
The latest CSO report on residential property prices shows housing costs over 7% more since last year.
The midlands saw the biggest overall rise in the cost of buying a property outside of Dublin, in the latest Residential Property Price Index report.
House prices in the region jumped 7.7% year on year, according to the CSO's data in the 12 months to December.
The most expensive county in the region to buy a home in is Laois at €252,600, followed by Westmeath at €246,500 and in Offaly the median house price comes in at €235,000.
The average price of a house in the last year was €327,500 nationally.
Overall there was a 4.4% rise in prices nationally.
Ian Lawlor from Lotus Investment Group says this is not surprising: