Investment property in Ireland: what to buy and what it costs
Two-bedroom apartment in Waterford, Ireland's oldest city
$200,000
A 70 m² apartment: a living room with a kitchen, two bedrooms and a bathroom. Waterford is Ireland's oldest city, founded by the Vikings on the River Suir, with the Viking Triangle museum quarter, a technological university and a port. Over the year the average apartment here rose in price by 17.4%, and the rent of a two-bedroom apartment by 16.6%. Such apartments let for $1,400 (€1,246) a month on average, about 8.4% a year before tax.
Two-bedroom apartment in Limerick on the River Shannon
$260,000
A 70 m² apartment: a living room with a kitchen, two bedrooms and a bathroom. Limerick is Ireland's third city on the River Shannon, with King John's Castle, the University of Limerick and Shannon International Airport half an hour's drive away. Apartments here are rented by students, lecturers and staff of technology companies, and rents rose by 12.3% over the year. Such apartments let for $1,810 (€1,608) a month on average, about 8.3% a year before tax.
Two-bedroom apartment in Cork, Ireland's second city
$360,000
A 75 m² apartment: a living room, two bedrooms, a kitchen and a bathroom. Cork is Ireland's second city on the River Lee, with University College Cork, a port, an international airport and the European offices of pharmaceutical and technology companies. Apartment prices barely changed over the year, while rents rose by 8.6%. Such apartments let for $1,840 (€1,636) a month on average, about 6.1% a year before tax.
Two-bedroom apartment in the university city of Galway
$390,000
A 75 m² apartment: a living room, two bedrooms, a kitchen and a bathroom. Galway is a university city on the west coast by Galway Bay, with the Latin Quarter, the Salthill promenade and a centre of medical technology manufacturing. Over the year the average apartment in the city rose in price by 10.3%. Such apartments let for $1,880 (€1,673) a month on average, about 5.8% a year before tax.
Two-bedroom apartment in Tallaght in south-west Dublin
$390,000
A 75 m² apartment: a living room, two bedrooms, a kitchen and a bathroom. Tallaght is a large district in south-west Dublin, with the Luas tram terminus to the centre, a university hospital, a Technological University Dublin campus and a large shopping centre. Apartments in South Dublin rose in price by 9% over the year, faster than in the rest of Dublin. Such apartments let for $2,040 (€1,812) a month on average, about 6.3% a year before tax.
Two-bedroom apartment in Swords near Dublin Airport
$420,000
A 75 m² apartment: a living room, two bedrooms, a kitchen and a bathroom. Swords is the main town of Fingal in north Dublin, with a 12th-century castle, shopping centres and schools, a 10-minute drive from Dublin Airport. Apartments here are rented by airport staff and employees of offices in the north of the city. Such apartments let for $2,080 (€1,847) a month on average, about 5.9% a year before tax.
Two-bedroom apartment in Smithfield in central Dublin
$490,000
A 70 m² apartment: a living room, two bedrooms, a kitchen and a bathroom. Smithfield is a district in central Dublin on the north bank of the River Liffey, with a cobbled square, a Luas tram stop, markets and restaurants, a 15-minute walk from Grafton Street. Over the year apartments in Dublin City fell in price by 1.1%, a good moment to buy. Such apartments let for $2,470 (€2,199) a month on average, about 6.0% a year before tax.
Two-bedroom apartment in seaside Dún Laoghaire
$570,000
An 80 m² apartment: a living room, two bedrooms, a kitchen and a bathroom. Dún Laoghaire is a seaside town in south Dublin with a harbour, long piers for walks and a DART suburban rail station 20 minutes from the centre. Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown is the most expensive county in Ireland, and apartments here are bought to live in and to preserve capital. Such apartments let for $2,560 (€2,282) a month on average, about 5.4% a year before tax.
What investors buy in Ireland
Above are the most interesting offers selected by our experts. A manager will find a property for your requirements.
Apartments for sale in Dublin, Cork, Galway, Limerick and Waterford, prices by city and county, rental yields, taxes on buying, letting and selling, rules for foreigners.
Ireland has lived with a housing shortage for many years, so apartments here let all year round: over the 12 months to August 2026 the average apartment in the country rose in price by 4.9% and costs about $430,000, in Dublin about $500,000. A two-bedroom apartment in Waterford costs $200,000, in Cork $360,000, in Dublin's Tallaght $390,000. Such apartments let at a yield of 5.4-8.4% a year before tax, and a foreigner buys a home without any permits.
This page covers apartments in Dublin, Cork, Galway, Limerick and Waterford, prices by city and county, rental yields, taxes on buying, letting and selling, the new rental rules and residence. A manager will confirm what is for sale today and the exact price.
The market in brief
Prices and rules as of 2026.
Prices are based on the average price of a second-hand apartment in the city or county for September 2025 - August 2026, rents on new tenancies in the fourth quarter of 2025; €1 = $1.121145.
How much does an apartment in Ireland cost in 2026
Apartments are most expensive in Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown in south Dublin: the average one costs about $600,000. In Dublin City an apartment costs about $500,000 on average and fell in price by 1.1% over the year, while in South Dublin it rose by 9%. Over the year prices rose fastest in Wicklow, by 20%, Waterford, by 17.4%, and Galway, by 10.3%, while in Cork prices barely changed. Across the country the average apartment costs about $430,000, a second-hand one about $400,000.
| Where | Apartment, average price | Second-hand apartment | Price growth over the year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown, south Dublin | ~$600,000 | ~$570,000 | +3.7% |
| Dublin City | ~$500,000 | ~$490,000 | -1.1% |
| Wicklow | ~$480,000 | ~$460,000 | +20.0% |
| Fingal, north Dublin | ~$440,000 | ~$420,000 | +2.1% |
| South Dublin | ~$430,000 | ~$390,000 | +9.0% |
| Ireland | ~$430,000 | ~$400,000 | +4.9% |
| Galway | ~$410,000 | ~$390,000 | +10.3% |
| Kildare | ~$380,000 | ~$320,000 | +7.2% |
| Cork | ~$370,000 | ~$360,000 | +0.5% |
| Limerick | ~$270,000 | ~$260,000 | +6.2% |
| Waterford | ~$220,000 | ~$200,000 | +17.4% |
Data of the Central Statistics Office of Ireland based on stamp duty returns: the average price of an apartment bought by a household at market price, September 2025 - August 2026; price growth is against the same months a year earlier. Dollars at €1 = $1.121145, rounded up.
