split from Cost of living in Dublin 2008 - feel free to let that thread inform / inspire.

Moderator

The_Conductor

Working @ 11 Euro an hour- on a 38 hour week- is akin to a gross annual income of a bit less than 21k

Put the figures into the Deloitte budget calculator- and after tax and government levies- this equates to a net income of 355 a week- or roughly 1,400 a month.

If you're actually a contractor- rather than a fulltime employee- on this hourly rate- your NET weekly income would actually drop to around 320 a week (aka you'd be about 30 Euro a week worse off- as you're taxed in a different manner).

The Deloitte tax calculator is here: http://www.deloitte.ie/tc/


Working @ 11 Euro an hour- when you consider the cost of living here- would have you living in poverty- there is no other way of putting it.

delija_sever029

i know about the calculator,i used it too:)

thats why i am here asking for advices about jobs and living costs from natives

The_Conductor

Ok.....

Room @ 500 - probably realistic

Food @ 350 - depends on what your tastes are, and whether you eat out or not- its doable- but you're not going to have very extravagant tastes

Transport @ 125 - depends entirely on where work is and what your time tables are. If you're a contractor- you could end up with silly hours- when its not plausible to rely on public transport- which could translate into having to get taxis a few times a month. Putting a figure on this category is difficult

Mobile @ 50 - plausible- providing you're not on contract or making too many international calls

Random stuff @ 200 - not sure this is a sufficient 'contingency' category.

If you're sick here- its a straight 80 Euro to visit A&E, or 60-80 Euro to visit a doctor. Pharmacy prices are the second highest in Europe. Any goods or services- are ridiculously expensive.

You're probably not being totally unreasonable or unrealistic with your calculations- but you're also not really leaving any room for the unexpected events that will happen from time to time.

joe_chicken

Without commenting on the other points made, your cost calculations seem off

Rent - 500 would be average enough alright, give or take €100.
Food - 350 seems steep, ~80 euro a week on one person ... you could do it for a lot less ... if you're planning on eating out or buying lunches it should still come in below. 200-250 I would say is doable.
Transport - as has been said it depends ... but if you're paying 500 on a flat share, then you should get somewhere close to where you work ... 250 still seems steep, 100 -150 I would say.
Mobile - nobody should be paying more than 40 a month. You can get by on 20.

The_Conductor

joe_chicken wrote: »

Mobile - nobody should be paying more than 40 a month. You can get by on 20.

Presumably they'd be calling home a bit- I've no idea what calls to Serbia from here cost- but a 20 quid topup isn't going to go very far.......

joe_chicken

The_Conductor wrote: »

Presumably they'd be calling home a bit- I've no idea what calls to Serbia from here cost- but a 20 quid topup isn't going to go very far.......

Getting by doesn't include international calls on a mobile which is a silly thing to do no matter how much money you have.

I got by for over 10 years, up until very recently, paying less than €20 a month.

delija_sever029

Guys i tryed to put a bit higher prices on all stuff just coz its easier that way,i could go with 300 euro for a room in some village around Dublin or 200 euro for food if i will eat rice every day,thats why i tryed to put a bit higher numbers on all just in case,coz of course you cant live by calculator and there are always extra expenses,sure maybe you can survive with 1000 euro a month but i am not looking into starving and being homeless over there.

I am not wasting much money around here in Serbia either,i almost dont eat out,i dont smoke,i dont drink (i think i shouldnt say this to irish ppl in public ) and only bad habit i have are sweets,lots of them

Thats why i tryed to put some numbers which arent going to be low but neither too high. As i said i would try to get any kind of work but assuming its easiest if i chase for care assistant one. Not looking to live like a lord with such salary but i am sure i wont be poor either,i am not that even with serbian salary here. I doubt all those EU foreigners are earning top high salaries and thats why they came to Ireland,i would rather say quality of life with average irish salary is still better than many EU countries

The_Conductor

delija_sever029 wrote: »

i would rather say quality of life with average irish salary is still better than many EU countries

Very true- however the average Irish salary is more 30-32k, than the 20k you are looking at.......

We may have a high minimum wage here- however our social welfare system actively discourages people from working on the minimum wage- as our benefits are structured such that they're almost better off not working.

The salary (Euro/Hour) you're quoting- would equate with work few Irish are willing to undertake.

As for not smoking/drinking etc- lots of Irish don't smoke or drink- the country may have a bad reputation- but many of us don't subscribe to either vice.

