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: $3,109 in Athlone versus $3,012 in Galway.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,096 in Athlone versus $4,270 in Galway.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,083 in Athlone versus $5,527 in Galway.

Living in Athlone is roughly 3% more expensive than in Galway, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Athlone 133% above, Galway 125% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.47 €17.89

$18.43 €16.10

11.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$94.8 €82.8

$95.6 €83.6

-0.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.33 €9.02

$10.29 €8.99

0.39%

Cappuccino

$4.76 €4.16

$4.17 €3.65

14.15%

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

$2.51 €2.19

$2.31 €2.02

8.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 €1.91

$1.61 €1.41

36.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.99 €6.11

$6.96 €6.08

0.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.64 €5.80

$6.49 €5.67

2.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.15

$1.50 €1.31

-12.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 €1.20

$2.55 €2.23

-46.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.82 €1.59

$2.20 €1.92

-17.27%

Eggs

$3.92 €3.42

$4.00 €3.49

-2.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.45 €10.00

$12.49 €10.91

-8.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.61 €10.14

$10.50 €9.17

10.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.41 €10.84

$12.15 €10.61

2.14%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 €2.40

$3.02 €2.64

-8.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 €1.33

$2.00 €1.75

-24.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.48 €2.17

$2.83 €2.47

-12.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.69 €2.35

$3.40 €2.97

-20.88%

Potato (1kg)

$2.70 €2.36

$1.44 €1.26

87.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.05 €1.79

$1.43 €1.25

43.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.69 €1.48

$1.38 €1.21

22.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.97 €1.72

$1.67 €1.46

17.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.00 €17.48

$19.25 €16.82

3.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.42 €9.98

$14.02 €12.25

-18.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.48 €3.04

$4.76 €4.16

-26.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.82 €3.34

$4.99 €4.36

-23.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.89 €1.65

$2.32 €2.03

-18.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$97.3 €85.0

$69.5 €60.7

40.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 €4.68

$5.05 €4.41

6.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.79 €2.43

$1.38 €1.21

102.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.41 €25.69

$42.64 €37.25

-31.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.07 €1.81

$2.00 €1.74

3.50%

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

$43.3K €37.8K

$41.6K €36.3K

4.06%

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

$39.3K €34.3K

$39.0K €34.1K

0.84%

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

$245 €214

$280 €245

-12.41%

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

$21.81 €19.05

$21.89 €19.13

-0.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.33 €41.36

$54.9 €47.97

-13.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.4 €52.8

$56.3 €49.22

7.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.51 €15.30

$8.62 €7.53

103.13%

Cinema Ticket

$13.96 €12.20

$13.77 €12.03

1.38%

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

$1,345 €1,175

$1,074 €938

25.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,253 €6,337

$8,143 €7,115

-10.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €90.6

$88.9 €77.6

16.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.85 €37.44

$40.24 €35.16

6.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.8 €78.5

$103 €89.9

-12.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.7 €68.8

$108 €94.6

-27.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,477 €1,290

$1,977 €1,727

-25.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,783 €1,558

$1,781 €1,556

0.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,478 €2,165

$3,265 €2,852

-24.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,189 €1,913

$2,522 €2,204

-13.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,460 €3,023

$6,224 €5,438

-44.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,418 €2,986

$4,731 €4,134

-27.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,974 €2,598

$3,060 €2,673

-2.80%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Galway: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,477 in Athlone and $1,977 in Galway. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Galway pays 3% 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 $96.0 in Galway for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $316 vs $342 per month, with Athlone cheaper across the board.

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

Galway wins on cost – living expenses run 3% lower than in Athlone. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Galway the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 3% lower in Galway. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,477 in Athlone versus $1,977 in Galway. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,345 in Athlone versus $1,074 in Galway. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Athlone pay roughly 8% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $3,012 in Galway versus $3,109 in Athlone, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Galway but tight or insufficient in Athlone. The gap between the two cities makes Galway the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Galway delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $3,012 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Galway 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 Galway gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Athlone. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.