Thinking of moving to Ireland what is the real cost of living compared to the uk ?

[user1492965996]

Hi Ladies
so me and the oh have agreed as a family we want to move to Ireland , we have been looking to buy a house for around 350,000 /400,000 it would be a first time mortgage and what all our savings would be going on we have 4 children age 11,10,6,8 ,
I know Ireland is diff to the uk with no council tax but higher living rates
what can a family of 6 cost per month on average
and what are the costs like for gas and electric , school books, vets ,everything really and advise would be very much appreciated as I really have no clue

I can't give you a comparison but I can tell you it is expensive! For example if you or your children need the doctor it is €50, a&e without a Dr's referral is €100. If you then need to see a consultant that is €150, who then might refer you for an x-ray which will be €200. And then if necessary, back to the consultant for €80. I pay for private health insurance so can claim a small percentage of this back but it makes you think twice about visiting the doctor! We are a family of 4 and earn about €45k a year. We live in a small rural town, we cannot afford holidays on this income and have one old and battered car. On the upside the schools where I live are good. Having lived in the UK pre children I think you are much more looked after in the UK than here.

There is a family in my cul de sac who moved from the UK to Ireland and bought their house (roughtly €300k outright) and they seem to be living like kings with a new car each! So it depends I think, if you sell a house in the suburbs of London and come to live in the suburbs or Dublin then you're off to a flying start.

I think I spend about €1,100 a year on gas and electricity in a small 3 bed.

I don't pay council tax but I have to pay 300 a year for the rubbish recycling and food waste. Personally I have a medical card so GP visits are free as I don't earn enough to lose it, but luckily the kids and I are so rarely sick. I do pay 500 a year health insurance though because I'm a single parent and if anything serious happened to me I wouldn't want to leave the kids without a parent. House ins about 300 a year. My kids' schools have been great though. Really lucky there.

You'll also need to pay for bin collections in some places (you have to in Donegal), pay for school books and equipment. School holidays are longer IIRC as well, so more childcare costs if you don't have a SAHP.

When my kids were tiny I seriously considered moving up to Belfast for the cheaper houses, NHS and longer school day. I felt that I could have built a more comfortable life for ourselves up there.

Of course, that only works if you have enough money to avoid 'picking a side area''. If you have the money to live in a mixed middle class area then it would be a good move I think, but I wouldn't have had that much money behind me.