Cost of Living Comparison Between Birmingham and Galway Cost of Living Comparison Between Birmingham and Galway

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,455 per month in Birmingham vs $3,072 in Galway, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,490 per month in Birmingham vs $4,312 in Galway, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,526 per month in Birmingham vs $5,551 in Galway, rent included.

Birmingham is about 20% cheaper than Galway, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Birmingham and Galway sit above the global median – Birmingham by 84%, Galway by 130%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.55 £15.31

$18.74 €16.14

9.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.1 £61.9

$95.8 €82.5

-13.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.78 £7.28

$10.30 €8.87

-5.05%

Cappuccino

$4.65 £3.46

$4.32 €3.72

7.64%

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

$2.44 £1.82

$2.44 €2.11

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 £1.29

$1.62 €1.40

6.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.98 £5.20

$6.75 €5.81

3.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.03 £4.49

$6.45 €5.55

-6.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 £1.28

$1.47 €1.26

17.01%

White Bread (500g)

$1.65 £1.23

$2.55 €2.20

-35.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.64 £1.96

$2.12 €1.83

24.53%

Eggs

$3.74 £2.78

$3.90 €3.36

-4.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.25 £7.64

$12.69 €10.93

-19.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.99 £5.95

$10.40 €8.96

-23.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.27 £10.63

$11.79 €10.16

21.03%

Apples (1kg)

$2.58 £1.92

$2.93 €2.52

-11.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.87 £1.39

$2.02 €1.74

-7.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.05 £1.53

$2.72 €2.34

-24.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.74 £2.04

$3.52 €3.03

-22.16%

Potato (1kg)

$1.66 £1.24

$1.43 €1.23

16.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 £1.05

$1.48 €1.28

-4.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 £1.08

$1.43 €1.23

2.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 £0.97

$1.60 €1.37

-18.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.06 £14.19

$19.79 €17.05

-3.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.90 £8.86

$14.65 €12.61

-18.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.42 £2.55

$4.92 €4.24

-30.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.08 £3.04

$5.03 €4.33

-18.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.38 £2.52

$2.29 €1.97

47.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$83.2 £61.9

$68.6 €59.1

21.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.99 £5.21

$4.89 €4.21

42.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 £1.02

$1.34 €1.15

2.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.83 £17.00

$43.85 €37.76

-47.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.92 £1.43

$2.08 €1.79

-7.69%

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

$38.3K £28.5K

$41.9K €36.1K

-8.70%

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

$39.1K £29.1K

$38.7K €33.3K

1.06%

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

$300 £224

$283 €244

6.06%

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

$23.60 £17.58

$21.92 €18.88

7.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.19 £29.19

$55.0 €47.37

-28.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.27 £24.03

$56.5 €48.63

-42.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.16 £7.57

$8.30 €7.15

22.41%

Cinema Ticket

$18.04 £13.44

$14.09 €12.13

28.03%

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

$1,606 £1,196

$1,062 €914

51.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.9K £14.1K

$8,231 €7,088

129.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.0 £73.7

$90.7 €78.1

9.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.89 £36.42

$39.12 €33.68

24.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 £88.7

$100 €86.5

18.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 £105

$108 €92.8

30.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,343 £1,000

$2,052 €1,767

-34.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,096 £817

$1,735 €1,494

-36.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,333 £1,738

$3,286 €2,829

-28.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,618 £1,205

$2,586 €2,227

-37.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,491 £4,090

$6,330 €5,451

-13.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,249 £3,165

$4,675 €4,026

-9.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,975 £2,961

$3,262 €2,809

21.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.76

4.8

20.00%

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

Last update for Birmingham: June 13, 2026

Last update for Galway: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,343 in Birmingham versus $2,052 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 22% higher in Birmingham, 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 $83.0 in Birmingham versus $96.0 in Galway. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $341 – making Birmingham the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Birmingham vs Galway: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,455 in Birmingham, $3,072 in Galway – roughly 25% apart. Galway costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,682 per month in Birmingham and $4,609 in Galway. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Birmingham, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $1,606 per month in Birmingham and $1,062 in Galway. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 15% more in Galway, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Birmingham, where all-in costs run around $2,455, than in Galway at $3,072. In Birmingham it covers expenses comfortably, while in Galway it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Galway has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,455 in Birmingham to $3,072 in Galway. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Birmingham. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Galway makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.