LIVING costs are rising in the Republic with the likes of car insurance soaring more than 30 per cent over the past year, latest official figures reveal.
Home insurance premiums rose 7 per cent and payments for health insurance plans jumped 2 per cent over the 12 months.
At the same time, people renting homes have been forced to endure an average 8 per cent hike while education costs - most notably for third level - have also increased.
Overall the cost of living has risen by 0.1 per cent in the last year.
Huge increases in some goods and services were offset by lower diesel and petrol prices at the pumps as well as the dropping cost of buying a car.
Over the year, clothing was also cheaper - as a result of sales - while the price of food staples such as meat, milk, cheese, eggs, bread and cereals also dropped slightly.
However, the price of vegetables has gone up with potatoes jumping 10 per cent at the checkouts over the past year.
The figures were released by the Central Statistics Office as part of its consumer price index.
