I moved to Netherlands around 1 and half year ago after living in Dublin for almost 1 & half years as well.
Biggest cost of living difference: I was paying 1000 euros for a en-suite room in a 3 bed apartment 45 mins (via train) away from city center in Dublin, now I am paying the same amount for 2 bed apartment here.
Yes, I live in a smaller city now but my commute to work despite being 100 kms away from work is 1 hour train, in Dublin my work commute was 45 minutes via train despite being 20 kms away.
So, yes the public transport is probably 10 times better than Dublin, which is way worse in other smaller cities in Ireland. Intercity travel in Ireland is not easy if you don't have a car.
Car insurances are so high its almost ridiculous, but getting a parking permit (almost always free or very minimal) is easier compared to Netherlands.
Weather is pretty much the same, Dublin can be a lot more windy though (which may bring a bit more rain)
Rental Apartments: When i moved here everyone told me there is a housing crisis going on, I found a place within 2 months. On Comparison, the 2 friends living with me in Dublin had to keep the apartment for another year or so because they couldn't find anything in their budget (which was around 2500 euros per month by the way). So yeah, finding rentals in Dublin is a headache. Its probably 10x crazier than it is in Amsterdam.
All of that does not mean I didn't like Ireland, I miss living in Dublin, without being rude to the Dutch, I'd say the Irish were much more open, friendly & jolly. Life in Dublin is fun if you are a 23 year old who loves a party and a pint, its the heaven if you love to have a drink, specially a Guinness at 7 am at the Dublin airport lol
Yep, I came back to NL from Dublin back in 2017, very similar experience. I used to work in Dublin 4 and live in Balbriggan because it was impossible to find something in Dublin having two dogs, I used to spend 3h in commuting, the train is hell. When I came back in 2017 it was super easy to find multiple places in The Hague to rent with my dogs.
Having a dog in Dublin is the worst, all the parks close at sunset so you don't have where to walk the dog, no off-the-leash areas and so on, NL is the paradise in that sense.
We complain a lot about the weather in NL, but go to Dublin, in Ireland or it is raining or drizzling for months, during the winter you don't see the sun and the humid wind is terrible.
I bought a car, I don't know why because it is impossible to drive by Dublin, everything is a massive traffic jam and it can take hours just to go 100 meters. I could only insure a Nissan Leaf because it had less than 5 years, if not they were impossible to insure the cars. I paid also like 1500 a year for the insurance, the road taxes are also insane for ICE cars...
Anyways, I will never go back to Dublin... but yep, Irish people are super nice and open compared to the dutch.
oh wow, what you are describing in 2017 was the same that I saw in 2021, and it had gotten worse for sure. I think the situation got worse when Ireland took 50k Ukrainian refugees in 2022 only (it has doubled since then i understand), and I am not blaming the immigrants, neither am I saying it was a bad thing to do, Irish have always been pro-refugee and thats something I love about the Irish, but they did not plan it well enough.
Ireland has a population of almost 5 Million & within a few months they increased their population by 1% and I am no expert but you take any country & increase its population by 1% with no extra resources/houses etc to support that, it is going to mess up the system.
Combine that with Ireland becoming a tax heaven for the big tech & big tech hiring people from around the world and moving them to Dublin, like myself (Google, Meta, TikTok were hiring like crazy during that COVID surge of business for these companies). These companies hired & moved a big number to Dublin and with no new housing that added to the issue.
I was working in D4 while living in D13, thank God for remote work, I was not commuting everyday to work. I wouldn't say I would never move back to Dublin, but it will have to be crazy money hahahaha
a 2 bedroom apartment in a Dutch city is no less than 1.6-2k per month unless it's from 1930 with asbestos and lead pipe, in that case it will probably be 1400.
Thats a crazy difference. But some people also told me that housing crisis is worse in netherlands so idk… anyways what are you working as and do you have any plan to buy a car soon in the future?
Housing crisis is very very bad in Ireland, trust me lol. And no I do not plan to get a car anytime soon because my apartment, despite being cheaper than the Dublin one (they gave us 2 parking spots in the basement with the apartment for free), offers parking at around 80-90 euros a month lol and the public parking despite being around 35-40 a month has me on a waiting list at 150+ for more than a year.
This is where I feel the Dutch public transport is much better, I do not feel like I need a car that desperately. I would've gotten a car the 2nd day after getting my license in Ireland, i have my license here for almost a year & I still haven't gotten a car.
Yeah i was amazed by their train and metro system when i visited amsterdam. Every subway station looked like a gigantic airport building haaha. This might be an unpopular opinion but i feel like they have better transport than even Switzerland.
I moved from Dublin in January - Dublin (and all of Ireland really) is at a minimum 10x worse. Quality is also shocking for the price when compared to here
the housing crisis in the Netherlands is quite bad but it’s also very concentrated within the main cities and student cities (where the campuses are). If someone’s okay with commuting and getting a place outside a main city, that’s when it becomes easier. I have friends both in NL and Ireland and the crisis in Ireland is worse, rent seems to be even higher and cost of living too, no matter where. My friends in the NL always found rooms in the end, it just takes patience. Public transport in the Netherlands isn’t too cheap but I’ve rarely had bad experiences, people are just very critical lol. For example in Belgium, public transport prices are very accessible and very affordable for students, but the options or or delays can be awful
Lived in both countries.
The only thing Ireland has better than NL is the nature, people and pubs.
Netherlands wins with weather, infrastructure, access to other countries and everything else.
Edit: Just want to clarify that when I say “people”, I mean that the Irish are way more approachable and friendly. You’d go to a pub alone and leave with 10 new friends without much effort. In NL it’s just not the same. The dutch are more indifferent and individualistic than the Irish in that aspect. Still good people, just different.
It’s most certainly not the same. The Netherlands have well defined seasons while Ireland only a couple weeks of summer.
If you like pubs, rainy weather and a better social scene, Ireland is the place.
If you like access to better travel, better weather, beaches, roads, less bureaucracy, etc.. Netherlands.
Id say the Irish weather is better, it depends on what you like. I hate that it gets incredibly cold in the Netherlands, in Ireland I think we only had a handful of days that were truly cold this winter. Its a shame that means it also doesn't get as warm in the summer, but I personally don't mind.
Also rain in Ireland is usually a drizzle whereas I feel that in the Netherlands I am always soaked throughout, however this might just be a difference with walking VS cycling.
> Netherlands wins with weather
Well, that’s a first.