L1011

The_Conductor wrote: »

Food @ 350 - depends on what your tastes are, and whether you eat out or not- its doable- but you're not going to have very extravagant tastes

You can have a widely varied diet for two people on a lot less than 350 a month..

The_Conductor wrote: »

If you're sick here- its a straight 80 Euro to visit A&E, or 60-80 Euro to visit a doctor.

There's nowhere in the country you need to pay more than €55 to see a GP. Should be able to find €45 and possibly lower in most places. A&E is €100 now though.

petes

€350 seems a lot for food if you don't eat out. Head to Lidl/Aldi and then a local butchers for meat etc.

As MYOB said A & E is now €100 but you should get a GP for €50.

Mobile phone, depends what it is used for as said above.
People can get by on €20 where others can't (I can't)

Dortilolma

Your figures look reasonable enough.

I lived on only a moderately higher salary than you're outlining while Ireland was at the end of the boom and I was comfortable enough. If you're creative you can get away with cheaper phone, transport and shopping around will offer cheaper food.

I started budgeting and tracking how I spent my money in 2008 and because of that happily lived on €400-€500 per month (minus rent and energy bills). I was able to save quite a lot.

delija_sever029

The_Conductor wrote: »

Very true- however the average Irish salary is more 30-32k, than the 20k you are looking at.......

We may have a high minimum wage here- however our social welfare system actively discourages people from working on the minimum wage- as our benefits are structured such that they're almost better off not working.

The salary (Euro/Hour) you're quoting- would equate with work few Irish are willing to undertake.

As for not smoking/drinking etc- lots of Irish don't smoke or drink- the country may have a bad reputation- but many of us don't subscribe to either vice.

Are you encouraging me to come there to be social parasite?:D

I repeat i am not looking for top payed job,in that purpose i would evaluate fully my nursing and radiographer degree and get that average of 32k you're talking about,but for now i am trying to say i still have a feeling its worth of coming for care assistant job or any other similarly payed.

Before this i tryed to see what are conditions in London and i simply couldnt find any calculations that smb can even survive there with minimum,not even to mention relaxed living

Room- in best case 400 pounds
Food - 250-300
Transport -least 120
mobile and other stuff not relevant now

and they say wages in London are 8 pounds but somehow all i found was lower payed,anyway care assistant is having about 1100-1200 pounds and i still think you can get more in Dublin with 1500-1600 than in London for sum mentioned above

The_Conductor

MYOB wrote: »

You can have a widely varied diet for two people on a lot less than 350 a month..

Yes. I need to remember I've my two little ones to factor into the way I look at grocery bills.

MYOB wrote: »

There's nowhere in the country you need to pay more than €55 to see a GP. Should be able to find €45 and possibly lower in most places. A&E is €100 now though.

I'm lucky having two sisters GPs- but..... your fees for GPs certainly are on the low side for the Dublin area (not sure about elsewhere).

delija_sever029

Well thank God i wasnt visiting doctor in last 3 years and i dont plan to do it on monthly base over there either so sure,theres plenty of stuff which can affect your budget but i am trying to count basic stuff for now

The_Conductor

delija_sever029 wrote: »

and they say wages in London are 8 pounds but somehow all i found was lower payed,anyway care assistant is having about 1100-1200 pounds and i still think you can get more in Dublin with 1500-1600 than in London for sum mentioned above

London is ridiculously expensive. Dublin isn't as bad as when you were last here- you'll probably notice the cost of living is a bit better.

If I were in your boots- I'd fight to use my qualifications- there is a European Framework for recognizing each other qualifications- I don't see how/why your qualifications aren't as valid as any issued by an Irish facility.

Borboletinha

Your budget seems very reasonable to me. Also, 11 euros an hour is not poverty! I lived on less and did not consider it living in poverty. Actually statements like this make me wonder whether irish people even know what poverty is.

delija_sever029

The_Conductor wrote: »

London is ridiculously expensive. Dublin isn't as bad as when you were last here- you'll probably notice the cost of living is a bit better.

If I were in your boots- I'd fight to use my qualifications- there is a European Framework for recognizing each other qualifications- I don't see how/why your qualifications aren't as valid as any issued by an Irish facility.

