Dublin has become really expensive
 

I am a frequent visitor to Dublin - just come back from my 4th visit in 3 years, but it really came as a shock to see how much prices have risen in the last year or so. Gone are the days when you can get a filling, hot dish (like Irish stew, roat meat) for under 10 euro. Even pubs are charging more than that, and with a pint of beer at over 4 euro, even a cheap pub lunch gets no change out of 15 euro, which is over £10. I have seen a margherita in pizzerias at nearer 15 euro, where in UK you rarely pay more than £6-7, 10 euro or less. Also the cost of take-away (take-out) food has really gone up - the average price for a sandwich like a filled bagel is nearer 7 euro, which is almost £5, plus the cost of average coffee at 2.50-3 euro (which is about the same as in UK at Starbucks, Cafe Nero etc) hit your pocket hard, as you can't avoid them, unless you are making picnics. And the entry fee for commercially-run attractions like Guinness Storehouse at 14 euro is really steep, considering it's in the middle of renovation and only half the exhibits are open (you do get a free ticket for next year - but surely better to admit at half price?). And for those who drive, the cost of fuel has spiralled - now unleaded is around 1.05 and diesel at 1.03 euro/litre. I know they reflect the high crude oil price, but still will make a dent in your pocket if you drive extensively. This year my family and I have been to Paris, Rome, London, Oslo, Barcelona, Geneva, and I'm certain Dublin comes right near the top - much more expensive than Rome or Paris.
I wonder anyone will agree with me that Dublin is in serious risk of pricing itself out of the tourist market.

Yes it is pricey and i do struggle with htis at times living here. I seemed to have misssed the celtic tiger boat as tall the companies I worked for went bust in this period.

Some of your prices are too high,

Coffee 2.20-2.60 starbucks is over 3 euro and too pricey for Dubliners in my opinion.

Pint can be 4.20-5.50 depending on the place and time of evening (they hike it up after 11pm some places.

Pub lunches are grtting expensive if you have a carvery . I have bnever seen a margherita pizza for 15 and would not pay that it is rarely more thn 9-10 euro. Try Milano's or Pizza Stop.

I have never paid 7 euro for a sandwich and never will. Soem places i pay 2.90 for a sandwich in the city and others 4.50 never more than five.

The storehouse is fun but the price I agree is a rip off. It annoysme to see people pay so much for this.

Petrol is expensive all over europe. The U.S. helps you out so your prices are not as high as us with subsidy's (SP)? we don't get that break.

I do think it has been affecting toursism for some time and they have to do something about this soon.

Let me know when you are coming next and I will give you a list of my places to eat!

Dublin certainly is expensive - at least on a par with London. Couldn't say how long this has been the case.

You call €1.03/litre for diesel expensive?

Yes, last year it was around 85 cents/litre. True, better than what I pay in UK at just under 90p (1.33 euro), but diesel in Ireland has risen much more steeply than petrol, and the differential is almost gone (used to be about 15 cents). I wonder if there was a tax change.

Gasoline subsidies? in US?

Please explain.......

The cost of petrol in Europe (and much of the rest of the world) is higher than in the USA primarily due to higher taxes--European petrol taxes are generally about 5 to 7 times as high as those in the USA. Great Britain is at the higher end of that range. Don't know where Ireland falls in there.

Ireland is around EU average for fuel tax (around 66% of pump price). UK is indeed the highest taxed EU nation at 1.32 euro/litre, with Latvia the lowest. Average fuel price there is only 0.76 euro/litre.
I've just found put there has been no tax change to diesel in Ireland. Like elsewhere, wholesale price of diesel is rising because of increased demand.

Gasoline subsidies? in US?

That's just what I have been told :-) maybe the sudbsidy is in the low tax on it.

The Tax arte is hoigh in Irlenad like many euro countries but also sadd on the fact that we do little manufacturing here and most things are imported which will add a cost to ship in. Wine and especially Champage are taxed at a higher rate than lets say UK...I did a run up to Sainsbury's a few weeks ago for booze and it was a big difference to me.

There is definitely no subsidies reducing gas prices. As someone else mentioned, the reason for the huge differential between U.S. and Europe is the huge taxes that European countries put on petrol.

Is that money earmarked for a specific use (like national medicine)? Gas here in the New Orleans area is about $2.12/gallon. Isn't it about $6/gallon in many parts of Europe?

Thank You,

there is a HUGE difference between subsidies and lower tax........

I was in Dublin and I found prices reasonable. There are several mid-price hotels, good bus service to airport, many museums are free (including the three we visited -- National Gallery, Natural History and National Museum), and the city is walkable (so no real taxi expense). To get outside the city center, the hop-on-hop-off bus seems the way to go.

Also, we were there in November to see Bob Dylan at The Point, after having seen him in London, and ticket prices were more reasonable in Dublin (at least what the scalpers were charging -- we flew over from NY without tix)

Not earmarked as such in UK. It just goes into the government coffers. Current UK unleaded petrol (gas) price is around 86p/litre, £3.25/US gal (3.7854 litre), $5.70/US gal (£1=$1.7512). EU average is around 1.05 euro/litre or $1.25/litre, $4.70/US gal.

Yes, there are free or reasonably priced things in Dublin, such as national museums (as in UK) and public transport (esp day Rambler ticket at 5 euro). Fuel is still cheaper than UK, and you get a huge soft ice for a little more than a euro. But accommodation price is on par with London, and the cost of eating out higher, as there are very few budget places (in UK there are lots of all-you-can-eat buffet for £5-£6 and alcohol is lower). There is a pub near where I live doing weekday roast lunch (with help-yourself vegetables) for only £3.50 (5 euro)!

I agree you Alec, Dublin is gone very expensive, when my scottish and Canadian friends come over to visit me , they are shocked by the prices we have to pay! I think we have just grown used to being ripped off, I was in Paris in September and I actually thought for the first time it was cheap! My daughter pays about €6 for a bottle of alco pops ( bicardi breezer) when she goes to a club, and thinks thats ok, whereas i'm shocked that these places can get away with that! I think its about time our Government listened to the people and stopped the rising prices, thank goodness both me and my husband have good jobs otherwise my daughter wouldnt be going to Trinity!

Diesel is more expensiver in Dublin than petrol.

Just to add a bit more fuel to the fire (see what I did there?), the US Government certainly DOES pay subsidies to the oil industry.

A few cites:
http://go.ucsusa.org/publications/re...licationID=149
http://archive.greenpeace.org/climate/oil/fdsub.html
http://www.taxpayer.net/TCS/fuelsubfact.htm

Like it or not, as the world's largest polluter, you guys really need to dig your heads out of the sand.

I live in NI and the Christmas period was a traditional time to
take the train to Dublin for some Christmas Shopping. This year however, everyone I have spoken to about it has said

Sorry hit the post button by mistake!! to continue. I don't know anyonewho has gone shopping in Dublin this year simply because it has become so expensive. With the exception of Petrol everything is much more expensive in Dublin than in Belfast.