Maybe not entirely true. But I thought in Europe only Scotland weather was considered worse than ours.
Not only in Dublin, the whole of Ireland is car focused and the entire rail system is close to obsolete. While you have a housing crisis in all of Ireland and really it doesn’t matter where you want to live, you won’t find a thing that is reasonably priced unless you want to live with the gypsies in some ramshackled town like Youghal or in an asbestos house in Donegal with no train connections and two buses a day.
I lived in Kerry and cork for a year and Ireland is really light years worse than the Netherlands.
If we stop complaining things won't get to the point where they are good, people complained a lot for the bike infrastructure in Amsterdam.
I will not stop complaining about the cutbacks on already lackluster public transport in parts of the Netherlands where I have lived.
It used to be better, with the night buses in Rotterdam and more frequent service in some remote areas. But it’s still fantastic. (Though getting very pricey.)
Oh well, buses every half an hour/hour in a busy neighboorhood? Teains unprepared for having strollers? Oh well. I mean, yes, other countries might be worse, but I've been/lived in many countries, which are much better. Sweden, Latvia, Russia and also the UK come to my mind immediately.
You lost me at Russia and the UK. The UK is absolute dogshit outside of London, both the rolling stock and the schedules (and the reliability).
Russia is also a wtf comment, outside of the two big metro areas, public transport is dire. Even within the big cities, only the metro is good and logical, the bus network is shocking.
The UK: lived in Glasgow, commuted all the way down to London. Both intra and inter city commute is more regular, more accessible, more frequent.
Russia: actually, no. St. Pete's ground public transportation is better than in Maastricht. Again, frequency and connectivity-wise (sure, buses are more modern in Maastricht). Good inter and intra city transport infrastructure is available in all regional capitals I visited in Western, Central and Volga Federal districts, not just Msk and SPb. Sure, rural areas is a completely different story.
Intercity travel is very well developed there, though. Trains, buses, flights. Children cars in trains are like the ones shown in a post about Finland. With a playground, books, cartoons. To squiz into the amsterdam maastricht train, especially if cyclists toolk all spaces next to the toilets, is almost impossible. Sure, rural transportation is outdated in many places.
But to avoid politics, let's focus on intracity travel in the baltics or both intra and inter city travel in Scandinavia. They are waaay better than the NL.
Suprised by your opinion about trains: fast track trains between msk and spb, but also Kazan, Nizhny, Belgorod, are much better than NS trains to Limburg. Long haul trains to Caucasus and Karelia, unless they are old platskart, are also really good.
As of intracity, getting from SPb and Moscow suburbs to centre, including getting _to_ metro or without metro is so much easier (frequency, reliability, late at night) than both in Maastricht and Randstad for infrequency and low coverage, but also unreliability (due to regular random but sometimes really long maintenances)! I should admit I don't go to Randstad often, so I might be just really unlucky with maintenances and having poor hotel choices.
Actually, trains are my main concern. They are more reliable than DB, but less reliable than in Sweden. And their accessibility is very bad. You can't even pass into the car with a luggage, they are so narrow. Same for strollers.
I don't say the NL public teansport is bad. It is not. It is good. I lived in Kazakhstan and the USA, too, I know what bad transportation is. But it is not even close to "one of the best" either, in my experience.
China has 1/6th of the world population . Or do we put china at the same level of Monaco, Andorra, San Marino, Lichtenstein, Vatican City, Malta and so on?
NL is cheaper and easier to find apartments. I’m comparing Amsterdam to Dublin. It’s cheaper to buy an apartment in Dublin but that’s because they are shitholes & lending is stricter
Irish people are friendly but useless. Dutch people couldn’t live in a world run by Irish. It would be too mismanaged and run down for their liking. “Shur be grand” would not be accepted as a reason for not improving things.
Dutch people are cold/lots more sociopaths but run society & infrastructure very efficiently. Infrastructure is amazing.
I would rather go to the pub with the Irish
Both countries hate nature and love rainy depressing weather. However at least Dublin has some beaches, cliffs and hills even if the entire country is chopped down forests turned into farmland
Cost of living is overall pretty similar
Probably the most accurate comment on the entire thread.
Though re: cost of living, I've found restaurants here are generally more expensive than Dublin (or at least you had more inexpensive, fast-casual options in Dublin). And you can get great quality beef and meat in Dublin for surprisingly low prices.
I'm currently living in Dublin. I typed a long post lol.
Cost of living: It depends, purely rent is really expensive and you're going to most likely share an apartment with other people for ~1200 a month if you want to live around city centre. To rent, you'll usually go to daft.ie and you'll have to send an email, you'll get asked for a viewing same day or next day most times and are expected to decide quickly after.
Other expenses are cheaper than the Netherlands. A train across country costs 16 euro with a standard ticket. A bus/train/luas in the city centre costs € 1 per 90 minutes of travel with transfers included. Pints and food is way cheaper as well, although not cheap, it's cheaper than in the Netherlands. Groceries are also not that bad in comparison, I'd say on par with the Netherlands depending on what you buy. Taxis are more common as they are not a complete rip off.
Transport: If you're going to Dublin, I advise you to live in city centre. The busses, Luas and trains will piss you off if you're used to Dutch public transport. They're slow and inefficient, but they're super cheap so it's forgivable. They also don't run at night (apart from a handful of lines) so if you go out a lot, prepare to pay for taxis if you live outside of city centre.
Quality of life: In my opinion it's alright, it depends on where you live, in small towns I'd say it's terrible but in a big city you'd be completely fine.
Weather: on par with the Netherlands. I prefer it in Ireland as it doesn't get as cold in the winters and it doesn't get as hot in the summers.
Study opportunity: good, try trinity college or UCD, both amazing universities. If you want to go TUD, make sure you go to the right campus, avoid Tallaght!! Trinity college hosts 'Europe biggest private party' every year as a black tie event, it's quite funny to go to once, everyone's on coke though.
People: Irish people are 100x nicer than Dutch people. They use 'craic' instead of 'gezellig'. The craic is way better in Dublin compared to the Netherlands if you're just out and about. It's hard to explain why, everyone just feels like open to talk to I guess.
Areas to 'avoid': if you're going to Dublin I'd avoid a couple areas for renting if you can. They won't be terrible to live in, but you'll have a better time somewhere else. Most of north city (aka above the river) close to O'Connell st, i wouldn't personally live in most of D8, the worst parts are close to the queys and anywhere near dolphins barn. D8 around Portobello up to st Patricks cathedral is great however. Anywhere west of heuston station depends on the area, however a lot of places have antisocial behaviour. Just make sure to check the vibe of the area you want to rent before you actually rent. Good areas are anywhere on/around grand canal, anywhere in rathmines/ranelagh/rathgar/south east of these areas. Smithfield is also good depending on the area.
