Ireland vs Europe: The €681,500 Property Price Showdown

27 April 2026

What does Ireland’s highest median property price buy you in Europe?

According to the most recent CSO Residential Property Price Index, the 'highest median price for an Irish dwelling in the 12 months to February 2026 was €681,500 in Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown'. While homes in Ireland can attract such high sale prices, it begs the question: what can €681,500 buy you across Europe?

Well, Galway-based Estate Agents & Chartered Surveyors Long & Co. went in search of the answer.

The Residential Property Price Index is an indicator of the housing situation in Ireland at the moment, where supply is low and prices are high. The median price finding gets you thinking about the likes of property type, location and value for money in Ireland, and we began to wonder what Europe has to offer for €681,500. Safe to say our search turned up some interesting finds!”

Ronán Long, SCSI MRICS, Founder of Long & Co.

The Great European House Hunt

Assessing leading property websites across Europe, Long & Co. found the following homes those with €681,500 to spare can buy.

Ireland

There were 9,690 homes available across Ireland for €681,500, but what does the higher end of your budget get you? Well, in Coolreagh, Co. Clare, you can buy Fort Edward, a Georgian house, but if that’s not grand enough, you can buy Geashill Castle in Co. Offaly. In Ballina, Co. Mayo, you can live on the shore of Lough Conn for €675,000, but if Connemara’s Renvyle Peninsula is more to your liking, you can pick up a house for €650,000.

€681,500 will also get you one of 2,609 homes in popular locations across Dublin, from Kilmainham to Sallynoggin, Malahide to Dalkey. It’s in Killiney that you can buy a lavish apartment in a renovated stately home, while Dalkey offers cottages by the sea. If you want something more central, a Dublin City apartment will put you at the heart of the action.

England

From sprawling countryside manors to seaside retreats, England has a lot to offer. With a budget of about £592,870, Long & Co. found everything from modern, sleek apartments to stately homes in upmarket areas such as Surrey, Berkshire and Hampshire.

London, with 30,662 properties available within your price range, and a population of over nine million, boasts several high-end properties for modern city living. You can even live as a genuine ‘Eastender’ for £550,000. If you wanted a little extra breathing room, you can find terrace houses with gardens on the city’s outskirts, although the commute will be longer. All in all, London offers similar properties to Dublin.

Italy

From Milan to Lake Como and Tuscany, Italy has properties for every taste.

In capital city Rome, you can take your pick of 23,157 properties valued at up to €681,500. Apartments are common and you can get yourself a view of the River Tiber, live on the edge of the Vatican City or beside the Colosseum for a cool €595,000. Of course, with Italy, the mix of seasons, culture and history cannot be ignored.

France

Côte d'Azur villas with pools, houses in wine country and apartments in Chamonix-Mont-Blanc; France gives you every opportunity to enjoy its vast beauty.

With 5,647 properties available in Paris, €681,500 could land you an apartment at the heart of the city of love. You can choose from apartments right by the Seine or in the famed Villa Montmorency arrondissement. If the busy city, with its iconic landmarks, cafés and evolving fashion isn’t for you, you can stretch your search to its outskirts and snap up an apartment on the edge of the beautiful Bois de Vincennes Park.

Spain

Rest up in the Costa del Sol region, bask in the culture and vibrancy of Barcelona or venture to Ibiza where you can enjoy either a quiet or busy lifestyle.

You can also head for Spain’s capital Madrid which offers 9,404 homes, apartments and penthouses to choose from. For €681,500, you can plant yourself in the city centre, in Recoletos, where there are studio and larger apartments available within walking distance of El Retiro Park. For more freedom, you can pick up a home in the Fuencarral-El Pardo district and have nature at your doorstep.

Portugal

If you fancy 300+ days of sunshine, why not spend your €681,500 on an apartment or home in the Algarve? If city living is more to your style, Porto awaits.

The Lisbon region has 11,336 properties on offer. Here, you can find apartments in gated communities with pool access and homes near the city centre. As one of Europe's sunniest capitals (2,800+ annual sunshine hours), you can enjoy a city rich in culture and history.

As we can see, €681,500 opens plenty of doors across Europe,” Ronán said. “In Ireland, it can secure excellent homes in prime locations, while abroad you find sun-soaked villas in Spain, historic charm in Italy and stylish city apartments in Paris or London. It shows how lifestyle priorities can differ from country to country, whether that’s space, sunshine, culture or convenience. In the end, value means different things to different buyers, which is what makes choosing a property so interesting.”