Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Balbriggan and Galway

For one person, living is cheaper in Balbriggan: $2,676 a month against $3,184 in Galway, rent and utilities included – about $6,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Galway outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

128

Cost of Living Index in Balbriggan
Learn more

Balbriggan Living Index
153

Cost of Living Index in Galway
Learn more

Galway Living Index

Jump to prices

Balbriggan

🇮🇪 Ireland

$2,676

/mo nomad

Galway

🇮🇪 Ireland

$3,184

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Balbriggan and in Galway

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Balbriggan and in Galway actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,676 in Balbriggan versus $3,184 in Galway.

Balbriggan $2,676
Galway $3,184

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,956 in Balbriggan versus $4,539 in Galway.

Balbriggan $3,956
Galway $4,539

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,236 in Balbriggan versus $5,895 in Galway.

Balbriggan $5,236
Galway $5,895

Living in Balbriggan costs roughly 16% less than in Galway, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Balbriggan 97% above, Galway 134% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.68 €20.31

$22.73 €20.36

-0.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.7 €88.4

$110 €98.9

-10.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.53 €12.12

$16.46 €14.74

-17.80%

Cappuccino

$5.01 €4.48

$4.94 €4.42

1.42%

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

$2.97 €2.66

$2.92 €2.61

1.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 €2.01

$2.31 €2.07

-2.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.60 €6.80

$7.89 €7.07

-3.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.95 €7.12

$6.63 €5.94

19.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 €1.50

$1.59 €1.42

5.66%

White Bread (500g)

$2.28 €2.05

$2.34 €2.10

-2.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.06 €1.85

$2.26 €2.02

-8.85%

Eggs

$3.16 €2.83

$4.31 €3.86

-26.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.05 €9.00

$16.38 €14.67

-38.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.89 €11.55

$10.93 €9.79

17.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.23 €14.54

$13.39 €11.99

21.21%

Apples (1kg)

$2.76 €2.47

$3.06 €2.74

-9.80%

Banana (1kg)

$2.28 €2.05

$2.17 €1.95

5.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.72 €2.44

$3.10 €2.78

-12.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.09 €4.56

$4.05 €3.63

25.68%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 €1.71

$2.06 €1.85

-7.28%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 €1.38

$1.47 €1.32

4.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.37 €1.22

$1.31 €1.17

4.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 €1.88

$1.82 €1.63

14.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$21.36 €19.13

$20.40 €18.27

4.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.37 €11.98

$14.02 €12.55

-4.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 €2.51

$3.91 €3.50

-28.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 €2.21

$4.46 €4.00

-44.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 €2.21

$2.07 €1.85

19.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$133 €119

$66.4 €59.5

100.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.03 €4.51

$5.27 €4.72

-4.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 €1.38

$1.42 €1.27

8.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$37.74 €33.80

$55.3 €49.56

-31.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.86

$2.15 €1.92

-3.26%

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

$39.4K €35.3K

$38.0K €34.1K

3.59%

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

$38.1K €34.1K

$38.4K €34.4K

-0.94%

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

$171 €153

$245 €220

-30.43%

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

$16.82 €15.06

$21.31 €19.08

-21.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.91 €40.22

$51.4 €45.99

-12.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.3 €47.69

$45.26 €40.53

17.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.38 €20.04

Cinema Ticket

$13.27 €11.88

$13.15 €11.78

0.91%

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

$1,259 €1,128

$990 €887

27.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,150 €4,612

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$109 €98.0

$100 €89.9

9.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.97 €25.05

$47.73 €42.75

-41.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$61.4 €55.0

$109 €97.4

-43.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 €118

$116 €104

13.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,553 €1,391

$2,324 €2,082

-33.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,349 €1,208

$1,812 €1,623

-25.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,533 €2,268

$3,534 €3,165

-28.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,159 €1,934

$2,733 €2,448

-20.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,352 €3,898

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,612 €3,235

$3,324 €2,977

8.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,292 €2,052

$2,933 €2,627

-21.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

3.68

3.53%

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

Last update for Balbriggan: October 26, 2026

Last update for Galway: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Balbriggan

$1.3K 50.4%

Galway

$1.8K 56.9% 34.3% $463

Eating Out

Balbriggan

$357 13.3%

Galway

$364 11.4% 2% $7.2

Groceries & Markets

Balbriggan

$353 13.2%

Galway

$363 11.4% 3% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Balbriggan

$232 8.7%

Galway

$318 10% 36.8% $86

Getting Around

Balbriggan

$156 5.8%

Galway

$87 2.7% 44.2% $69

Clothing & Footwear

Balbriggan

$149 5.6%

Galway

$168 5.3% 12.7% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Balbriggan

$80 3%

Galway

$72 2.3% 10.3% $8.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,553 in Balbriggan and $2,324 in Galway. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Galway pays 28% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $99 in Balbriggan vs $110 in Galway for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $353 vs $363 per month, with Balbriggan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇪 Balbriggan

🇮🇪 Galway

🕒 Local time

23:55 11:55 PM

Same time as Balbriggan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,322

75,529

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Balbriggan Galway 190 km

From you

Balbriggan
Galway

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Balbriggan vs Galway: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,676 in Balbriggan and $3,184 in Galway, so Balbriggan is about 16% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 22% lower in Balbriggan. 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: $1,553 in Balbriggan versus $2,324 in Galway. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 3% higher in Galway. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Balbriggan – a meal for two runs $99 versus $110 in Galway. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,676 in Balbriggan versus $3,184 in Galway, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Balbriggan but tight or insufficient in Galway. The gap between the two cities makes Balbriggan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

It comes down to priorities – Balbriggan wins on affordability, Galway on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.