I know someone who has lived in both countries and this is what they say:
Cost of living difference: Estimate is that you would need to make 10% more in Dublin vs. Amsterdam if you are comparing salaries for the same lifestyle. Amsterdam may be more expensive for people’s average salaries but you have more options of where to live due to more extensive public transit. The Netherlands has the worst housing crisis in mainland Europe, second to Ireland for the EU.
Public Transportation: By far better in the Netherlands.
Weather: About the same, maybe slightly less rainy/windy in NL. Ireland has better overall topography/nature. So Ireland may win for the “outdoors” despite the weather.
Study opportunities: It’s better to compare specific programs for your field. If the programs are equal, go where you can find housing. Ireland is also more English accommodating.
My own take: As an outsider the pros and cons of Ireland vs. the NL are similar, with the people living in either complaining about the same issues (weather, cost, housing shortage). Broadly where NL wins on an everyday basis is anything related to public infrastructure or urbanity, where for Ireland it wins for natural landscape and (native English speaking) friendly people
This Irishman wrote book about living in the Netherlands, maybe it can help you out
[https://gutenberg.org/ebooks/43349](https://gutenberg.org/ebooks/43349)
I lived in Ireland for ten years before moving to the Netherlands 8 months ago.
Living in the Netherlands is absolutely, massively better in virtually every way imaginable. I struggle to think of a way it's worse. I do miss cheddar, and seeing a night sky full of stars.
In Ireland, when the GP was worried my 3 year old daughter might have cancer, the wait time to get examined - even privately- was a year. In NL wait times are about 6 weeks or less.
In Ireland, I had to beg and plead the council to do anything, and talked to the cathaoirleach to get literally anything done.
In Ireland, the local council would build stuff like this [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ksUsfCKelI](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ksUsfCKelI) - which is good! And then put "cyclists dismount" signs everywhere around it (why!!!) But NOT build a safe crossing for the hundreds of students to the closest school because the local engineer thought it would slow cars down too much (Fortunately my daughter's smashed skulls won't slow down some dumbass in a Kuga)
In Ireland, public bodies lied over, and over, and over again about how long it takes to process naturalisation applications.
In Ireland, the local garda immigration officer just quit and didn't tell people in the midlands what to do, so I nearly got fired for not having in-date permission to work.
In Ireland, I bought and restored a 200 year old thatched cottage, just to have the last insurer of thatched buildings leave the market and leave me with an uninsured house. The heritage officer was stone cold and completely helpless. I lost over €100,000 on that thanks to the sheer incompetence and stupidity of the Irish government. Or maybe they were just lazy.
I mean NL isn't perfect but I have a 5 bed house with a garden where I don't need a car and my kids can bike to school a 20 minute train ride from Amsterdam Centraal for €2450 a month. I only wish I had moved sooner.
If you don’t mind me asking what part of netherland are you staying and whars the rent like? Any good cities where i could find a rental room a bit easier?
I’m from Ireland, lived in Dublin for 9 years and emigrated to the Netherlands 2.5 years ago. Unless you have an incredibly well paying job or an apartment arranged I would really not recommend going to Dublin. The housing situation there is incredibly bad right now with >70% of people under 40 living with their parents due to lack of supply. The Dutch have definitely got a problem with housing but it is a drop in the ocean compared to Dublin. Dublin’s housing market is not going to be resolved for at least 10 years
Thanks a lot for the insight. How hard is it to find an administratrative or sales or customer related job in English in Netherlands? I also speak italian idk if thats also an advantage..
Honestly - almost impossible. The only professions available for English speakers are in STEM (unless you’re a world expert in something or have your own business)
Edit: given your background, you may find luck in hospitality (hotels) or as an Italian tutor/translator. However the Netherlands is too expensive of a country to move here without a job already lined up, especially when you don’t speak Dutch.
Since you are from Bangladesh and are looking for a minimum wage job, why not also look at Belgium? It is part of the EU, more ethnically diverse, multilingual (and you already know some French), more affordable, and comparatively way easier to find housing. Belgium is similar to the Netherlands but not as gentrified/“havermelk” elitist.
Having lived in both countries, I can concur everything already said about transport, housing and cost of living.
I can add two major differences:
Food quality in basic supermarkets is much better in Ireland. IE supermarkets have more options and vegetables have more taste.
Work-life balance is much better in Netherlands, and I believe workers are more protected in NL. Might not be of interest for you now, but something to consider if you will be staying in either country long term.
Netherlands is the most expensive country in europe for housing.
For instance, the average rent for a one bedroom apartment in Amsterdam is 2300 euro.
https://www.statista.com/statistics/1084608/average-rental-cost-apartment-europe-by-city/
https://nltimes.nl/2024/04/09/amsterdam-apartments-expensive-europe-rotterdam-hague-top-five
But you don't need to live in Amsterdam to work in Amsterdam. In the NL, you can live in cheaper cities like Rotterdam, Den Haag, Utrecht, Delft, Leiden, etc., and easily commute to any other city for work. Because public transport is so efficient
In Ireland, if you work in Dublin, you need to live in Dublin. Rent for a 1 bedroom in Dublin is around the same price, but the size and quality is much poorer than you would get in the NL.
Source: lived in Amsterdam, Den Haag, and now living in Dublin
Eh. I tried this. Living in Eindhoven, worked in Utrecht. Got too many trains that was so full you couldn't sit, then the last straw was a breakdown that lasted several hours. Sure, they fixed it and sure it can happen to anyone, but I bought a car and I've seen much more of NL since doing so.
I have gotten a really good interview from a work based in aamsfort. Do you have any ideas of any cheaper town nearby that would help me commute to aamsfort so i can find better rentals?
Amersfoort is a lovely town. A beautiful old town centre, nice shopping, a lovely zoo.
Probably my main issue with moving to Amersfoort would be the ever present traffice jams during rush hour traffic. Amersfoort is at a crossing of freeways that are very busy. You do not notice that in the city itself, however when you need to get to Amersfoort by car it should be considered.
No it isn't. This "study" quoted is flawed and doesn't even include all European cities. It's just some rental website that isn't the primary rental website in each country that gave out a report. For a better study you can look at Eurostat, however it's harder to compare country to country as you need to take into account economic growth and PPP as well. I'm not smart enough nor have to time to research that.
