This article was updated in summer 2022.
Many people who come to Ireland want to experience some of the famous Irish pub culture. But often, they will go to places that Irish people avoid because the prices are too high. Today I want to give you the average prices of drinks in Dublin, so you won’t pay through the nose for a good pint.
Average drink prices in Dublin:
| Type of Drink (in Pints, Unless Otherwise Stated) | Average Price (€). Will vary by about €0.50 across most of Dublin |
| Guinness | €6 |
| Lager | €6.50 |
| Cider | €7.00 |
| Craft Beer/ Cider | €6.80 |
| Glass of Wine | €7.00 |
| Measure of Sprit (Liquor) | €6 (This will vary a lot) |
| Measure Spirit + Mixer | €7.50+ (This will vary a lot) |
The prices that I listed above are just a guideline for what to expect to pay in Dublin, most places will have prices like those above. However, there are some spots popular with tourists that charge much more and hidden local haunts that charge less. Let’s talk about a few of them.
Alcohol Pricing in Dublin
The first thing that you need to know about the price of alcohol in Dublin pubs is that its expensive, even for locals. While much of this cost comes from taxes, the rents in the city are the highest in Ireland, raising the prices even further.
The strange thing is that the prices of drinks in most pubs are pretty much the same. In Ireland we have a strong pub culture which is based more on the company you keep, rather than where you happen to be.
This means that if somewhere in Dublin sold a pint of Guinness for a euro cheaper than the place next-door, everyone would head there. The prices around the city must be uniform, no matter where you go.
When you enter a pub anywhere in Ireland, look for a pricing sheet. This will be a list of all the drink prices in the establishment and it will usually be somewhere near the entrance.
This list is required by law, though it might be hard to spot initially. It should look like a framed A4 sheet of paper. It will then have the exact prices of the various drinks sold in the bar.
Normally, these drinks will be sold for something like the prices listed above, though it will vary somewhat from place to place.
Since Guinness is probably the most popular alcohol beverage sold in Ireland, I will use this as an example for the rest of the article.
The prices of drinks are constantly rising, and it has been getting increasingly difficult to find an establishment that will sell a pint of Guinness for less than €5. Normally, you should expect to pay slightly more.
This means that buying a couple of drinks should cost you about €12. That is what I normally think of these days when buying a pint for myself and a friend.
The Most Expensive Places
If you want to get the most bang for your buck in Dublin, then check out my guide to the best things to do at night in Dublin.
Though most places will stick to this general rule of thumb, there are some places that will skirt around these practices and charge more money. There has also been an increase in popularity in the last few years for more expensive, craft beers.
Several companies have cropped up in the last 10 years or so that have started to produce high-quality Irish craft beer. The Galway Bay Brewing Company are probably the most famous and they own bars across Ireland where you can only buy their versions of more traditional beer brands.
Franciscan Well, from Cork, has also become popular. Though, unlike the Galway company, you will be able to purchase their products in most bars across the country and they are particularly popular in cities like Dublin.
Most of these beers will be €1-€1.50 more expensive than a regular pint in Dublin.
While most people don’t mind paying a little extra for something that they deem to be of higher quality than the normal fare, there are certain places in Dublin that are deemed to be rip-offs by locals.
The Templebar area of Dublin has been popular among tourists for years and Irish people have started to avoid this part of the city. While some people might be a little tired of dealing with tourists, most people who avoid this area are sick of paying through the nose for a drink.
There are plenty of places in this part of the city that will charge about €1-€2 more for a pint of Guinness than normal in Dublin during the day.
Then, during the evening, they will raise the price of their drinks. Then again at night, the prices go up again! In some of these establishments, you can wind up paying nearly twice the amount you should for a pint of Guinness by the end of the night!
The Best Value for Money
If you want to go somewhere that offers better value for money, then there are plenty of other options just outside of the Templebar area. Just moving 1 street over will drop prices.
Some of the most popular areas for Irish people to hang out in Dublin include the following streets:
- Baggot Street
- Fade Street
- Dame Lane
- Camden/ George’s Street
These areas have multiple pubs, most of which should fit the pricing model in the table at the top of this article, though there may exceptions. You might see greater variation in prices when ordering things like Gin and Tonics for example.
One of the cheapest pubs in Dublin in the Trinity College Student bar, the Pav. This is based in the old cricket club of the school and on a sunny day, you will see thousands of locals of all ages lined up outside enjoying the sunshine.
If you want to get even more bang for your buck, then there are a couple of tours that I would recommend. Both run every night and are great value for money.
There is a pub crawl that starts at 7.30pm near the Templebar pub that goes to a variety of bars in the city centre that are popular with locals. This tour finishes in a popular nightclub. This tour is great if you want to get the most out of Dublin’s nightlife.
There is also a pub culture tour that starts at 6pm at the Spire. This tour is more accessible to people of all ages and goes into detail on many different aspects of Irish pub culture. It is also the best value for money tour I know about in Dublin.
Related Questions
Is Guinness cheaper in Ireland? Guinness is not cheaper in Ireland. Though there are exceptions, Guinness generally cheaper the further you go from Dublin. With prices in Dublin between €5.50-€6.50 on average. The quality of Guinness in Dublin is high however, and it is the nation’s most popular drink.
How much is a pint in Templebar, Dublin? The average cost of a pint in Templebar is about €1 more than the average for the rest of the city. The price will also rise throughout the night. This is a practice that is not common anywhere else in the city. Expect between €7-8 for a pint of Guinness.
How much is a pint of lager in Ireland? A pint of lager in Ireland is usually a little more expensive than Guinness. Expect to pay about €6.50-€7.50 in Dublin and about a euro less in other parts of the country. There are places like Templebar where this price will be higher.
