IRELAND IS the fourth dearest place in the world to live and shop, according to an international price comparison survey.
Although prices are falling for many goods, they are not falling as fast as in many other countries, the survey by cost comparison website PriceRunner.co.uk shows.
Ireland was the most expensive of the 23 countries surveyed for condoms and ranked in the top five for other products such as vodka, bus tickets, Coca Cola, takeaway coffee and a Nintendo Wii. Prices for some consumer electronics in Dublin are more than twice those in the US.
Last year's survey ranked Ireland in sixth position, but this year only Norway, Denmark and France were more expensive.
China, followed by Hungary, were the cheapest countries for a basket of basic foods, consumer goods and entertainment goods. The UK ranked seventh in the survey.
"While Ireland's individual prices have decreased, overall it has become more expensive than in 2007," said Peter Carlsson, general manager, PriceRunner.
"With the recently announced increase in VAT to 21.5 per cent on certain goods, the Irish are being squeezed further, Ireland looks set to stay an expensive place to live and shop."
He said that the survey showed Ireland was now the most expensive place in the world to buy condoms, with a packet of 12 Durex costing €11.04 in Dublin, compared to €7.93 in the UK. The same packet costs just €4.12 in Shanghai.
A pack of new baby nappies dropped €2 in price to €7.79 from last year, but the same product costs just €6.22 in the UK.
A Big Mac, used by many economists as an international barometer of prices, costs €3.30 in Ireland, according to the survey. The same product costs just €1.22 in a McDonald's in Shanghai and €3.78 in Norway.
A bottle of Absolut vodka costs €20.46 in Ireland, compared to €28.06 in Norway and just €6.17 in China. Meanwhile, a trip to the movies checks in at €8.22, down from €9.50 last year. By contrast, a cinema ticket in Lithuania costs just €3.63.
The price of cigarettes is also on a downward trend, but taxes and excise mean a pack of 20 Marlboro Lights varies in price from €7.48 in Norway to €6.72 in Ireland and just €0.98 in China.
The US emerges as the place to go for value on consumer electronics. A Nintendo Wii costs €166.71 in New York, €450.66 in Dublin and €458.41 in the dearest country, Lithuania. New York was also cheapest for an iPod - €199.20 versus €247 in Dublin.
San Francisco offered the best value for a MacBook Air, at €1,111.17 against €1,497.89 in Ireland.