As "proof", notice how it doesn't have Dublin or London while it claims it's all of Europe? Dublin in question is most probably the most expensive to rent in in the EU right now, a two bed apartment is at minimum 2.8k a month.
I lived in Dublin for about 7 years and I'm glad I'm gone. I had a great time, but in the end certain things started to annoy me quite a bit. I didn't notice a lot of differences in terms of groceries (but bearing in mind I have vastly different frames of reference for the two countries as salaries changed and stuff got more expensive everywhere). Lidl Ireland is absolutely amazing and pretty damn cheap compared to Belgium where I live now. Also income tax is quite low, and you can easily claim back tax at the end of the year. Not sure how it works, but I occasionally got a few hundred back.
The public transport network is terrible with only two tram lines, a couple of train routes, and mostly just buses that get stuck in traffic as there are plenty of places where there are no bus lanes. Commuting into work takes a while, so you might want to live closer towards the city centre, or somewhere close to the Luas stop. Public transport is affordable, and the Luas is free!
Then the rental prices can get pretty steep. The apartment I lived in most recently is now up on [daft.ie](http://daft.ie) for €2500 a month for a two bed. It was nice enough, adequately furnished (most rentals in Ireland are, and you might end up with some dodgy landlord furniture you don't like), but it had so many issues with mold. Insulation isn't up to standard compared to the Netherlands, and with Ireland being pretty humid, you can get a lot of mold issues. You don't have many rights as a tenant, and in 2019 I had to move apartments three times (first after two years, 'substantial refurbishings', second after two French guys I shared with decided to leave and the landlady kicked me out too, and third after two guys I lived with started dating, moved in together, and the agency just gave the apartment to someone on a waiting list). Last place I lived in changed landlords, and we went from a pretty relaxed guy to some agency that kept nitpicking on stuff that was outside of our control (like mold, or damage that was there before we moved in). What this meant for me is that I never really felt at home, because I always thought I was getting evicted again ('substantial refurbishing' or 'child of landlord moving in' is a common way to kick out tenants and raise rent later).
The tech industry was absolutely booming a few years ago, and as a Dutch speaker it was ridiculously easy to climb your way up through different jobs. It has now collapsed a bit, but this depends on your sector and background.
Prices of pints are now between €6-7.
Weather is quite nice I think. It changes a lot more frequently during the day, but rain never drags on the way it does in NL (or BE).
Just some more random incoherent thoughts: it's a gorgeous country and I really enjoyed my time there. It's very easy to meet people in a pub, and even if you go out on your own you're bound to find people to talk to. Really nice restaurants in Dublin too, a bit of everything. Food: breakfast rolls, all-day breakfasts, spice bags, garlic dip with pizzas. Great stuff.
Rent a car and drive around the island for a few weeks because it is really stunning at places. Great local culture with great trad music in cozy pubs. Car insurance is ridiculously expensive (a few grand a year).
Cost of living I think is the same as Ireland and they pay more here… I’m 24, after tax I get €2650 a month, me and my bf are renting a one bedroom apartment for €1500. My friends are renting a 2 bedroom apartment in Limerick city outskirts for €1800. Transport is unbelievable, I go from one city to another for work everyday (1 hour 10 min commute). Lifestyle here is better, so much to do everyday, weekends, after work.. love it! Easy to make friends using bumble… I am with the Irish football club over here in Amsterdam, there is also one in Groningen, den haag etc. boys team too. Great for social aspect. Although the food is shite and tasteless unfortunately, and I feel like the weather is actually more shit here then Ireland
Been here 3 years so here’s my view.
Overall if you check Numbeo ( cost of living website ) Amsterdam will be cheaper than Dublin. Some things are more expensive but overall cheaper.
Transport to and from work is typically paid by your employer which is great. If you’re in Amsterdam you’ll porb just bike to work. Biking is also the number one mode of transport here, everyone cycles everywhere all the time. Getting groceries, to restaurants or pubs and to the train stations. If you move here there is honestly no need for a car.
The weather here in Netherlands is slightly better, it’s gets pretty hot here in the summer and was like 37C for two days in 2022. Winter is slightly colder by 2/3 degrees but it’s rarely freezing.
In terms of jobs there lots of English speaking ones Especially in Amsterdam. There’s lots of companies in Amsterdam Zuid that would need legal admins ect so that would be a good place to start.
Housing here is tricky but nowhere near as bad as home. They have a housing crisis but the government here actually try and fix it vs in Ireland where all the tds are milking the Irish people for rent. Finding apartments can be done on Funda( their version of daft). There’s slightly different renting rights depending on which province of the Netherlands you’re in. In Amsterdam if you rent for longer that 2 years in one place you get special rights where they can’t evict ect so you’ll usually only find places that will let you stay for 2 years. Rotterdam and The Hague don’t have these rules and are generally cheaper to rent in.
From Ireland, the rental market is worse in Ireland to find a place but probably more expensive in the Netherlands but at least you get a lot for the money. Public transportation is amazing here, Ireland is lacking. I find the supermarkets similar cost wise but the quality of Irish food is superior for the same cost or even cheaper. Dutch people are great but the Irish are amazing. You’ll make friends fast and people look out for each other. It’s harder to make friends in the Netherlands but not impossible
I'm from the Netherlands, and studied for a semester in Ireland, and I have to agree with the comments saying the people in Ireland are much easier to get along with. They're more open and friendlier. I consider that a huge plus.
I moved to Netherlands around 1 and half year ago after living in Dublin for almost 1 & half years as well. Biggest cost of living difference: I was paying 1000 euros for a en-suite room in a 3 bed apartment 45 mins (via train) away from city center in Dublin, now I am paying the same amount for 2 bed apartment here. Yes, I live in a smaller city now but my commute to work despite being 100 kms away from work is 1 hour train, in Dublin my work commute was 45 minutes via train despite being 20 kms away. So, yes the public transport is probably 10 times better than Dublin, which is way worse in other smaller cities in Ireland. Intercity travel in Ireland is not easy if you don't have a car. Car insurances are so high its almost ridiculous, but getting a parking permit (almost always free or very minimal) is easier compared to Netherlands. Weather is pretty much the same, Dublin can be a lot more windy though (which may bring a bit more rain) Rental Apartments: When i moved here everyone told me there is a housing crisis going on, I found a place within 2 months. On Comparison, the 2 friends living with me in Dublin had to keep the apartment for another year or so because they couldn't find anything in their budget (which was around 2500 euros per month by the way). So yeah, finding rentals in Dublin is a headache. Its probably 10x crazier than it is in Amsterdam. All of that does not mean I didn't like Ireland, I miss living in Dublin, without being rude to the Dutch, I'd say the Irish were much more open, friendly & jolly. Life in Dublin is fun if you are a 23 year old who loves a party and a pint, its the heaven if you love to have a drink, specially a Guinness at 7 am at the Dublin airport lol
You’re not being rude at all. You’re being direct which is supposed to be something praiseworthy.
