Cost of Living Comparison Between Athlone and Galway Cost of Living Comparison Between Athlone and Galway

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,095 in Athlone versus $3,128 in Galway.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,141 in Athlone versus $4,347 in Galway.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,188 in Athlone versus $5,566 in Galway.

Living in Athlone costs roughly 1% less than in Galway, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Athlone 131% above, Galway 133% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.87 €17.09

$18.34 €15.77

8.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$95.3 €82.0

$94.4 €81.2

0.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.58 €9.10

$10.39 €8.94

1.83%

Cappuccino

$4.68 €4.03

$4.25 €3.65

10.12%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 €2.15

$2.42 €2.08

3.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.16 €1.86

$1.62 €1.40

33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.13 €6.13

$6.73 €5.79

5.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.68 €5.74

$6.35 €5.46

5.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 €1.13

$1.50 €1.29

-12.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 €1.12

$2.58 €2.22

-49.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 €1.50

$2.15 €1.85

-19.07%

Eggs

$3.94 €3.39

$3.93 €3.38

0.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.18 €9.61

$12.59 €10.83

-11.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.96 €10.29

$10.62 €9.13

12.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.38 €10.65

$12.09 €10.40

2.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.76 €2.37

$2.91 €2.50

-5.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 €1.30

$2.09 €1.79

-27.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$2.86 €2.46

-13.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.80 €2.41

$3.49 €3.00

-19.77%

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 €2.27

$1.43 €1.23

83.92%

Onion (1kg)

$2.14 €1.84

$1.47 €1.26

45.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.63 €1.40

$1.40 €1.20

16.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 €1.67

$1.58 €1.36

22.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.79 €17.88

$19.77 €17.01

5.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.75 €10.11

$14.39 €12.38

-18.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.53 €3.04

$4.99 €4.30

-29.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 €3.15

$5.06 €4.35

-27.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.82 €1.56

$2.22 €1.91

-18.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$99.4 €85.5

$68.9 €59.3

44.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.12 €4.41

$5.03 €4.32

1.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.65 €2.28

$1.33 €1.15

99.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.41 €25.30

$43.73 €37.61

-32.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.03 €1.75

$2.09 €1.80

-2.87%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$41.7K €35.9K

$42.2K €36.3K

-0.98%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$40.1K €34.5K

$39.1K €33.7K

2.42%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$246 €211

$285 €245

-13.62%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$22.09 €19.00

$21.92 €18.85

0.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.49 €40.85

$55.5 €47.74

-14.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.6 €51.3

$57.2 €49.16

4.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.11 €14.72

$8.68 €7.47

97.12%

Cinema Ticket

$14.11 €12.14

$13.80 €11.87

2.25%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,351 €1,162

$1,066 €917

26.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,303 €6,282

$7,946 €6,835

-8.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €89.6

$91.2 €78.4

14.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.49 €35.69

$40.06 €34.46

3.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.5 €77.0

$100 €86.4

-10.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.8 €66.9

$107 €91.8

-27.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,468 €1,263

$2,005 €1,725

-26.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,793 €1,542

$1,724 €1,483

3.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,483 €2,136

$3,380 €2,907

-26.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,183 €1,878

$2,517 €2,165

-13.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,525 €3,032

$6,193 €5,327

-43.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,525 €3,032

$4,705 €4,047

-25.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,848 €3,310

$3,228 €2,777

19.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.6

4.8

-4.17%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Athlone: June 1, 2026

Last update for Galway: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,468 in Athlone and $2,005 in Galway. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Athlone pays 19% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $95.0 in Athlone vs $94.0 in Galway. Groceries flip the comparison at $317 vs $344, with Athlone cheaper for home cooking.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Athlone vs Galway: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Athlone wins on cost – living expenses run 1% lower than in Galway. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Athlone the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Athlone pays 19% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,468 in Athlone versus $2,005 in Galway. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,351 in Athlone versus $1,066 in Galway. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Galway. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Athlone is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both work as nomad bases, but Athlone delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $3,095 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Athlone hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Athlone and Galway are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Athlone gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Galway. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.