What yield letting gives and what taxes are paid
The apartments in the cards let at a yield of 5.4-8.4% a year before tax: highest in Waterford and Limerick, where an apartment is cheaper and rents rose by 12-17% over the year, lowest in Dún Laoghaire. The calculation uses the average rent of two-bedroom apartments in new tenancies registered by the Residential Tenancies Board in the fourth quarter of 2025. Under tenancies created from 1 March 2026 rent can be raised once a year by no more than 2%, or by inflation if lower, and is reset to the market level when a new tenant moves in. A manager will calculate the rental income of a specific apartment after tax in the chat.
| Tax | Rate |
|---|---|
| Rental income | 20% or 40% of the profit after expenses, by annual return |
| Owner living abroad | the tenant or agent withholds 20% of the rent, and the amount withheld is credited against the tax |
| Local Property Tax | from $110 (€95) a year; an apartment valued at €315,001-420,000 - $380 (€333), the council can change the rate by 15% |
| Vacant home | a tax of 7 times the Local Property Tax if the apartment was occupied for less than 30 days in the year |
| Sale | 31% of the gain for sales from 7 October 2026; above €1 million the buyer withholds 15% without a tax clearance certificate |
Data for 2026: rents - Residential Tenancies Board of Ireland, fourth quarter of 2025; taxes - Irish Revenue; countries are compared in the rental yield table.
All Irish taxes are collected on the page taxes in Ireland, and how to bring in the money for the purchase is on the page how to send money to Ireland.
What costs to add to the price
| Payment | Amount |
|---|---|
| Stamp duty | 1% of a home's price up to €1 million, 2% on the part from €1 million to €1.5 million, 6% above €1.5 million; paid within 30 days of the deal |
| VAT in a new-build price | already included: 9% for new apartments until the end of 2030, 13.5% for houses |
| Solicitor | $1,700-3,400 (€1,500-3,000) plus 23% VAT |
| Building survey | $340-900 (€300-800) |
| Title registration at the Land Registry | $450-900 (€400-800) depending on the price |
| Tenancy registration | $45 (€40) per tenancy with the Residential Tenancies Board |
Data for 2026. The stamp duty return requires an Irish tax number: for a non-resident it takes up to 6-8 weeks, so the application is filed as soon as the price is agreed. The manager calculates the total for a specific property.
In Ireland the title, permissions and the building itself are checked before the contract
Mistakes cost more than the fees: a seller who accepts a higher offer before the contract is signed, an unregistered inheritance or plot boundaries, an extension without planning permission, defects in apartments built in 1991-2013, a tenant whose rent cannot be raised to the market level. Murblz support removes these risks: we find an apartment for the budget and goal, check the title, permissions and the building together with a solicitor, obtain the tax number, prepare the payment and take the deal through to title registration, and help with letting.
The cost of support depends on the purchase budget and the goal - investment, relocation or a home for yourself; the manager calculates it in the chat.
Does the purchase give residence
Residence in Ireland is granted for work, a start-up, study or family, and buying property is not one of these grounds: the investor programme closed to new applications on 15 February 2023, and buying a home was never part of it. The route through your own company is on the page Ireland start-up residence. After 5 years of living in the country you can apply for Irish citizenship.
An apartment can be bought without any status: a foreigner registers a home or land in their own name without permits or restrictions by citizenship. Ireland is not in the Schengen area, so a Russian citizen needs an Irish visa to travel for the deal, and the deal can also be done by power of attorney to a solicitor. Those whose grandparent was born in Ireland can obtain citizenship by descent. A manager will find an apartment for a family move in the chat.
How we select a property
- Budget and goal: rental income, capital preservation, relocation or a home for yourself. The manager clarifies the city and district - Dublin, Cork, Galway, Limerick or Waterford.
- A selection of real properties: apartments with the seller's price, area, building year, energy rating and a yield calculation.
- Checks by a solicitor: title at the Land Registry, planning permissions and the certificate of compliance with building regulations, Local Property Tax arrears, the management company charge, a building survey.
- A remote deal by power of attorney: a tax number, the contract and a 10% deposit, payment of the balance by transfer, stamp duty and title registration at the Land Registry.
The manager sends the selection to the chat, with sellers' prices as of the selection date.
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More on buying in this country:
- Property in Ireland for foreigners: rules, taxes and the deal
- How to send money to Ireland
- Ireland start-up residence
- Taxes in Ireland
- Irish citizenship
- Irish citizenship by descent
- Company registration in Ireland
- Dublin: life, rent and districts
- Cork: life and relocation
- Ireland: all programs
All countries and budgets compared - on the page Investment property abroad.
FAQ
How much does an apartment in Ireland cost in 2026?
Can foreigners buy property in Ireland?
Does buying property give residence in Ireland?
What is the rental yield in Ireland?
What taxes are paid when buying an apartment in Ireland?
What taxes does an apartment owner pay in Ireland?
Where to buy an apartment for investment in Ireland?
How to pay for an apartment in Ireland from abroad?
Don’t want to figure this out alone?
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