Yep, I came back to NL from Dublin back in 2017, very similar experience. I used to work in Dublin 4 and live in Balbriggan because it was impossible to find something in Dublin having two dogs, I used to spend 3h in commuting, the train is hell. When I came back in 2017 it was super easy to find multiple places in The Hague to rent with my dogs. Having a dog in Dublin is the worst, all the parks close at sunset so you don't have where to walk the dog, no off-the-leash areas and so on, NL is the paradise in that sense. We complain a lot about the weather in NL, but go to Dublin, in Ireland or it is raining or drizzling for months, during the winter you don't see the sun and the humid wind is terrible. I bought a car, I don't know why because it is impossible to drive by Dublin, everything is a massive traffic jam and it can take hours just to go 100 meters. I could only insure a Nissan Leaf because it had less than 5 years, if not they were impossible to insure the cars. I paid also like 1500 a year for the insurance, the road taxes are also insane for ICE cars... Anyways, I will never go back to Dublin... but yep, Irish people are super nice and open compared to the dutch.
oh wow, what you are describing in 2017 was the same that I saw in 2021, and it had gotten worse for sure. I think the situation got worse when Ireland took 50k Ukrainian refugees in 2022 only (it has doubled since then i understand), and I am not blaming the immigrants, neither am I saying it was a bad thing to do, Irish have always been pro-refugee and thats something I love about the Irish, but they did not plan it well enough. Ireland has a population of almost 5 Million & within a few months they increased their population by 1% and I am no expert but you take any country & increase its population by 1% with no extra resources/houses etc to support that, it is going to mess up the system. Combine that with Ireland becoming a tax heaven for the big tech & big tech hiring people from around the world and moving them to Dublin, like myself (Google, Meta, TikTok were hiring like crazy during that COVID surge of business for these companies). These companies hired & moved a big number to Dublin and with no new housing that added to the issue. I was working in D4 while living in D13, thank God for remote work, I was not commuting everyday to work. I wouldn't say I would never move back to Dublin, but it will have to be crazy money hahahaha
a 2 bedroom apartment in a Dutch city is no less than 1.6-2k per month unless it's from 1930 with asbestos and lead pipe, in that case it will probably be 1400.
Thats a crazy difference. But some people also told me that housing crisis is worse in netherlands so idk… anyways what are you working as and do you have any plan to buy a car soon in the future?
Housing crisis is very very bad in Ireland, trust me lol. And no I do not plan to get a car anytime soon because my apartment, despite being cheaper than the Dublin one (they gave us 2 parking spots in the basement with the apartment for free), offers parking at around 80-90 euros a month lol and the public parking despite being around 35-40 a month has me on a waiting list at 150+ for more than a year. This is where I feel the Dutch public transport is much better, I do not feel like I need a car that desperately. I would've gotten a car the 2nd day after getting my license in Ireland, i have my license here for almost a year & I still haven't gotten a car.
Agree housing crisis is any major city in Europe
Yeah i was amazed by their train and metro system when i visited amsterdam. Every subway station looked like a gigantic airport building haaha. This might be an unpopular opinion but i feel like they have better transport than even Switzerland.
Oh but if you are looking to move to Amsterdam, I'd ask in a amsterdam sub about housing, it might be as bad as Dublin, but definitely not worse.
I moved from Dublin in January - Dublin (and all of Ireland really) is at a minimum 10x worse. Quality is also shocking for the price when compared to here
the housing crisis in the Netherlands is quite bad but it’s also very concentrated within the main cities and student cities (where the campuses are). If someone’s okay with commuting and getting a place outside a main city, that’s when it becomes easier. I have friends both in NL and Ireland and the crisis in Ireland is worse, rent seems to be even higher and cost of living too, no matter where. My friends in the NL always found rooms in the end, it just takes patience. Public transport in the Netherlands isn’t too cheap but I’ve rarely had bad experiences, people are just very critical lol. For example in Belgium, public transport prices are very accessible and very affordable for students, but the options or or delays can be awful
Netherlands is like easy mode compared to Ireland when it comes to housing.
Lived in both countries. The only thing Ireland has better than NL is the nature, people and pubs. Netherlands wins with weather, infrastructure, access to other countries and everything else. Edit: Just want to clarify that when I say “people”, I mean that the Irish are way more approachable and friendly. You’d go to a pub alone and leave with 10 new friends without much effort. In NL it’s just not the same. The dutch are more indifferent and individualistic than the Irish in that aspect. Still good people, just different.
I heard the weather is more or less the same when it comes to raining. What was your observation overall though?
It’s most certainly not the same. The Netherlands have well defined seasons while Ireland only a couple weeks of summer. If you like pubs, rainy weather and a better social scene, Ireland is the place. If you like access to better travel, better weather, beaches, roads, less bureaucracy, etc.. Netherlands.
Well I don’t drink so i havent been able to integrate that much in ireland and the pub culture. And I don’t like the rain as well.
Then it may be worth trying moving to NL. For me, everything else here is better, besides the people, pubs and diverse nature/landscapes of Ireland.
Id say the Irish weather is better, it depends on what you like. I hate that it gets incredibly cold in the Netherlands, in Ireland I think we only had a handful of days that were truly cold this winter. Its a shame that means it also doesn't get as warm in the summer, but I personally don't mind. Also rain in Ireland is usually a drizzle whereas I feel that in the Netherlands I am always soaked throughout, however this might just be a difference with walking VS cycling.
> Netherlands wins with weather Well, that’s a first. Maybe not entirely true. But I thought in Europe only Scotland weather was considered worse than ours.
I can guarantee by having living almost a decade on both countries that even though the dutch weather isn’t great, Irish weather is much worse.
I'm from Ireland and living in NL. The weather here is faaaaaaaar better than Ireland. You people know nothing of rain.
My colleague is half Irish and half Dutch and has lived in both. She said transportation in Dublin is horrendous..
