The capital city of Ireland has bounced back from the 11th to the 9th place for comfortable living for EU citizens. It’s far from being number one, but it’s a great choice for any European and non-European alike. Here’s why.
Security
Security is probably one of the main factors for any person who wants to move to the city. While Dublin is not the safest city on Earth, it’s among the best ones.
The only problems there are in the city are connected to drugs. You can’t say that drug dealing is a major concern, but the statistics show there is a considerable amount of people selling drugs in the poor neighbourhoods.
When it comes to your safety, however, Dublin is great. Walking alone in daylight won’t cause any troubles for you even if you’re a minority. Dublin has lots of thriving migrant communities that are well integrated into society. The level of racial tension is practically non-existent. The city managed to escape the migrant crisis by far, and you won’t be jammed in the conflict of Sharia patrols and nationalist movements.
Medicine
If you’re an EU citizen and you have the European Health Insurance Card, there would be no problems with getting medical help in Ireland. Dublin is filled with both public and private hospitals, so you’re going to be well covered.
When it comes to treating difficult diseases and performing surgeries, however, Dublin doesn’t shine. Many Irish citizens are seeking medicine elsewhere to escape long waiting lists, the longest in the EU as a matter of fact. This is why Dublin falls short of top positions in the rating.
Eurozone
Ireland is a part of the EU, and for any EU citizen, that’s a big plus. You don’t have to exchange currency, and trading with other EU countries is a simple matter.
That’s a great advantage over Ireland’s neighbour, the UK, as they’re trapped in Brexit negotiations. With the UK’s status yet unclear, many EU expats are choosing Dublin over London.
Taxes
While Ireland if far from being a tax haven, it’s a significant step up from many countries that top the list of livable cities. The corporate tax is just 12% which makes many international companies create headquarters in the country.
Personal income of married couples will be taxed at only 20% if it’s under €65,000, the remainder is taxed at 40%. At 23% VAT is not the lowest in the EU, but it’s significantly lower in some industries like restaurants.
Worldwide success
Scandinavian cities and Switzerland are ranked way higher on livability for international expats. Canada and Australia also prove a lucrative destination for many people worldwide.
Despite this, Dublin is not falling too short either. The city beats Hong Kong in the list of livable cities for Asian expats. Dublin has lots of thriving communities of all races and is way safer climatically than some of the Asian cities. For instance, it’s not hit by typhoons like Hong Kong is. It also doesn’t have the crippling 12-hour work ethic like some Japanese and Chinese cities do.
Small and safe
One of the things that attract people to Dublin is the pace of life there. If you move to the city, you will have all the privileges of living in a European metropolitan area without the hassles of living in a megacity.
It’s not as huge and busy as Hong Kong, New York, or Berlin. You can lead a successful career in an international company, live in the burbs, and access beautiful sceneries in your free time.
Perhaps this is why Dublin is back in the top 10 livable cities.