Renting a one-bedroom apartment in central Dublin is equivalent to almost 46% of the average monthly net salary, according to a cost-of-living comparison that highlights the pressure facing people seeking accommodation in European cities.
The comparison, published by HourBuys and updated on 2 September 2026, estimates that rent for a city-centre one-bedroom apartment accounts for 45.8% of average net salary in Dublin.
The figure places Dublin among the cities where renting alone can take up a substantial share of average take-home pay. However, the comparison covers selected cities rather than the whole of Europe, and its figures should not be treated as a definitive ranking of housing affordability.
How Dublin compares with other European cities
The HourBuys dataset estimates the following shares of average net monthly salary are needed to rent a one-bedroom apartment in each city centre.
| City | Rent as a share of average net salary |
|---|---|
| Lisbon | 72.4% |
| Amsterdam | 67.5% |
| Milan | 66.1% |
| Barcelona | 64.9% |
| Madrid | 55.9% |
| Rome | 49.4% |
| Berlin | 48.2% |
| Dublin | 45.8% |
| Paris | 43.5% |
| Helsinki | 38.1% |
| Brussels | 27.8% |
| Stockholm | 24.6% |
The figures suggest that the estimated cost of renting alone in Dublin takes a larger share of average net pay than in Paris, Helsinki, Brussels and Stockholm in this particular comparison. Lisbon, Amsterdam, Milan and Barcelona record higher proportions.
These results apply only to the cities and measures included in the dataset. They do not establish how Dublin compares with every major European city, including those absent from the table.
Why the figures need careful interpretation
The comparison offers a useful indication of the relationship between advertised rents and average take-home pay, but it has limitations.
HourBuys uses cost-of-living data that includes crowdsourced information. Such data can be useful for identifying broad patterns, but it may not represent every neighbourhood, household or group of renters equally. It should not be confused with official national statistics or a survey of what all existing tenants actually pay.
The measure also focuses on a specific type of accommodation: a one-bedroom apartment in the city centre. People renting outside central areas, sharing accommodation or living in properties secured under older rental agreements may face very different costs.
Similarly, average net salary does not describe the income of every worker. Someone earning below the average may spend a much larger share of their income on rent, while a higher earner may face a lower proportion.
The figures are therefore best understood as an indicative comparison of selected city-centre rental costs against average net pay, rather than a complete measure of housing affordability.
A low rent ratio does not necessarily mean housing is easy to find
The comparison also illustrates why rental affordability cannot be judged by one percentage alone.
Stockholm, for example, records a rent-to-salary ratio of 24.6% in the dataset. That lower figure does not, by itself, establish that accommodation is readily available to people looking for a home.
Sweden’s regulated rental market includes first-hand rental contracts that can involve long waiting times, particularly in areas with high demand. Access to those properties is therefore an important part of understanding the market. A comparison of rent and salary does not capture how long someone may have to wait, whether a property is available or what alternatives are accessible.
Dublin presents a different set of challenges, including the cost of finding accommodation in the private rental market. Comparing the two cities without considering how their rental systems operate risks giving an incomplete picture of the pressures faced by renters.
The same principle applies across Europe: a city with a lower rent-to-salary ratio may still have barriers to accessing housing, while a high ratio signals a financial burden without explaining every cause behind it.
OECD highlights wider housing pressures in Ireland
The comparison can be read alongside the OECD’s Economic Survey of Ireland 2025, which discusses housing affordability and resilience in Ireland.
The OECD identifies housing pressures in urban centres and highlights the significance of high housing costs for issues such as worker mobility and employers’ ability to recruit. This provides wider policy context for Dublin’s affordability challenges, although the OECD is not the source of the city percentages presented in the HourBuys comparison.
The distinction matters: the HourBuys figures offer an indicative city-level comparison, while the OECD provides a separate assessment of Ireland’s housing market and policy challenges.
What the comparison tells renters
For someone considering renting alone in central Dublin, a figure of 45.8% suggests that rent could account for a substantial part of an average monthly take-home salary, leaving less income for bills, transport, food, savings and other expenses.
But the actual burden depends on the rent available to an individual, their income, household circumstances and access to other forms of accommodation or housing support.
The comparison does not measure the cost faced by every renter, nor does it explain the full reasons for differences between cities. Its value lies in highlighting the pressure that city-centre rents can place on average earnings and in prompting further questions about housing supply, access to affordable homes and the structure of rental markets.
For policymakers, the wider challenge is not simply to reduce the proportion shown in a chart. It is to ensure that people can find suitable, secure accommodation at a cost they can reasonably afford.
Sources: HourBuys, Rent as a Share of Salary (updated 2 September 2026); OECD, OECD Economic Surveys: Ireland 2025.
