SOARING living costs continue to weigh heavily on Ireland’s students, who are now spending even more on accommodation and day-to-day living.
Switcher.ie’s Student Cost of Living Guide 2025 reveals the cheapest student towns in Ireland, up-to-date expenses in each place, and how much student costs have jumped in the past year.
The study aims to help students, parents, teachers, and third-level organisations prepare for the year ahead and determine what they might need to budget, save, or borrow.
The latest figures show that average annual student expenses have climbed again in 2025, driven largely by sharp rises in rental prices on the already limited supply of student housing.
In 2025, it costs€17,369 per year to go to college in Cork, 3% or €543 more per year than 2024, and €1,398 or 9%, more per year than 2023.
Cork is the second most expensive student county this year, but it still costs Cork €2,709 less per year than Dublin, the most expensive town.
Overall, students eligible for free tuition fees can expect to spend an average of €16,179 on college in 2025 - €556 more per year than in 2024, and €1,081 more than 2023.
International students could fork out an average of €27,871 per annum, €1,391 more than last year and €2,234 more than 2023.
Since last year’s study, they found student costs have jumped by an average of 4% - more than double the current inflation rate - with students facing higher accommodation costs and college fees, and forking out more for nights out, transport, and groceries in 2025.
Increases overall, per year, include:
- Entertainment: +4% (+€107)
- Accommodation: +4% (+€192)
- Groceries: +12% (+€198)
- Non-EU college fees: 7% (+€835)
- Utilities: 2% (+€108)
