Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ballina, Ireland and Galway

For one person, living is cheaper in Ballina: $2,190 a month against $3,184 in Galway, rent and utilities included – about $11,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

106

Cost of Living Index in Ballina
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Ballina Living Index
153

Cost of Living Index in Galway
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Galway Living Index

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Ballina

🇮🇪 Ireland

$2,190

/mo nomad

Galway

🇮🇪 Ireland

$3,184

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ballina 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 Ballina and in Galway actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,190 per month in Ballina vs $3,184 in Galway, rent included.

Ballina $2,190
Galway $3,184

A couple spends around $3,230 per month in Ballina vs $4,539 in Galway, rent included.

Ballina $3,230
Galway $4,539

A family of three spends $4,270 per month in Ballina vs $5,895 in Galway, rent included.

Ballina $4,270
Galway $5,895

Ballina is about 31% cheaper than Galway, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Ballina and Galway sit above the global median – Ballina by 61%, Galway by 134%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.94 €15.17

$22.73 €20.36

-25.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.3 €61.2

$110 €98.9

-38.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.28 €11.00

$16.46 €14.74

-25.39%

Cappuccino

$3.93 €3.52

$4.94 €4.42

-20.45%

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

$1.52 €1.36

$2.92 €2.61

-47.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.32 €1.18

$2.31 €2.07

-42.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.73 €5.13

$7.89 €7.07

-27.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.73 €6.92

$6.63 €5.94

16.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 €1.51

$1.59 €1.42

5.66%

White Bread (500g)

$2.18 €1.95

$2.34 €2.10

-6.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.77

$2.26 €2.02

-12.39%

Eggs

$3.00 €2.69

$4.31 €3.86

-30.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.86 €8.83

$16.38 €14.67

-39.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.55 €11.24

$10.93 €9.79

14.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 €14.53

$13.39 €11.99

21.14%

Apples (1kg)

$2.84 €2.54

$3.06 €2.74

-7.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 €1.39

$2.17 €1.95

-28.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.67 €2.39

$3.10 €2.78

-13.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.10 €4.57

$4.05 €3.63

25.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.89 €1.69

$2.06 €1.85

-8.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 €1.31

$1.47 €1.32

-0.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.31 €1.18

$1.31 €1.17

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 €1.87

$1.82 €1.63

14.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$21.13 €18.92

$20.40 €18.27

3.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.14 €9.08

$14.02 €12.55

-27.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.34 €2.99

$3.91 €3.50

-14.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.08

$4.46 €4.00

-22.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.51 €4.93

$2.07 €1.85

166.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$136 €121

$66.4 €59.5

104.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.27 €4.72

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 €1.38

$1.42 €1.27

8.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$37.64 €33.71

$55.3 €49.56

-31.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.98 €1.77

$2.15 €1.92

-7.91%

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

$34.8K €31.2K

$38.0K €34.1K

-8.48%

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

$38.2K €34.2K

$38.4K €34.4K

-0.58%

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

$268 €240

$245 €220

9.02%

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

$17.96 €16.09

$21.31 €19.08

-15.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.42 €34.41

$51.4 €45.99

-25.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 €46.62

$45.26 €40.53

15.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.22 €10.05

$22.38 €20.04

-49.87%

Cinema Ticket

$12.49 €11.18

$13.15 €11.78

-5.02%

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

$1,246 €1,116

$990 €887

25.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.2K €12.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$108 €96.4

$100 €89.9

7.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.6 €45.28

$47.73 €42.75

5.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 €101

$109 €97.4

3.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 €101

$116 €104

-3.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$893 €800

$2,324 €2,082

-61.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$829 €743

$1,812 €1,623

-54.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,329 €1,191

$3,534 €3,165

-62.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,349 €1,209

$2,733 €2,448

-50.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,347 €2,998

$4,352 €3,898

-23.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,780 €2,490

$3,324 €2,977

-16.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,243 €2,904

$2,933 €2,627

10.55%

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 Ballina: October 27, 2026

Last update for Galway: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ballina

$829 37.9%

Galway

$1.8K 56.9% 119% $983

Groceries & Markets

Ballina

$342 15.6%

Galway

$363 11.4% 6.2% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ballina

$324 14.8%

Galway

$318 10% 1.8% $5.8

Eating Out

Ballina

$275 12.6%

Galway

$364 11.4% 32.4% $89

Clothing & Footwear

Ballina

$173 7.9%

Galway

$168 5.3% 2.7% $4.7

Getting Around

Ballina

$171 7.8%

Galway

$87 2.7% 49% $84

Sport & Entertainment

Ballina

$77 3.5%

Galway

$72 2.3% 7.1% $5.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $893 in Ballina versus $2,324 in Galway. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 11% higher in Ballina, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68 in Ballina versus $110 in Galway. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $342 vs $363 – making Ballina the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇪 Ballina

🇮🇪 Galway

🕒 Local time

13:03 1:03 PM

Same time as Ballina

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

10,556

75,529

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Ballina Galway 94 km

From you

Ballina
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

Ballina vs Galway: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Galway costs about 45% more than Ballina, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,285 per month in Ballina and $4,775 in Galway. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ballina, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $893 there versus $2,324 in Galway.

Public transport costs about 51% less in Galway. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,246 per month in Ballina and $990 in Galway. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,190 in Ballina and $3,184 in Galway. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Galway has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,190 in Ballina to $3,184 in Galway. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.