Not an award we were hoping to win…
Once again, Ireland wins for something that is less than savoury, as the most expensive EU country for every day living. Disappointing, but unfortunately not surprising to anyone who’s lived here in recent years, we now sit alongside Denmark when it comes to cost of living. According to The Irish Examiner, both Ireland and Denmark have prices that are 40% higher than the rest of the EU.
They also compiled statistics from Bonkers.ie on other areas where our costs are higher. According to their article, Ireland is:
“105% higher than the EU average for drinks and cigarettes”, “88.5% higher for housing”, “88% higher for utility bills like electricity and gas”, “46.5% higher for the likes of broadband and mobile phones costs”, “39% higher for travel by air, train, or sea,” and “29.5% higher for hotel stays and eating out“.
Ireland comes below the EU average with clothing, but in nearly all other aspects our prices have skyrocketed. Ireland has the highest price for alcohol and tobacco, with The Irish Examiner reporting that Finland (73% higher than average) and Sweden (36% higher than average) coming in second and third.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin hopes the October budget will tackle the crisis in the long-term.
Header image via Shutterstock
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