Must agree on that about London,i couldnt figure out how ppl on low wages can even afford to live there without living in some small shared apartments with 5 others and even such rooms are least 400 pounds. I think transport is also damn expensive,food and other stuff are probably ok but still wages are damn low. And it didnt change much when it comes to Dublin i see,prices didnt raise at all,i am talking about renting and so on,least not that much that i would notice it obviously.

I am still sure that Dublin minimum wage brings you more than same one would in London.

I am not saying i wouldnt give a shot to recognise my education,moreover i am sure that some serbs did it very easy in Ireland before,specially degree in radiology,but i was trying to say it would go much easier if i would be already there and not doing it from Serbia. I was talking about to have some first,basic job,any kind of,or to be a care assistant and later it would all go smoother when you are in the system already

delija_sever029

Just checked O2 and Vodafone offers and cant find anything decent below 35-55 euros,i checked all pay as you go and pay bill offers,how do you folks manage to go with 20e per month?

Thomas D

delija_sever029 wrote: »

Just checked O2 and Vodafone offers and cant find anything decent below 35-55 euros,i checked all pay as you go and pay bill offers,how do you folks manage to go with 20e per month?

A tenner a month covers all your phone needs.

http://www.48months.ie/deal

delija_sever029

Huh i dont get how the heck you get all of that for 20e comparing to vodafone and O2 where the same thing cost 55 euro for example? Which provider is this and where i can find the list where all of them are listed?

The_Morrigan

Thomas D wrote: »

A tenner a month covers all your phone needs.

http://www.48months.ie/deal

That product is only available to those aged 18-22.

jd1983

Our communications regulator has a good price comparison site: www.callcosts.ie

Anyone can join 48, it's just a marketing gimic when they say you have to be between 18 & 22, as that's the niche they're targeting.

Thomas D

The_Morrigan wrote: »

That product is only available to those aged 18-22.

No, it's for all ages.

Tesco mobile offer a similar deal.
http://www.tescomobile.ie/priceplans/pay-monthly-plans.aspx

the_syco

First off; rent in a place that has a decent sized freezer. You can buy food that is cheaper as it's nearly out-of-date, and then freeze it. Same goes for bulk buying, cooking a huge dinner, and freezing it, so that you can defrost and eat it over a number of days.

The_Conductor wrote: »

Presumably they'd be calling home a bit- I've no idea what calls to Serbia from here cost- but a 20 quid topup isn't going to go very far.......

On this, the OP should teach their parents how to use Skype before they leave. A headset, or a mic and speakers and you can talk over the internet for free. Add a camera of some sort, and they'll be able to talk face to face.

delija_sever029 wrote: »

I am not wasting much money around here in Serbia either,i almost dont eat out,i dont smoke,i dont drink (i think i shouldnt say this to irish ppl in public ) and only bad habit i have are sweets,lots of them

Regarding the drinking; there are many non-alcoholic beers. Find one that you like, so you can drink it in the pub. Like it or not, promotions in some sectors is linked to socialising with your boss from time to time.

delija_sever029 wrote: »

I doubt all those EU foreigners are earning top high salaries and thats why they came to Ireland,i would rather say quality of life with average irish salary is still better than many EU countries

On this; know your rights, as many will try to take advantage of you.

=-=

The_Conductor wrote: »

If I were in your boots- I'd fight to use my qualifications- there is a European Framework for recognizing each other qualifications- I don't see how/why your qualifications aren't as valid as any issued by an Irish facility.

Could you check if this includes countries that are not in the EU, and/or qualifications earned whilst the country was not in the EU, and/or countries listed as having applicable certifications? I ask as I've worked with a few people who scrubbed floors as their degree wasn't accepted in the EU.

delija_sever029

Keeping up this thread:)

Mrs OBumble

delija_sever029 wrote: »

Just checked O2 and Vodafone offers and cant find anything decent below 35-55 euros,i checked all pay as you go and pay bill offers,how do you folks manage to go with 20e per month?

Pre-pay + use Skype for all long-distance calls (and no-one lives further away from their family than I do!). Sheesh ... who makes 'em on the mobile anymore!

delija_sever029

Ok but can anyone give some link with all mobile providers,all i found was Vodafone,O2,Tesco,48 hours,i guess theres plenty of those virtual providers who work under some of the main networks but still dont get it why they are double cheaper for the same offers than Vodafone and O2

spix

The offers you were looking at with vodaphone and O2 are most likely bill pay whereas 48 is prepay (you need to buy your own phone)

theteal

Meteor and 3 are the other two main mobile networks