I have been chosen for a fully funded 4-years PhD at trinity College, Dublin. I am very happy to be the selected candidate, however I have some major concerns. The first one being the cost of living. I have already lived in shared apartments for the past 5/6 years and I would like to have at least the possibility to choose between a shared and a studio apartment at this point in my life, but I am afraid that, with a 19k annual salary, I will barely afford a shared room in Dublin. Anyone has any knowledge about the cost of living in Dublin as a PhD student?
Another concern is the 4 years duration instead of the "classic" 3 years project, which doesn't sound as a big difference, but I am from Italy and I am a little preoccupied about the distance and the "jump in the dark" (e.g., do i like the city? Can i live there for 4 years? Etc.) of such long commitment, which would not be a big concern for a shorter abroad experience as the ones I already had (6months, 2+ years).
At the same time, I am 28 years old with a master degree in evolutionary biology and 2+ years of research experience, and I wonder how long it will take me to get another successful PhD application.
Any insight or honest advice is very welcome, thank you.