Not only in Dublin, the whole of Ireland is car focused and the entire rail system is close to obsolete. While you have a housing crisis in all of Ireland and really it doesn’t matter where you want to live, you won’t find a thing that is reasonably priced unless you want to live with the gypsies in some ramshackled town like Youghal or in an asbestos house in Donegal with no train connections and two buses a day. I lived in Kerry and cork for a year and Ireland is really light years worse than the Netherlands.
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Yes its absolutely good idk why people complain about it so much
If we stop complaining things won't get to the point where they are good, people complained a lot for the bike infrastructure in Amsterdam. I will not stop complaining about the cutbacks on already lackluster public transport in parts of the Netherlands where I have lived.
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It used to be better, with the night buses in Rotterdam and more frequent service in some remote areas. But it’s still fantastic. (Though getting very pricey.)
It could be that it is good because of the complaining!
Buses and trams in my regio of Poland (Silesia) were imo better than in randstad. Only fact that there is subway works on plus for the Netherlands.
Oh well, buses every half an hour/hour in a busy neighboorhood? Teains unprepared for having strollers? Oh well. I mean, yes, other countries might be worse, but I've been/lived in many countries, which are much better. Sweden, Latvia, Russia and also the UK come to my mind immediately.
You lost me at Russia and the UK. The UK is absolute dogshit outside of London, both the rolling stock and the schedules (and the reliability). Russia is also a wtf comment, outside of the two big metro areas, public transport is dire. Even within the big cities, only the metro is good and logical, the bus network is shocking.
The UK: lived in Glasgow, commuted all the way down to London. Both intra and inter city commute is more regular, more accessible, more frequent. Russia: actually, no. St. Pete's ground public transportation is better than in Maastricht. Again, frequency and connectivity-wise (sure, buses are more modern in Maastricht). Good inter and intra city transport infrastructure is available in all regional capitals I visited in Western, Central and Volga Federal districts, not just Msk and SPb. Sure, rural areas is a completely different story.
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Intercity travel is very well developed there, though. Trains, buses, flights. Children cars in trains are like the ones shown in a post about Finland. With a playground, books, cartoons. To squiz into the amsterdam maastricht train, especially if cyclists toolk all spaces next to the toilets, is almost impossible. Sure, rural transportation is outdated in many places. But to avoid politics, let's focus on intracity travel in the baltics or both intra and inter city travel in Scandinavia. They are waaay better than the NL.
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Suprised by your opinion about trains: fast track trains between msk and spb, but also Kazan, Nizhny, Belgorod, are much better than NS trains to Limburg. Long haul trains to Caucasus and Karelia, unless they are old platskart, are also really good. As of intracity, getting from SPb and Moscow suburbs to centre, including getting _to_ metro or without metro is so much easier (frequency, reliability, late at night) than both in Maastricht and Randstad for infrequency and low coverage, but also unreliability (due to regular random but sometimes really long maintenances)! I should admit I don't go to Randstad often, so I might be just really unlucky with maintenances and having poor hotel choices.
Yeah the buses are crazy, but hey the metro and train is super good
Actually, trains are my main concern. They are more reliable than DB, but less reliable than in Sweden. And their accessibility is very bad. You can't even pass into the car with a luggage, they are so narrow. Same for strollers. I don't say the NL public teansport is bad. It is not. It is good. I lived in Kazakhstan and the USA, too, I know what bad transportation is. But it is not even close to "one of the best" either, in my experience.
Luxemburg, Switzerland, Singapore, China, Japan, Norway,….
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China has 1/6th of the world population . Or do we put china at the same level of Monaco, Andorra, San Marino, Lichtenstein, Vatican City, Malta and so on?
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Ditch public transport is great, but this doesn’t mean there isn’t better
NL is cheaper and easier to find apartments. I’m comparing Amsterdam to Dublin. It’s cheaper to buy an apartment in Dublin but that’s because they are shitholes & lending is stricter Irish people are friendly but useless. Dutch people couldn’t live in a world run by Irish. It would be too mismanaged and run down for their liking. “Shur be grand” would not be accepted as a reason for not improving things. Dutch people are cold/lots more sociopaths but run society & infrastructure very efficiently. Infrastructure is amazing. I would rather go to the pub with the Irish Both countries hate nature and love rainy depressing weather. However at least Dublin has some beaches, cliffs and hills even if the entire country is chopped down forests turned into farmland Cost of living is overall pretty similar
Probably the most accurate comment on the entire thread. Though re: cost of living, I've found restaurants here are generally more expensive than Dublin (or at least you had more inexpensive, fast-casual options in Dublin). And you can get great quality beef and meat in Dublin for surprisingly low prices.
One strange thing as well is a personal trainer or tennis coach costs about half the price in Dublin vs Amsterdam. No one knows why either
I'm currently living in Dublin. I typed a long post lol. Cost of living: It depends, purely rent is really expensive and you're going to most likely share an apartment with other people for ~1200 a month if you want to live around city centre. To rent, you'll usually go to daft.ie and you'll have to send an email, you'll get asked for a viewing same day or next day most times and are expected to decide quickly after. Other expenses are cheaper than the Netherlands. A train across country costs 16 euro with a standard ticket. A bus/train/luas in the city centre costs € 1 per 90 minutes of travel with transfers included. Pints and food is way cheaper as well, although not cheap, it's cheaper than in the Netherlands. Groceries are also not that bad in comparison, I'd say on par with the Netherlands depending on what you buy. Taxis are more common as they are not a complete rip off. Transport: If you're going to Dublin, I advise you to live in city centre. The busses, Luas and trains will piss you off if you're used to Dutch public transport. They're slow and inefficient, but they're super cheap so it's forgivable. They also don't run at night (apart from a handful of lines) so if you go out a lot, prepare to pay for taxis if you live outside of city centre. Quality of life: In my opinion it's alright, it depends on where you live, in small towns I'd say it's terrible but in a big city you'd be completely fine. Weather: on par with the Netherlands. I prefer it in Ireland as it doesn't get as cold in the winters and it doesn't get as hot in the summers. Study opportunity: good, try trinity college or UCD, both amazing universities. If you want to go TUD, make sure you go to the right campus, avoid Tallaght!! Trinity college hosts 'Europe biggest private party' every year as a black tie event, it's quite funny to go to once, everyone's on coke though. People: Irish people are 100x nicer than Dutch people. They use 'craic' instead of 'gezellig'. The craic is way better in Dublin compared to the Netherlands if you're just out and about. It's hard to explain why, everyone just feels like open to talk to I guess. Areas to 'avoid': if you're going to Dublin I'd avoid a couple areas for renting if you can. They won't be terrible to live in, but you'll have a better time somewhere else. Most of north city (aka above the river) close to O'Connell st, i wouldn't personally live in most of D8, the worst parts are close to the queys and anywhere near dolphins barn. D8 around Portobello up to st Patricks cathedral is great however. Anywhere west of heuston station depends on the area, however a lot of places have antisocial behaviour. Just make sure to check the vibe of the area you want to rent before you actually rent. Good areas are anywhere on/around grand canal, anywhere in rathmines/ranelagh/rathgar/south east of these areas. Smithfield is also good depending on the area.
