Inflationary pressures are easing fast, but the relatively high cost of goods and services in Ireland has important economic and political consequences
Shoppers in Cork: price levels in Ireland are well above the EU average for a wide range of retail items, though the cost of clothes here is lower. shows that prices in the Republic are the second highest in the EU, standing 42 per cent above the average. Measuring the comparative cost of typical spending patterns in different countries is not straightforward, but it is clear that the cost of living in Ireland is stuck at the higher end of the European league.
In some cases consumers get a raw deal. Consumption taxes like VAT and excise duties are very high by EU standards in some areas, explaining relatively high prices for alcohol and tobacco. It is less easy to explain away higher costs in areas like mobile phones and household appliances.
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