How Much Have Prices Fallen Since the Recession Hit?

[LibertyMan78]

I've read alot online about Ireland being known as " The Rip Off Republic " I know at one time, housing was quite expensive, but it seems from looking at Daft.ie that there are many, lovely places in Dublin county for under 800Euro a month. I've read some articles about places like Tesco and such lowering their prices by 20%. I've also read the government was working on things like heating costs and such ( though we all know how governments are )


Anyway, just curious on average how much less people are having to pay in these rough times?

[Cormac]

Originally Posted by LibertyMan78

I've read alot online about Ireland being known as " The Rip Off Republic " I know at one time, housing was quite expensive, but it seems from looking at Daft.ie that there are many, lovely places in Dublin county for under 800Euro a month. I've read some articles about places like Tesco and such lowering their prices by 20%. I've also read the government was working on things like heating costs and such ( though we all know how governments are )


Anyway, just curious on average how much less people are having to pay in these rough times?

Good question, and I'm sure people will have different opinions on the matter but here's mine... if you're lucky enough to have a job in Ireland at the moment (unemployment is officially 12.6%) you're in a good situation. As you said rental prices have fallen fairly dramatically over the last 2 years or so - but I've read they are starting to increase again in certain areas ( Register or Login to View this Link ) - I lived in an apartment in the Temple Bar area of Dublin about 4 years ago and I was paying €1200 per month for a really nice one bed place, you'd probably get the same place for about €1000 now. House prices have fallen massively as well, I bought a house in Clontarf in Dublin 5 months ago for about half what my neighbours 2 doors up paid for their place 2 years ago, good for me but bad for them.

Cost of living has fallen too, shops, restaurants and pubs have become a lot more competitive and there are some great deals to be had. Other things like having work done on your house is a lot cheaper too, builders are really cutting back their prices and you have a much bigger pool of tradesmen to choose from.

On the downside there aren't as many jobs available so wages seem to have fallen, I work in IT/Web and there are jobs out there but the average wage in that sector has fallen by about 7k. I've noticed an increase in positions available in the last few weeks, I'm not sure if that's related to any recovery or if it's just a coincidence, time will tell.

I'm not spending as much as I was a few years ago so it's difficult for me to say if I have more money because things are cheaper or because I'm spending less.

What are your plans? Are you in Ireland or in the process of moving here?

[LibertyMan78]

Thanks Cormac. We've experienced the same thing here of course, but haven't had the degree of contraction you've had. Our housing market is, depending on how you look at it, a mess. I would sort of disagree, as I believe the actual cost of housing went WELL above what they were actually worth. The home I live in now was once valued at about $500,000USD.....now it's closer to $300,000. Which in reality, is a more reasonable price considering the average wage in the country.

I've read a bit online and can't figure out Ireland's issue with prices on food and such though. I've read that even by European standards they're very high. I don't know if it was/is a matter of charging what you can get away with or a matter of business owners passing on the cost of business through higher prices? But it seems that as heavily regulated and taxed as continental Europe is, Ireland's prices would be the same, if not a BIT cheaper. Ya know?

You're fortunate to be in the IT field. Outside of being a Dr, it's probably the most stable field in the world. When we first began considering a move to Europe, we found that unless you were a Dr or skilled in IT, finding a job and thus a work permit was near impossible for an American.

It's good to hear the cost of living has fallen. I'd be interested to hear from an Irish perspective WHY food and goods are more expensive. I've read many a tale of folks driving up to Northern Ireland to buy things. That seems crazy.

As for our plans: All 4 of my girlfriend's grandparents were born in Ireland. She's applying for her citizenship as we speak ( type? ) We're weighing the pros and cons of both Ireland and Netherlands. We have a love of both countries and want to experience living in one for awhile.....we're just not sure which one. I part own and help run a fitness website, so my job is totally portable and pays fairly well. One huge downside of Ireland is the prospect of my girlfriend finding a job there. Then again, not speaking Dutch will exclude her from many jobs in Holland. Another downside is the cost of living. I've read that you pay more for food, electronics, dental work, heating costs, etc. I've seen figures ranging from 20-40% more, though I don't know how reliable those numbers are.

Anyway, that's the basics of our situation. We're planning a move overseas and have been researching countries for awhile now.

[Cormac]

The same thing happened here - property prices just became ridiculous, the government decided to ignore the advice of very sensible economists who warned them to rein them in and the market crashed. Prices at the moment are a lot more realistic but there are a hell of a lot of unfortunate people stuck in negative equity and a lot of potential buyers are scared to invest as a result. 'Sales Agreed' were up 300% in January on second-hand homes ( Register or Login to View this Link ) so hopefully the free-fall in prices is coming to an end.

We seem to pay more for everything here, I'm not sure why, every store gives a different reason. Even when currency differences are taken into account there is no explaining why something that costs x in Ireland is for sale for y in the UK (y is always a lot lower than x). I've given up trying to understand why.

Yep, lots of people were travelling up north to do their shopping, I'm not too sure if there are still as many doing that now as the UK increased VAT in January so their prices are a little closer to ours now.

Have you had a look at the job sites to see what the demand for your girlfriends skills are like? Unemployment rates really depend on the sector you're working in - the construction sector has been obliterated, there are 345,000 empty houses in Ireland so builders, architects, solicitors and auctioneers have a few grim years ahead of them.

[LibertyMan78]

My girlfriend is researching her work situation in both The Netherlands and Ireland. I'm fond of both places, so I think her ability to find work in her field, or even another job that she enjoys would be our deciding factor.


Would you mind if I asked for the average prices on some everyday items I'm curious about? It would give me a better idea of my personal cost of living in Ireland.

[LibertyMan78]

Here's some things that I buy most often. I'm curious how the prices are these days. I'll also post what I pay here in Florida, just in case anyone is interested.


.45kg / 1lb of boneless skinless chicken breast = About 2.20euro


1 gallon / 4 liters? of milk = About 2.50euro


Ticket to the movie theater/cinema = About 6.50euro


.45kg / 1lb lean ground beef = Same as the chicken almost.


Gym membership ( no pool, just well equipped weights ) = About 25euro


Heating cost for a 75sq meter apartment?? ( I have a pretty large house here and it's hot as hades in Florida, so I can't give a comparison. ) Though in the summer months I pay about 360euro a month because the damn AC has to be on all the time.


Also, is it possible to get a monthly pass for unlimited bus use there? If so, what does that usually run?

Thanks to Cormac or anyone who can answer!

[Cormac]

Originally Posted by LibertyMan78

Here's some things that I buy most often. I'm curious how the prices are these days. I'll also post what I pay here in Florida, just in case anyone is interested.


.45kg / 1lb of boneless skinless chicken breast = About 2.20euro


1 gallon / 4 liters? of milk = About 2.50euro


Ticket to the movie theater/cinema = About 6.50euro


.45kg / 1lb lean ground beef = Same as the chicken almost.


Gym membership ( no pool, just well equipped weights ) = About 25euro


Heating cost for a 75sq meter apartment?? ( I have a pretty large house here and it's hot as hades in Florida, so I can't give a comparison. ) Though in the summer months I pay about 360euro a month because the damn AC has to be on all the time.


Also, is it possible to get a monthly pass for unlimited bus use there? If so, what does that usually run?

Thanks to Cormac or anyone who can answer!

You'll find all the prices for groceries on Register or Login to View this Link

and the monthly bus ticket depends on how far you are travelling - you'll find that at Register or Login to View this Link

Regarding the gym... well I'm so fit I'd dare not go to one for fear of upsetting everyone else in there, but I'd say they would be more than 25 per month