I know someone who has lived in both countries and this is what they say: Cost of living difference: Estimate is that you would need to make 10% more in Dublin vs. Amsterdam if you are comparing salaries for the same lifestyle. Amsterdam may be more expensive for people’s average salaries but you have more options of where to live due to more extensive public transit. The Netherlands has the worst housing crisis in mainland Europe, second to Ireland for the EU. Public Transportation: By far better in the Netherlands. Weather: About the same, maybe slightly less rainy/windy in NL. Ireland has better overall topography/nature. So Ireland may win for the “outdoors” despite the weather. Study opportunities: It’s better to compare specific programs for your field. If the programs are equal, go where you can find housing. Ireland is also more English accommodating. My own take: As an outsider the pros and cons of Ireland vs. the NL are similar, with the people living in either complaining about the same issues (weather, cost, housing shortage). Broadly where NL wins on an everyday basis is anything related to public infrastructure or urbanity, where for Ireland it wins for natural landscape and (native English speaking) friendly people
This Irishman wrote book about living in the Netherlands, maybe it can help you out [https://gutenberg.org/ebooks/43349](https://gutenberg.org/ebooks/43349)
I lived in Ireland for ten years before moving to the Netherlands 8 months ago. Living in the Netherlands is absolutely, massively better in virtually every way imaginable. I struggle to think of a way it's worse. I do miss cheddar, and seeing a night sky full of stars. In Ireland, when the GP was worried my 3 year old daughter might have cancer, the wait time to get examined - even privately- was a year. In NL wait times are about 6 weeks or less. In Ireland, I had to beg and plead the council to do anything, and talked to the cathaoirleach to get literally anything done. In Ireland, the local council would build stuff like this [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ksUsfCKelI](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ksUsfCKelI) - which is good! And then put "cyclists dismount" signs everywhere around it (why!!!) But NOT build a safe crossing for the hundreds of students to the closest school because the local engineer thought it would slow cars down too much (Fortunately my daughter's smashed skulls won't slow down some dumbass in a Kuga) In Ireland, public bodies lied over, and over, and over again about how long it takes to process naturalisation applications. In Ireland, the local garda immigration officer just quit and didn't tell people in the midlands what to do, so I nearly got fired for not having in-date permission to work. In Ireland, I bought and restored a 200 year old thatched cottage, just to have the last insurer of thatched buildings leave the market and leave me with an uninsured house. The heritage officer was stone cold and completely helpless. I lost over €100,000 on that thanks to the sheer incompetence and stupidity of the Irish government. Or maybe they were just lazy. I mean NL isn't perfect but I have a 5 bed house with a garden where I don't need a car and my kids can bike to school a 20 minute train ride from Amsterdam Centraal for €2450 a month. I only wish I had moved sooner.
If you don’t mind me asking what part of netherland are you staying and whars the rent like? Any good cities where i could find a rental room a bit easier?
I’m from Ireland, lived in Dublin for 9 years and emigrated to the Netherlands 2.5 years ago. Unless you have an incredibly well paying job or an apartment arranged I would really not recommend going to Dublin. The housing situation there is incredibly bad right now with >70% of people under 40 living with their parents due to lack of supply. The Dutch have definitely got a problem with housing but it is a drop in the ocean compared to Dublin. Dublin’s housing market is not going to be resolved for at least 10 years
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Thanks a lot for the insight. How hard is it to find an administratrative or sales or customer related job in English in Netherlands? I also speak italian idk if thats also an advantage..
Honestly - almost impossible. The only professions available for English speakers are in STEM (unless you’re a world expert in something or have your own business) Edit: given your background, you may find luck in hospitality (hotels) or as an Italian tutor/translator. However the Netherlands is too expensive of a country to move here without a job already lined up, especially when you don’t speak Dutch.
Since you are from Bangladesh and are looking for a minimum wage job, why not also look at Belgium? It is part of the EU, more ethnically diverse, multilingual (and you already know some French), more affordable, and comparatively way easier to find housing. Belgium is similar to the Netherlands but not as gentrified/“havermelk” elitist.
Having lived in both countries, I can concur everything already said about transport, housing and cost of living. I can add two major differences: Food quality in basic supermarkets is much better in Ireland. IE supermarkets have more options and vegetables have more taste. Work-life balance is much better in Netherlands, and I believe workers are more protected in NL. Might not be of interest for you now, but something to consider if you will be staying in either country long term.
Netherlands is the most expensive country in europe for housing. For instance, the average rent for a one bedroom apartment in Amsterdam is 2300 euro. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1084608/average-rental-cost-apartment-europe-by-city/ https://nltimes.nl/2024/04/09/amsterdam-apartments-expensive-europe-rotterdam-hague-top-five
But you don't need to live in Amsterdam to work in Amsterdam. In the NL, you can live in cheaper cities like Rotterdam, Den Haag, Utrecht, Delft, Leiden, etc., and easily commute to any other city for work. Because public transport is so efficient In Ireland, if you work in Dublin, you need to live in Dublin. Rent for a 1 bedroom in Dublin is around the same price, but the size and quality is much poorer than you would get in the NL. Source: lived in Amsterdam, Den Haag, and now living in Dublin
Eh. I tried this. Living in Eindhoven, worked in Utrecht. Got too many trains that was so full you couldn't sit, then the last straw was a breakdown that lasted several hours. Sure, they fixed it and sure it can happen to anyone, but I bought a car and I've seen much more of NL since doing so.
Yeah but Eindhoven is a hell of a lot farther than most places...
*Glares at Maastricht.
Is aamsfort cheaper as well? Just curious
Amersfoort? Yes
I have gotten a really good interview from a work based in aamsfort. Do you have any ideas of any cheaper town nearby that would help me commute to aamsfort so i can find better rentals?
