I haven't been back in over 10 years so if I returned either it will feel like I was there yesterday or it will be a bit of a shock. I have a feeling things are very expensive these days. Ireland is known to be expensive but if you shop around you can live cheaper than in SA. Having lived in various the mentioned countries for at least 1-4 years I have experienced way more than any normal traveler/would. I had to learn how the system worked every time.