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| Ha'penny Bridge, Dublin |
The CSO issued today its bi-annual price level comparison for Dublin and outside Dublin in respect of May 2007.
Of the 78 items included, average prices were higher in Dublin for 45 and lower for 33.
Between Dublin and outside Dublin, 28 items had average prices that fell within a 3% range of each other. Average prices for another 39 items were more than 3% higher in Dublin, while the remaining 11 were more than 3% lower.
Meat and Fish prices generally comparable, Fruit and Vegetables prices mostly higher in Dublin
As of May 2007, eight of the eighteen meat items were showing higher prices in Dublin.
The differences ranged from 26.9% higher for best back rashers to 7.0% lower for lamb’s liver. In November 2006, twelve of the meat items had shown higher prices in Dublin.
Higher average prices were shown in Dublin for only two of the five fish products included in the analysis. The differences ranged from 10.4% higher for fillets of plaice to 12.3% lower for smoked salmon.
It was more expensive in Dublin for nine of the ten fruit and vegetable items included in the analysis. The differences ranged from 8.4% more expensive for onions to 1.7% cheaper for carrots.
Other Food and Non-Alcoholic Beverages prices mostly lower in Dublin
For the remaining sixteen Food & Non-Alcoholic Beverages products (including milk, cheese, butter, eggs, bread, flour, sugar, tea, spaghetti, preserves and orange juice), 11 of the items showed lower average prices in Dublin, ranging from 0.5% for brown sliced pan of bread to 10.5% lower for self raising flour. Five products had higher average prices in Dublin with large eggs (grade 2) showing the greatest difference (+9.0%).
Drinks out prices higher in Dublin, off-licence prices generally comparable
For Alcoholic Beverages, as before, the comparison varied greatly between take home drink and drinks consumed on licensed premises. For take home drink, average prices were generally comparable with 3% or less difference between Dublin and outside Dublin, for seven of the ten items covered. The biggest difference was shown for Table wine (75cl bottle) where average prices in Dublin were 3.7% higher.
For alcohol consumed on a licensed premises, average prices were consistently higher in Dublin with all but one of the items showing average prices more than 5% higher than outside Dublin. The greatest difference was for a half-pint of lager where average prices in Dublin were 14.0% higher.
Tobacco prices slightly higher in Dublin
For Tobacco, there was a minor difference with average prices in Dublin 0.6% higher.
Petrol prices comparable but services prices higher in Dublin
Average unleaded petrol prices were 0.1% higher in Dublin while average diesel prices were 0.1% lower in Dublin.
Average prices can only be compared for four services, all of which showed significantly higher average prices in Dublin. Those services are cinema entrance (14.5% higher in Dublin), ladies’ wash, cut & blow-dry (21.8% higher in Dublin), gents’ dry cut (21.0% higher in Dublin) and gents’ wash, cut & blow-dry (46.7% higher in Dublin).
Prices now 4.4% higher in Dublin
On average, prices were 4.4% higher in Dublin for the items included in this analysis.
This is an increase on the difference as recorded in November 2006 (3.5%). Part of this increase reflects the change in the items covered as the majority of the items introduced have higher prices in Dublin.
When drinks out are excluded from the comparison, the difference falls to an average of 1.7% higher in Dublin (as compared to 0.4% in November 2006 and 0.3% in May 2006).
Lower variation in prices in Dublin
Typically in Dublin there were smaller differences between the average of the 5 lowest quotes and the 5 highest quotes for the items priced. On average, the highest 5 quotes were 73.1% higher than the corresponding lowest 5 quotes, whereas outside Dublin the difference was, on average, 132.8%.
See Price Tables here.
