Townleap

Cost of Living: Dublin vs Nice (2026)

Ireland vs France — relocation comparison

Your passport:
Dublin
Nice
$2,522/mo
Rent

1BR centre

$1,142/mo
$24k/yr
Take-home savings

At each city's local median pay

$11k/yr
2 yr
PR path
5 yr
Freelance setup
Sole Trader
  • VAT-free under €40k
  • 4% social
  • €1000/yr accountant
WiseStripe
Micro-entrepreneur
  • VAT-free under €38k
  • 22% social
  • €1000/yr accountant
WiseStripe

Sourced from Numbeo · Updated May 2026

TL;DRNice is 55% cheaper on rent ($1,142/mo vs $2,522/mo). Ireland gets you to permanent residency 3 years faster (2 vs 5 years). Both are solid options for settling down — the spreadsheet won't save you from this one.
Too close to call — 70 vs 67. Nice has a slight edge, but Dublin might suit you better depending on your priorities.
Household
Dublin
Metric
Nice
$857/mo
🛒
Living costs (no rent)
lower is better
$746/mo
$7,392
🧳
Cost to land
lower is better
$4,491
87 / 100
🛡️
Settler safety
higher is better
77 / 100
0.9 / 100k
🔒
Homicides
lower is better
1.3 / 100k
2.8 / 100k
🚗
Road deaths
lower is better
4.7 / 100k
46 / 100
🚨
Safety Index
higher is better
45 / 100
64°F
☀️
Summer high
personal taste
82°F
39°F
❄️
Winter low
personal taste
43°F
91 Mbps
Internet speed
higher is better
6.3 μg/m³
🌬️
Air quality (PM2.5)
lower is better
10 μg/m³
80 / 100
🏥
Healthcare
higher is better
86 / 100
9.2 / 10
🗳️
Democracy
higher is better
8.0 / 10
7.9 / 9
🤝
Migrant acceptance
higher is better
6.5 / 9
57 / 100
🏳️‍🌈
Rainbow Index
higher is better
62 / 100
100/100
🗣️
Street English
higher is better
38/100
$133k
💼
GDP per capita (PPP)
higher is better
$63k
2.1% · Boringly steady
📈
Inflation
lower is better
2.0% · Boringly steady
91/100 — Reliable
Grid reliability
higher is better
97/100
🗽
Freedom House
higher is better
90/100
A median Software Engineer in Dublin takes home $7,020/mo under Standard employee. In Nice: $3,957/mo under Standard employee.
$3,063/mo more in Dublin
Each city pays its own median — Software Engineer gross via Levels.fyi / Eurostat. Moving changes your salary too; that's the point.
$138k
💰
Gross income
$66k
−$48k
🏛️
Income tax
Standard employee
−$12k
−$6k
🛡️
Social contributions
−$6k
$84k/yr
$7k/mo
💵
Take-home pay
$47k/yr
$4k/mo
−$60k
🏠
Cost of living
−$37k
$24k/yr
🐖
Annual savings
$11k/yr
Swap the local medians for your actual number

Sources: Numbeo · UNODC · Ookla · WHO · EIU · Gallup · World Bank · Freedom House · Updated May 2026

💰
Cost of Living
Nice
$1,381/mo cheaper on rent alone
🔒
Safety
Dublin
0.9 homicides per 100k
🗳️
Democracy
Dublin
9.2/10 EIU index
☀️
Weather
64°F vs 82°F summers
📋
Residency
Dublin
PR in 2 years

Sun

How much sky you actually get

42% clear
Win
Spr
Sum
Fall
Sky clear
avg daytime
55% clear
Win
Spr
Sum
Fall
7.5h
Shortest day
Dec
9.0h
17.0h
Longest day
Jun
15.4h

Sun clocks out before 5pm in both cities come December. Plan accordingly.

Source: WeatherSpark (clear-sky share of daytime hours)

Settler Essentials

stable
Democracy trend
stable
improving
Inflation trend
stable
techfintechpharmafinance
Industries
hub
Startup ecosystem
Moderate
🇺🇸 Your visa
Moderate
Easy
EU visa
Easy
Complex
RU visa
Complex
Easy
UA visa
Easy
Partner can work immediately
Spouse works
Recognized (2+ yr)
de facto partner
Partner pathway
Conditional (1+ yr)
PACS (pacte civil de solidarité) / concubinage

Visa stamps:Easy <90 daysModerate 3–6 moComplex 6+ mo

Sources: EIU · Freedom House · Startup Genome · official immigration portals

Reproductive Rights

Because your body shouldn't need a visa too

On request
Abortion access
On request
12 wk
Gestational limit
14 wk

On request up to 12 weeks since 2018 referendum. Mandatory 3-day waiting period.

On request up to 14 weeks. Enshrined as a constitutional right in March 2024.

Source: Center for Reproductive Rights

LGBTQ+ Rights

Can you hold hands without doing a risk assessment first

Legal
Marriage
Legal
Joint adoption
Adoption
Joint adoption
Yes
Job protection
Yes
Yes
Hate crime law
Yes

Dublin vs Nice — Common Questions

Is Dublin cheaper than Nice?

Nice is cheaper. A 1-bedroom apartment in city centre costs around $1142/month there vs $2522/month in the other city (Numbeo data).

Which is safer, Dublin or Nice?

Dublin is statistically safer based on UNODC homicide data. Dublin has a rate of 0.88 per 100,000 and Nice has 1.34 per 100,000.

Should I move to Dublin or Nice?

Too close to call — 70 vs 67. Nice has a slight edge, but Dublin might suit you better depending on your priorities. See the full comparison above for rent, safety, internet speed, climate, and democracy scores to decide which city fits your priorities.

Is it easier to get residency in Dublin or Nice?

Dublin: Ireland Critical Skills Employment Permit (complex process, 2 years (then Stamp 4)). Nice: no specific remote work visa. See each city's profile page for full requirements.

Which has better weather, Dublin or Nice?

Nice is warmer in summer (82°F vs 64°F). Dublin has milder summers, which suits those who prefer cooler weather. Climate preference is personal — use the weather section above to compare seasons.

Can I live in Dublin or Nice without speaking the local language?

Dublin is easier for street-level English (100/100) than Nice (38/100). That's the score that matters for doctors, landlords, and bureaucracy. Office English can still run higher than street English in both cities.

What's the cost of rent in Dublin vs Nice?

A 1-bedroom in the centre: $1142/month in Nice, $2522/month in Dublin (Numbeo). That's 55% cheaper rent in Nice.

Is Dublin or Nice better for democracy and rule of law?

Dublin scores 9.2/10 on the EIU Democracy Index vs 8.0/10 for Nice. That puts it in 'full democracy' territory — free press, independent courts, the works.

Is healthcare better in Dublin or Nice?

Nice scores higher on our composite healthcare index (86/100 vs 80/100 for Dublin). That score combines clinical outcomes (IHME), universal coverage (WHO), and resident perception (Numbeo) — not just whether hospitals exist but whether the system actually works for settlers.

Plot twist: other matchups exist

Maybe the real city was the comparisons we made along the way.

Let the algorithm judge you

2 min quiz — surprisingly accurate

Quiz →