‘I was given a few warnings before moving to Ireland’
Spanish woman Leire Campo(Image: @leirelei)
A Spanish woman living in Ireland has candidly weighed the pros and cons of relocating and busted some cost of living misconceptions.
Leire Campo, known on TikTok as @leirelei, believes the Emerald Isle is more affordable than some people suggest. However, she has found moving here tricky because finding somewhere affordable to rent is difficult.
In a video posted online, she said: “More and more Spaniards are moving to Ireland to have a better future with better job opportunities that they don’t have in Spain.”
The average Irish salary is €3,294 a month before taxes, according to the Central Statistics Office. This is much more than the €1,823 wage in Spain.
CSO data from 2022 also shows that Spanish citizens make up 3% of the non-Irish population living in Ireland.
However, in the Tiktok video that’s garnered over 20,000 views, Leira questioned whether living in Ireland is as “profitable” as her Spanish peers might’ve been inclined to believe. For that reason, she believes there are “those who love Ireland and those who hate it”.
She believes there are plenty of places in Ireland that you can move to that aren’t expensive – but you may have to steer clear of city centres.
In response to people who say the country is too pricey, Leire clapped back: “Sorry, but that is not true. Where do you want to live? In the centre of Dublin? What are the prices in the centre of Barcelona and Madrid? Young people there can’t afford to rent or buy a house there.”
Leire emphasised that “Ireland is not only Dublin” – and there are many other well-connected areas with good social life and amenities. The TikToker has lived in two parts of Ireland, including a small town near Galway.
She recommended living in Galway or the surrounding towns and said that even in smaller communities, the ‘super hospitable’ locals “look after newcomers”.
While there, she paid less than €350 per month for a room, sharing a bathroom with one other person. The entire house, shared by four people, cost around €1,350 per month.
“Not bad at all,” Leire noted, before revealing that she now lives in a small town in the county of Leitrim with her partner in a two-bedroom flat. She added: “This town has everything: supermarkets, pubs, movie theatres, restaurants, gyms, bus to the airport.”
“We pay less than €2,000. With two minimum wages, around € 4,000, and paying €1,200 for accommodation is not bad.”
The pair pay around €25 on their weekly grocery bill, without having to skimp on anything, and live comfortably enough. However, there is one downside to their move to Ireland.
While she acknowledged that “there’s plenty of work and it’s easy to find a job,” she pointed out that finding rental properties is a significant challenge. She argued “accommodation is much harder to find” than it is back in Spain.
Nevertheless, she would recommend Ireland as a place to move to on the whole. She concluded: “We live quite well. If you’re thinking about moving, seeking a new life and job opportunities, I see Ireland as a very good country.”
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