Dublin is a city that I love visiting. My first trip here was as a wide-eyed 18-year-old, on my first independent adventure. My most recent trip was celebrating my 2^nd wedding anniversary! There are so many amazing ways to spend a weekend in Dublin. But how much does it cost?

A huge goal of this blog is to show you all how to be a smart and savvy budget traveler. This weekend was definitely way more than I’d spend on a typical weekend! But I ate out and drank a lot, so I had a lot of fun and don’t have any regrets.

Since I was traveling with another person (shoutout to the husband!), most of my expenses were shared expenses. Therefore I split the cost of food and accommodation in half.

So how much did it cost me to spend a weekend in Dublin? Here are my expenses:

Day 1:

Round-trip bus ticket from Dublin Airport to city center: 12€

Lunch (including drinks and tip): 22.50€

EPIC Irish Emigration Museum: 12€

Drinks: 5€

Dinner (including drinks and tip): 22.50€

More drinks: 8.50€

Day 2:

Breakfast from SPAR: 4.50€

Shopping: 5€

Shamrock Shake from McDonalds: 3€

Drinks: 3€

Lunch from Subway: 4€

Guinness Storehouse tour (booked online in advance): 17.50€

As you might have noticed, I spent quite a lot of money on food on Day 1. But spent relatively little in comparison on Day 2. I spend money during a trip like I do in real life: stay frugal and everything in moderation, but don’t feel afraid to splurge when you feel like it.

Dublin is also not a cheap place to drink! Unlike Poland and Moldova, unfortunately alcohol is much (much much MUCH) more expensive than water in Dublin. Getting a pint for anything less than 5€ is extremely good—less than 6€ is still generally good. Pints at my favorite pub in Dublin, the Celt on Talbot Street, are generally between 5€ and 6€.

What did I spend on the “big things” for the trip—flights and accommodation?

Round-trip flights from Manchester to Dublin: 60.50€

Parking at Manchester Airport: 15€ (30€ total but a shared expense)

Accommodation (private room in an Airbnb): 40€ (80€ total but a shared expense)

Here’s a breakdown of costs based on what category each purchase fell in:

Transportation: 87.50€ // £77 // $108

Accommodation: 40€ // £35 // $49

Food/Drink: 73€ // £64 // $90

Sightseeing: 29.50€ // £26 // $36

Miscellaneous (I went shopping and bought a new swimsuit top): 5€ // £4.40 // $6.15

Overall, how much did I spend?!

235€ EUR = £207 GBP = $289 USD

Dublin is by no means a cheap destination, but the cost of getting there from the UK is typically very cheap. You can find a lot of £10 flights if you book far enough in advance. It is also generally a cheap airport to fly to from the US, as it has lower airport taxes than say London Heathrow. I chose to eat out and drink quite a bit more than I typically do on trips. But at the same time—so much of Dublin’s charm is found in the pubs!

I hope this helps with planning (and budgeting!) a weekend trip to Dublin!

If you liked this post, check out my other budgeting posts:

How Much Does It Cost To Travel Eastern Europe For 6 Weeks?

How Much Does It Cost To Spend 4 Days In Belgium?

Have you ever been to Dublin? How did you find costs and your budget?

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