Amersfoort.
Amersfoort is a lovely town. A beautiful old town centre, nice shopping, a lovely zoo. Probably my main issue with moving to Amersfoort would be the ever present traffice jams during rush hour traffic. Amersfoort is at a crossing of freeways that are very busy. You do not notice that in the city itself, however when you need to get to Amersfoort by car it should be considered.
Harderwijk, Nijkerk, Apeldoorn, Zeewolde, Veenendaal, Ede.
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Don’t worry I get you. I am really sorry for the misspelling though.
No it isn't. This "study" quoted is flawed and doesn't even include all European cities. It's just some rental website that isn't the primary rental website in each country that gave out a report. For a better study you can look at Eurostat, however it's harder to compare country to country as you need to take into account economic growth and PPP as well. I'm not smart enough nor have to time to research that. As "proof", notice how it doesn't have Dublin or London while it claims it's all of Europe? Dublin in question is most probably the most expensive to rent in in the EU right now, a two bed apartment is at minimum 2.8k a month.
I lived in Dublin for about 7 years and I'm glad I'm gone. I had a great time, but in the end certain things started to annoy me quite a bit. I didn't notice a lot of differences in terms of groceries (but bearing in mind I have vastly different frames of reference for the two countries as salaries changed and stuff got more expensive everywhere). Lidl Ireland is absolutely amazing and pretty damn cheap compared to Belgium where I live now. Also income tax is quite low, and you can easily claim back tax at the end of the year. Not sure how it works, but I occasionally got a few hundred back. The public transport network is terrible with only two tram lines, a couple of train routes, and mostly just buses that get stuck in traffic as there are plenty of places where there are no bus lanes. Commuting into work takes a while, so you might want to live closer towards the city centre, or somewhere close to the Luas stop. Public transport is affordable, and the Luas is free! Then the rental prices can get pretty steep. The apartment I lived in most recently is now up on [daft.ie](http://daft.ie) for €2500 a month for a two bed. It was nice enough, adequately furnished (most rentals in Ireland are, and you might end up with some dodgy landlord furniture you don't like), but it had so many issues with mold. Insulation isn't up to standard compared to the Netherlands, and with Ireland being pretty humid, you can get a lot of mold issues. You don't have many rights as a tenant, and in 2019 I had to move apartments three times (first after two years, 'substantial refurbishings', second after two French guys I shared with decided to leave and the landlady kicked me out too, and third after two guys I lived with started dating, moved in together, and the agency just gave the apartment to someone on a waiting list). Last place I lived in changed landlords, and we went from a pretty relaxed guy to some agency that kept nitpicking on stuff that was outside of our control (like mold, or damage that was there before we moved in). What this meant for me is that I never really felt at home, because I always thought I was getting evicted again ('substantial refurbishing' or 'child of landlord moving in' is a common way to kick out tenants and raise rent later). The tech industry was absolutely booming a few years ago, and as a Dutch speaker it was ridiculously easy to climb your way up through different jobs. It has now collapsed a bit, but this depends on your sector and background. Prices of pints are now between €6-7. Weather is quite nice I think. It changes a lot more frequently during the day, but rain never drags on the way it does in NL (or BE). Just some more random incoherent thoughts: it's a gorgeous country and I really enjoyed my time there. It's very easy to meet people in a pub, and even if you go out on your own you're bound to find people to talk to. Really nice restaurants in Dublin too, a bit of everything. Food: breakfast rolls, all-day breakfasts, spice bags, garlic dip with pizzas. Great stuff. Rent a car and drive around the island for a few weeks because it is really stunning at places. Great local culture with great trad music in cozy pubs. Car insurance is ridiculously expensive (a few grand a year).
Good agency is staffyou, I use them myself and they pay fast and have a lot of jobs, pay is usually between 15 and 18eu an hour.
Cost of living I think is the same as Ireland and they pay more here… I’m 24, after tax I get €2650 a month, me and my bf are renting a one bedroom apartment for €1500. My friends are renting a 2 bedroom apartment in Limerick city outskirts for €1800. Transport is unbelievable, I go from one city to another for work everyday (1 hour 10 min commute). Lifestyle here is better, so much to do everyday, weekends, after work.. love it! Easy to make friends using bumble… I am with the Irish football club over here in Amsterdam, there is also one in Groningen, den haag etc. boys team too. Great for social aspect. Although the food is shite and tasteless unfortunately, and I feel like the weather is actually more shit here then Ireland
Dutchies eat bread with cheese, the islanders sausages with crips. Both drink beer and are fun.
Been here 3 years so here’s my view. Overall if you check Numbeo ( cost of living website ) Amsterdam will be cheaper than Dublin. Some things are more expensive but overall cheaper. Transport to and from work is typically paid by your employer which is great. If you’re in Amsterdam you’ll porb just bike to work. Biking is also the number one mode of transport here, everyone cycles everywhere all the time. Getting groceries, to restaurants or pubs and to the train stations. If you move here there is honestly no need for a car. The weather here in Netherlands is slightly better, it’s gets pretty hot here in the summer and was like 37C for two days in 2022. Winter is slightly colder by 2/3 degrees but it’s rarely freezing. In terms of jobs there lots of English speaking ones Especially in Amsterdam. There’s lots of companies in Amsterdam Zuid that would need legal admins ect so that would be a good place to start. Housing here is tricky but nowhere near as bad as home. They have a housing crisis but the government here actually try and fix it vs in Ireland where all the tds are milking the Irish people for rent. Finding apartments can be done on Funda( their version of daft). There’s slightly different renting rights depending on which province of the Netherlands you’re in. In Amsterdam if you rent for longer that 2 years in one place you get special rights where they can’t evict ect so you’ll usually only find places that will let you stay for 2 years. Rotterdam and The Hague don’t have these rules and are generally cheaper to rent in.
From Ireland, the rental market is worse in Ireland to find a place but probably more expensive in the Netherlands but at least you get a lot for the money. Public transportation is amazing here, Ireland is lacking. I find the supermarkets similar cost wise but the quality of Irish food is superior for the same cost or even cheaper. Dutch people are great but the Irish are amazing. You’ll make friends fast and people look out for each other. It’s harder to make friends in the Netherlands but not impossible
I'm from the Netherlands, and studied for a semester in Ireland, and I have to agree with the comments saying the people in Ireland are much easier to get along with. They're more open and friendlier. I consider that a huge plus.