Is a pay rise worth moving for? Rent, tax and what you keep

A higher salary in a dearer county can leave you worse off. Compare what's left after tax and rent, using official average rents for 2026.

A job offer in another county is usually judged on the salary. What matters is what is left each month after tax and housing, and in Ireland rents vary more between counties than salaries do.

Two things eat into a rise

• Tax. Once you are in the 40% band, roughly half of any rise goes in income tax, USC and PRSI. See marginal and effective rates.
• Rent. A new tenancy costs more than one you have held for years. The Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) figures for early 2026 put the average new Dublin tenancy at €2,335 a month. An existing tenancy in Galway averages €1,303.

The Rent Tax Credit softens the difference a little: up to €1,000 a year for a single renter in 2026. It is capped, so it doesn't grow with the rent.

An example

A single renter in Galway earning €50,000 is offered €60,000 in Dublin. Using the RTB averages, and claiming the rent credit in both places, for 2026:

On these figures, the Dublin salary would need to be about €73,900 to leave the same amount after rent as staying in Galway. Your own rent may be higher or lower than the county average, so use the real figure if you have one.

What else to count

• commuting: a longer or dearer journey is paid from taxed income
• moving costs, a deposit and the first month's rent, which can take a year's rise to recover
• the career value of the job, and whether remote working is possible
• if you own your home, the cost of selling and buying, including stamp duty

Work it out

• Pay rise and move →
• Compare salaries →
• Rent Tax Credit →

Sources

• Residential Tenancies Board: RTB Rent Index Q1 2026 (Table 5: standardised average rent by county) (checked 25/10/2026)
• Revenue: Tax rates, bands and reliefs (checked 25/10/2026)
• Revenue: Rent Tax Credit: how much can you claim? (checked 25/10/2026)

General information, not tax advice. HeyPenny is not a tax agent.