$280,000 in Boston ≈ €235,234 in Dublin
Moving to Dublin from Boston with a family
Equivalence is solved so household net cash matches across both cities, with taxes, housing, childcare, healthcare, food, and travel all included.
The bottom line
- →$280,000 in Boston leaves about the same net cash as €235,234 in Dublin for this scenario, after real taxes and living costs.
- →Taxes take 26.3% of gross in Boston versus 38.2% in Dublin.
- →The biggest non-cash swing: 22 more vacation days per year in Dublin (statutory).
Where each paycheck goes
Every unit of gross, split four ways. Same net cash, very different shape.
Full Breakdown
| Category | Boston | Dublin | Swing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross salary | $280,000 | €235,234 ($271,319) | Equivalent |
| Income + payroll tax | −$73,714 (26.3%) | −€89,855 (38.2%) | A touch higher |
| Housing (rent) | −$62,172 | −€44,592 | ~17% less |
| Healthcare (household) | −$14,828 | −€5,080 | ~60% less |
| Childcare | −$33,600 | −€14,800 | ~49% less |
| Food & groceries | −$23,520 | −€15,360 | ~25% less |
| Transit | −$2,538 | −€2,707 | ~23% more |
| Discretionary spending | −$6,100 | −€5,160 | Similar |
| Travel home | −$2,600 | −€4,400 | ~95% more |
| Government child benefit | +$4,400 | +€3,360 | Offsets childcare |
| Net cash kept | $65,328 | €56,639 | Equal in real terms |
Live in either city? Flag any number that looks off.
Computed at the city-median tech-worker salary, Boston (a family with two kids). Each figure is in the city's local currency, from the same engine as the calculator; sources are cited per row there.
What changes beyond the money
- Statutory vacation days~0 → ~22
- Total paid days off~12 → ~32
- Paid parental leave9 wks → 5 wks
- Healthcare systemEmployer / private → Employer / private
These numbers use one scenario's assumptions. Plug in your own salary, family size, and lifestyle.
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Moving from Boston to Dublin for a family
For a family of four, this comparison produces a different answer than a single-person look at the same cities. Childcare costs, parental leave policy, and the second earner's tax treatment all push the number. With a partner at 60% of the primary salary and two kids in daycare, a $280,000 household in Boston needs €235,234 in Dublin to keep the same net cash.
Childcare is the biggest single swing factor in this comparison. Boston households pay $33,600 per year; Dublin caps it at €14,800 via subsidy. That difference flows directly to net cash. A standard salary comparison won't show it at all.
Parental leave is similar: 9 weeks paid in Boston, 5 in Dublin.
Both cities require private health insurance. Boston runs $14,828; Dublin runs €5,080.
K-12 schools score higher on PISA 2022 in Ireland (504 (math 492, reading 516, science 504)) than in USA (489 (math 465, reading 504, science 499)), a 15-point gap on the OECD's standardized 15-year-old assessment. PISA is one signal; local school choice and curriculum philosophy matter at least as much.
Dublin also adds 22 more vacation days per year (22 vs 0). With kids, that is school breaks actually covered without burning PTO.
The second-earner question is worth running separately. In high-childcare-cost cities, full-time daycare can eat most of a partner's after-tax income. In Dublin, subsidized childcare changes that math entirely: both salaries actually make it to the household. Use the "Partner works in" toggle in the calculator to see what that shift does to your specific numbers.
Who comes out ahead
Both leave you close to 24% of gross once rent and taxes are paid.
You also get cheaper childcare on top of the money math in Dublin. Run the family scenario to see it.
Dublin gives you 20 more paid days off a year, none of which shows on an offer letter.
Common questions
How much do you need to earn in Dublin to match a $280,000 salary in Boston?
About €235,234. cityparity solves for the Dublin gross salary whose net cash (after taxes, housing, childcare, healthcare, and the rest) equals what you keep in Boston. It's an equivalence, not a raw conversion.
How much is childcare in Dublin compared with Boston?
Childcare is one of the biggest swings for a family moving from Boston to Dublin. cityparity nets each city's daycare cost against any government child allowance, so the figure reflects what you'd actually pay out of pocket.
Is healthcare free in Dublin?
Dublin does not have universal healthcare, so out-of-pocket costs are modeled the same way as in Boston.
How much vacation and parental leave do you get in Dublin?
Dublin has about 32 paid days off a year (vacation plus public holidays) and 46 weeks of parental leave. cityparity surfaces these as deltas rather than dollars, because time off is part of the real comparison.
Run your own numbers in the interactive calculator →