Although co-working costs have fallen by 25% since 2024 to €255.50 per month, Dublin remains among Europe’s priciest capitals for living and working.
Amsterdam has replaced Dublin as Europe’s second most expensive capital city for average cost of living, slightly behind London.
The improvement in ranking compared with 2024 reflects stabilising prices in Western Europe, while Eastern Europe is now seeing increasing costs, albeit remaining consistently more affordable bunq, the second-largest neobank in Europe, today released new findings from its third annual Working Abroad Index 2025, revealing how Ireland compares to the rest of Europe when it comes to digital nomads relocating to and from Dublin. The research highlights Irish living, food and working costs in 2025.
The Working Abroad Index, detailing Dublin stats in 2025, came from open-source data. The average monthly cost of public transport in Dublin decreased by 10% between 2024 and 2025, decreasing from €155 to €140. In conjunction, the average monthly cost of household utilities in Dublin fell by 12% year-on-year, from €337.38 in 2024 to €297.54 in 2025, one of the largest falls among European capitals, reflecting an easing on energy, service and transportation expenses.
The opposite can be said in Central and Eastern European capitals, such as Sofia, Bratislava and Warsaw, which have seen substantial increases in utility and transportation costs since 2024, notably Sofia which saw a 12% rise in its cost-of-living expenses.
The fall in utility and transportation costs in Dublin contrasted with monthly food prices (per person), as food costs increased by 9% back to €304.77, up 5% what they were in 2023 indicating a modest rise in inflation within Western Europe’s most populated hubs.
The average office/coworking space is now €255.50 per month, a 25% reduction from 2024 and the fourth largest reduction in Europe with nearly two thirds of EU capitals having reduced co-working costs of 5% or more. This sharp reduction is representative of a decentralised workforce who require more flexible and transient co-working memberships that reprioritise the digital nomad lifestyle as hybrid working plateaus in more traditional workplaces.
While the recent decline in monthly utility, transportation, and co-working costs marks a potential turning point in Dublin’s cost landscape, enhancing its appeal as a more accessible hub for digital nomads and international talent, the city continues to rank among the most expensive in Europe, remaining in the top three for both rent (€1,889.29) and overall cost of living (€2,631.60).
Emerging mid-tier cities gaining ground
According to bunq’s third Working Abroad Index, the following EU capital cities are ranked as the most affordable and therefore most attractive destinations for digital nomads, in terms of cost of living and lifestyle per month.
Bucharest – €876.69
Sofia – €978.78
Budapest – €1,026.51
Riga – €1,043.98
Athens – €1,094.82
Vilnuis – €1,150.82
Nicosia – €1,178.86
Zagreb – €1,213.43
Bratislava – €1,298.72
Tallinn – €1,268.44
Reflecting on 2024 data, the most affordable cities remain Bucharest, Sofia, and Budapest even with added inflation on utility, transportation and food costs. However, what has become clearer is that mid-priced cities such as Athens (€1,094.82) and Nicosia (€1,178.86), which have seen minimal changes, are becoming the ideal zones for long-term remote workers, defined by affordability, year-long climate, stability, and growing connectivity. This reflects a diversification of nomad destinations, with people spreading beyond the traditional extremes of the low-cost East and the expensive West, with Athens being 42% less expensive than Dublin (€2,631.60).
Following the Working Abroad Index launch, bunq’s Chief Evangelist, Joe Wilson says:
“Living abroad should fit your life, not the other way around. Our research shows where your money goes, so expats can make choices that match their lifestyle – spend smarter, enjoy more, and focus on the experiences that matter, wherever life takes them.”
For further information or imagery, please contact: bunq@harrispr.ie
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About bunq
Founded in 2012 by serial entrepreneur Ali Niknam, bunq has brought lasting change to the European banking industry. By having its users at the heart of the business and building a product rooted in their wants and needs, bunq quickly scaled to become the second largest neobank in the EU. Serving digital nomads across the European Economic Area, bunq makes life easy for location-independent people and businesses starting from the way they manage money: how they spend, save, budget and invest.
