The table below ranks the cheapest 10 counties by their average car insurance premium, with this year’s ranking (May 2026) set against last year’s (May 2025) so you can see who has moved.
|
County |
Avg. Price |
New rank (May 26) |
Rank change (vs. May 25) |
|
Kilkenny |
€584 |
1 |
1 |
|
Waterford |
€587 |
2 |
2 |
|
Wicklow |
€592 |
3 |
-2 |
|
Cork |
€596 |
4 |
-1 |
|
Mayo |
€616 |
5 |
3 |
|
Kerry |
€616 |
6 |
1 |
|
Wexford |
€620 |
7 |
-1 |
|
Leitrim |
€628 |
8 |
-3 |
|
Sligo |
€636 |
9 |
1 |
|
Galway |
€637 |
10 |
1 |
-
Kilkenny is the cheapest county in Ireland for car insurance, securing the number one spot with an average premium of €584. Waterford has also made a great move, jumping up two places to claim the number-two spot at €587.
-
On the other hand, Wicklow and Cork both slipped slightly compared to last year. Wicklow dipped two places to take rank three (averaging €592), while Cork dropped one spot to rank four (€596).
-
Mayo and Roscommon have seen the biggest improvements this year, each climbing three places to 5th and 15th respectively.
Additional price findings:
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Longford ranks as the most expensive county for car insurance, with it costing drivers €785.
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Insurance cost typically reduces for drivers by around 37% after three to five years of having a license.
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Among the most popular car models in Ireland, the Hyundai Tucson, Nissan Qashqai, and Skoda Octavia are also the most affordable to insure on average.