Ireland’s cheapest student towns

The cost of living was one of the most pressing concerns among 62% of 18-29 year olds in Ireland in 2024 according to a recent study by the Youth Council of Ireland, with 1 in 5 skipping meals to save money.

Rising costs have increased the pressure on students, who now spend more than ever on accommodation and day-to-day costs.

Student costs have increased since last year:

• In 2024, students eligible for free tuition fees can expect to spend on average €15,632 going to college - €536 more per year than 2023
• International students could fork out an average of €26,690 per annum; €924 more than last year.

Switcher.ie’s Student Cost of Living Guide includes up-to-date student expenses in the cheapest student towns, plus some useful budgeting tips and resources.

It aims to help students, parents, teachers and third level organisations prepare for the year ahead and determine what they might need to budget, save or borrow.

Rising living costs 2024

Since last year’s study, student costs have been climbing across the board, with accommodation, college fees, nights out and transport costs on the up.

1. Nights out: the average student can expect to fork out €165 more this year on a night out; as taxi fares, cheap eats, cinema tickets and beer continue to rise.
2. Accommodation: rent increased by 3% or around €174 per year across all on-campus and private student halls. The steepest hikes were in private accommodation in Dublin, Carlow, Limerick and Kerry, with some complexes charging an extra €500 per year.
3. College fees: international students and those ineligible for free fees can expect to pay an overall average of €102 extra each month in 2024. They can expect to fork out an average of almost €400 more on fees this year, with top universities charging, on average, €1,260 more per year for non-EU fees.
4. Groceries: since 2023, the monthly cost of groceries has increased by €10 to €196 per month, or €90 per year across each student town.
5. Utilities: broadband and electricity costs which are usually included in student rent have risen by 4% or €30 per year.

Free tuition fees

Generally, most first-time undergraduate students will qualify for free tuition. However, they must pay a partial fee, known as the student contribution charge, which is €3,000.

As academic fees contribute a hefty portion of student expenses, we’ve ranked student towns for those who are eligible for free tuition, and also international or non-EU students who are expected to pay fees.

Similar to last year, Letterkenny, Sligo, Waterford and Dundalk offered some of the lowest accommodation fees in the country.

Students can head out, work out, and get around for less, too, making budgets stretch further than in any other town on our list. Unsurprisingly, the costliest spots were unsurprisingly the larger, urban hubs with bigger populations—like Dublin, Maynooth, Cork, and Limerick.

Student rent, as well as the overall cost of living, was notably higher in these areas.

7. Tralee

One of the tourist hotspots of Kerry, Tralee has moved from sixth place last year to seventh. The town has seen a spike in living costs over the past twelve months, meaning students could spend an extra €665 (or 4.2%) per year going to college in 2024.

Heading out for drinks or to catch a movie or a cheap meal could set you back €353 per month; an extra €48 per month compared to 2023.

Student accommodation has jumped up too, to €586 per month, though remains in the mid-range mark in our study.

8. Carlow

Carlow maintained its spot as eighth cheapest student town this year.

Although it is reasonably priced when it comes to socialising and food, student accommodation was the fifth most expensive in Ireland, driven by the high cost of some private student accommodation hubs in the town.

Overall, student rent has increased by an average of €28 a month or €252 per year, since 2023.

9. Limerick

Staying as ninth cheapest student town, the University of Limerick has 5-star rankings for graduate employability and innovation and the city is a hub of popular bars and food spots.

Prices of entertainment, transport fares and food are steeper here though, and the cost of accommodation increased by €24 per month in 2024 to €606 per month - making Limerick the fifth most expensive student town for rent prices.

10. Cork

On the outskirts of one of the most dynamic and exciting student cities, UCC is one of Ireland’s top universities, known for its beautiful buildings and rich history.

As one of Ireland’s biggest cities, Cork is the third most expensive place for students, costing approx €1,536 a month.

11. Maynooth

Maynooth University is an idyllic place for Irish and international students due to its proximity to the capital. Maynooth’s student accommodation fees are still second highest in the country at approx €692 per month, while socialising and food expenses are costly too.

In total, it would cost around €16,942 per year for a Maynooth student in 2024, a hike of 4%, or €664 since last year.

12. Dublin

Unsurprisingly Dublin is the most expensive place for students, costing an average of €1,836 per month - around €106 or 5% more per month than 2023.

Driven by private student accommodation prices, as well as the rising costs of food and entertainment, students can expect to fork out around €386 a month on socialising, and €958 on accommodation.

Dublin is also home to some of Ireland’s top universities, where on-campus accommodation costs are also higher than on-campus costs in other student towns.

Cheapest town for a night out

This year, Sligo surpassed Tralee as top student town for cheaper entertainment in 2024, with cinema visits, meals, drinks and nightclubs costing €308 a month.

The other most affordable towns for socialising were:

1. Letterkenny: €310 per month
2. Dundalk: €329 per month
3. Carlow: €330 per month
4. Waterford: €333 per month

Like other areas on our study, the cost of having fun has increased too, with students paying €165 more on entertainment this year.

If you’re not eligible for free fees or EU fees in Ireland, you will be subject to hefty Non-EU or international fees.

We’ve ranked the towns from most affordable to least for international students. The most affordable towns were mainly the ones with lower fees and accommodation costs, while the places with high-fee universities were the most expensive.

How much do international students pay?

On average, international students pay around €11,066 more per year on fees than those eligible for free fees.

Universities charge around €17,489 in annual fees for international students. This is significantly higher than institutes of education, who charge approx €10,996 per annum.

Non-EU fees jumped by an average of 6%, or €900 per year in 2024, compared to 2023.

Cheapest towns

Sligo is the cheapest student town for international students, costing around €21,168 per year: 41% less than Dublin, which could cost an international student **€36,402 for one academic year.

The institutes of education in Waterford, Carlow, Letterkenny and Dundalk followed with reasonable fees, while the towns themselves were overall cheaper places to live.

Priciest towns for non-EU students

Dublin, Cork, Maynooth Limerick and Galway were the most expensive spots for non-EU undergraduates, with fees ranging from €16,463 to €19,875 per year.

These university towns also saw the highest fee increases, rising by an average of €1,260 in 2024.