How much is air conditioning in Ireland?

€300–€700 for a portable unit, €3,000–€5,000 installed for a single-room split system, or €5,000–€8,000 for a multi-room system.

How much does it cost to install air conditioning in Ireland?

€1,200–€2,500 on top of the units for a single split system. That is about a day's work by an F-Gas registered engineer. A multi-room system costs more for each extra indoor unit.

How much does air conditioning cost to run?

€0.30–€0.45 an hour for a split system while cooling. Cooling a bedroom for 8 hours overnight costs €2–€3.50, and a full Irish summer of heavy use typically adds €60–€100 to bills.

Are portable air conditioners any good?

They are enough to make one bedroom liveable in a heatwave, and at €300–€700 they are the cheap option. But they are noisy at 50 to 65 dB in the room, and the window hose leaks heat back in.

Does air conditioning cost less to run with solar panels?

Yes. Cooling demand peaks on hot, clear afternoons, which is when solar panels produce the most. A typical rooftop system generates 3 to 4 kW at the moment a split system needs about 1 kW.

Air conditioning cost in Ireland

Air conditioning costs €3,000–€5,000 installed in Ireland for a wall-mounted split system that cools one large room. A multi-room system costs €5,000–€8,000, and a portable unit you plug in yourself costs €300–€700.

Prices last reviewed October 2026

Air conditioning prices

Type	Price	Cools	Also heats?
Portable air conditioner	€300–€700, no installation	One room, poorly	Rarely
Wall-mounted split system, single room	€3,000–€5,000 installed	One large room or open-plan area	Yes
Multi-split system, 3 to 5 rooms	€5,000–€8,000 installed	Several rooms from one outdoor unit	Yes

Air conditioning installation cost

A single-room split system splits into €1,200–€2,500 for the indoor and outdoor units and €1,200–€2,500 for installation. The work takes a day.

Refrigerant work must be done by an F-Gas registered engineer. That is the main reason installed air conditioning costs what it does. These push the price up:

An indoor unit on an internal wall, which needs a longer pipe run
Three or more indoor units on one system
An apartment or protected building, where the outdoor unit may need approval

Should you buy a portable or an installed air conditioner?

	Portable unit	Installed split system
Upfront cost	€300–€700	€3,000–€5,000
Cooling	Weak, as the hose leaks heat back in	Holds the room at a set temperature
Noise	50 to 65 dB, in the room	19 to 30 dB indoors
Efficiency	Low, EER about 2.6	High, SEER 6 to 8.5
Winter heating	No	Yes
Grant	None	Up to €9,500 in the right setup

If you need one bedroom liveable for a few weeks a year, a portable unit is enough. If you want the house comfortable, or you are also thinking about heating costs, the split system is the better spend.

Air conditioning running costs

A single-room split system draws 0.8 to 1 kW while cooling, which costs €0.30–€0.45 an hour at typical Irish electricity rates.

Per hour: €0.30–€0.45
A bedroom for 8 hours overnight: €2–€3.50
A summer of heavy use: rarely more than €60–€100

A portable unit costs slightly more per hour for far less cooling. With solar panels, summer cooling is close to free, because the panels produce most on the afternoons the system works hardest.

Is there a grant for air conditioning?

There is no grant for cooling. But an installed split system is an air to air heat pump, and SEAI pays up to €9,500 when one replaces your main fossil fuel or electric storage heating. See the air to air heat pump grant.