Dublin vs Oxford
for digital nomads
Under balanced weights Oxford edges it, 68 to 65, winning 7 of the 9 factors. Dublin is stronger on nothing outright; Oxford on internet. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.
English-speaking EU capital with a tech cluster
Full Dublin profile →Plan a trip to Dublin →University city an hour from London, with housing costs to match
Full Oxford profile →Plan a trip to Oxford →Where they differ
- Internet. Oxford leads on internet, 78 to 67, against Dublin. Measured download: 34.2 Mbps vs 61.2 Mbps.
- Climate. Oxford leads on climate, 17 to 8, against Dublin. Comfortable months: 1 vs 2.
- Cost of living. Oxford leads on cost of living, 22 to 14, against Dublin. Monthly cost, one person: $3,429 vs $2,900.
Where they are close. Within five points on getting there & around, visa ease, healthcare, quality of life, air quality.
Pick Dublin if you want
- the safer country figures
Pick Oxford if you want
- to spend about $529 less a month
- faster internet (61.2 Mbps measured)
Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)
| Metric | Dublin | Oxford |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | 14 | 22 ✓ |
| Safety | 83 ✓ | 76 |
| Healthcare | 87 | 88 ✓ |
| Internet | 67 | 78 ✓ |
| Visa ease | 75 | 77 ✓ |
| Getting there & around | 54 | 57 ✓ |
| Climate | 8 | 17 ✓ |
| Air quality | 95 | 95 ✓ |
| Quality of life | 97 ✓ | 97 |
Cost
| Metric | Dublin | Oxford |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost, one personcountry-level estimate for at least one city | $3,429 | $2,900 ✓ |
| Central one-bedroom rent | $2,817 | no data |
Safety and health (country-level)
| Metric | Dublin | Oxford |
|---|---|---|
| Homicides per 100k | 0.7 ✓ | 0.93 |
| Political stability (0–100) | 78.7 ✓ | 70.7 |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 82 | 88 ✓ |
| Life expectancy | 82.4 yrs ✓ | 80.7 yrs |
Internet (M-Lab measured medians)
| Metric | Dublin | Oxford |
|---|---|---|
| Download | 34.2 Mbps | 61.2 Mbps ✓ |
| Upload | 12.5 Mbps | 18.5 Mbps ✓ |
Visa
| Metric | Dublin | Oxford |
|---|---|---|
| Nomad visa | none listed | none listed |
| Minimum income for the visa | no data | no data |
| Entry, US passport | 90 days ✓ | eTA required (online, before travel) |
| Entry, EU passport | unlimited | 180 days |
| Entry, UK passport | unlimited | home country |
Getting there and around
| Metric | Dublin | Oxford |
|---|---|---|
| Non-stop airport destinations | 200 | 226 ✓ |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 4 | 4 |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 3 | 3 |
Climate and air
| Metric | Dublin | Oxford |
|---|---|---|
| Comfortable months per year | 1 | 2 ✓ |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 7.3 µg/m³ | 7.1 µg/m³ ✓ |
✓ marks the better value in each row; ties and missing data are left unmarked.
Frequently asked
- Which is cheaper, Dublin or Oxford?
- Oxford is cheaper: about $2,900 per month versus $3,429 for one person.
- Is Dublin or Oxford safer?
- Dublin scores higher on safety (83 vs 76), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.
- Where is the internet faster, Dublin or Oxford?
- Oxford: a measured median of 61.2 Mbps versus 34.2 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).
More comparisons
Sources: Cost of Living Global 2026 (city rows); 2026 Cost of Living Index (country level); Digital Nomad Visas 2026; Worldwide Governance Indicators — Political Stability and Absence of Violence (score 0–100); Victims of intentional homicide per 100,000 population (national data, latest year); UHC service coverage index; Life expectancy at birth (years), both sexes; M-Lab NDT statistics (city aggregates, 2024); Airport destinations (Wikipedia airline and destination tables); NASA POWER climatology (2001–2020 monthly means); WHO Ambient Air Quality Database, June 2026 update (V8); Human Development Index (HDR 2025, HDI 2023); EF English Proficiency Index 2024 (band); Walkability and transit ratings (editorial); Passport Index dataset (visa requirements, 199 passports × 199 destinations); OpenStreetMap restaurants (Overpass API); Starlink availability map. Dataset 2026.11.2. See each city page for per-metric footnotes and the methodology.