Letterkenny remains Ireland's cheapest student town

The cost of going to college in Letterkenny is up 3% in 2024 - but it’s still the cheapest student town in Ireland.

Switcher.ie’s Student Cost of Living Guide 2024 reveals the cheapest student towns in Ireland, up-to-date expenses in each place, and how much student costs have jumped in the past year.

The study aims to help students, parents, teachers, and third-level organisations prepare for the year ahead and determine what they might need to budget, save, or borrow.

In 2024, nationally, students eligible for free tuition fees can expect to spend an average of €15,632 on college — €536 more per year than in 2023. International students could fork out an average of €26,690 per annum, €924 more than last year.

Figures released say it costs €13,147 per year to go to college in Letterkenny, 3% or €356 more per year than 2023. In Letterkenny it costs €1,127 per month for a student to go to college, €39 more per month than in 2023.

Letterkenny remains the cheapest student county this year, costing €6,380 less than Dublin, the most expensive town. Letterkenny also had the most affordable student accommodation of all the towns in the guide, at €373 per month - €521 less than Dublin, which costs €894.

Letterkenny’s €13,147 per year is broken down into an average per month of €1,127. This is made up of accommodation €381 per month; groceries: €172 per month; entertainment: €310 per month and transport: €138 per month.

Sligo (€13,668), Waterford (€14,724), Dundalk (€14,961), Athlone (€15,163) and Galway (€15,552) make up the top six cheapest towns, after Letterkenny. On the other hand, Dublin (€19,527), Maynooth (€16,942), Cork (€16,826), Limerick (€15,762), Carlow (€15,653) and Tralee (€15,602) are the six most expensive.