Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Carlow and Galway

For one person, living is cheaper in Carlow: $2,548 a month against $3,268 in Galway, rent and utilities included – about $8,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

124

Cost of Living Index in Carlow
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Carlow Living Index
160

Cost of Living Index in Galway
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Galway Living Index

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Carlow

🇮🇪 Ireland

$2,548

/mo nomad

Galway

🇮🇪 Ireland

$3,268

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,548 per month in Carlow vs $3,268 in Galway, rent included.

Carlow $2,548
Galway $3,268

A couple spends around $3,814 per month in Carlow vs $4,575 in Galway, rent included.

Carlow $3,814
Galway $4,575

A family of three spends $5,081 per month in Carlow vs $5,881 in Galway, rent included.

Carlow $5,081
Galway $5,881

Carlow is about 22% cheaper than Galway, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Carlow and Galway sit above the global median – Carlow by 88%, Galway by 141%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.01 €18.69

$22.87 €20.34

-8.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.7 €80.7

$114 €101

-20.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.10 €11.65

$16.74 €14.89

-21.74%

Cappuccino

$4.25 €3.78

$4.97 €4.42

-14.49%

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

$2.67 €2.37

$3.01 €2.68

-11.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 €1.97

$2.19 €1.95

1.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.41 €6.59

$7.74 €6.89

-4.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.54 €5.82

$6.78 €6.03

-3.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 €1.46

$1.63 €1.45

0.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.99 €1.77

$2.36 €2.10

-15.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 €1.69

$2.28 €2.03

-16.23%

Eggs

$4.35 €3.87

$4.38 €3.89

-0.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.47 €11.98

$16.87 €15.01

-20.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.81 €11.39

$10.88 €9.68

17.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.43 €12.84

$13.29 €11.82

8.58%

Apples (1kg)

$3.19 €2.84

$3.05 €2.71

4.59%

Banana (1kg)

$3.00 €2.67

$2.18 €1.94

37.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.33 €2.96

$3.03 €2.70

9.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.29 €2.92

$4.10 €3.65

-19.76%

Potato (1kg)

$2.37 €2.11

$1.98 €1.76

19.70%

Onion (1kg)

$1.76 €1.57

$1.55 €1.38

13.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.28

$1.32 €1.17

9.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.19

$1.83 €1.63

-27.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.84 €16.76

$20.25 €18.01

-6.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.53 €12.04

$13.76 €12.24

-1.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.27 €3.80

$4.13 €3.67

3.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.43 €3.05

$4.58 €4.07

-25.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 €1.11

$2.10 €1.86

-40.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.7 €54.9

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.11 €4.55

$5.39 €4.79

-5.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 €1.37

$1.44 €1.28

6.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.43 €28.85

$55.0 €48.93

-41.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 €1.86

$2.16 €1.92

-3.24%

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

$38.6K €34.4K

$38.6K €34.3K

0.07%

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

$38.1K €33.9K

$38.5K €34.3K

-1.05%

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

$243 €216

$241 €214

0.97%

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

$22.26 €19.80

$20.86 €18.56

6.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.4 €50.2

$50.7 €45.08

11.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$78.8 €70.1

$44.14 €39.26

78.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$56.1 €49.93

$22.15 €19.70

153.41%

Cinema Ticket

$13.59 €12.09

$13.32 €11.85

2.03%

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

$1,052 €936

$996 €886

5.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,449 €4,847

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.3 €84.8

$102 €90.4

-6.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.63 €37.92

$47.57 €42.32

-10.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €89.8

$113 €100

-10.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 €90.3

$117 €104

-13.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,441 €1,282

$2,293 €2,040

-37.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,261 €1,121

$1,900 €1,690

-33.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,596 €2,310

$3,654 €3,250

-28.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,152 €1,914

$2,704 €2,405

-20.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,664 €5,038

$6,129 €5,452

-7.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,675 €5,937

$4,623 €4,112

44.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,351 €2,091

$2,929 €2,605

-19.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.68

8.70%

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

Last update for Carlow: October 18, 2026

Last update for Galway: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Carlow

$1.3K 49.5%

Galway

$1.9K 58.1% 50.7% $640

Groceries & Markets

Carlow

$361 14.2%

Galway

$366 11.2% 1.5% $5.4

Eating Out

Carlow

$328 12.9%

Galway

$366 11.2% 11.5% $38

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Carlow

$322 12.6%

Galway

$312 9.6% 2.9% $9.4

Clothing & Footwear

Carlow

$153 6%

Galway

$170 5.2% 11.2% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Carlow

$106 4.2%

Galway

$71 2.2% 33.2% $35

Getting Around

Carlow

$18 * 0.7%

Galway

$83 2.5% 364% $65

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,441 in Carlow versus $2,293 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 25% higher in Galway, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $91.0 in Carlow versus $114 in Galway. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $361 vs $366 – making Carlow the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇪 Carlow

🇮🇪 Galway

🕒 Local time

11:35 11:35 AM

Same time as Carlow

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

27,351

75,529

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

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Between locations

Carlow Galway 150 km

From you

Carlow
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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

Carlow vs Galway: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Galway is pricier by about 28%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,822 per month in Carlow and $4,902 in Galway. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,548 in Carlow and $3,268 in Galway. That's a gap of about 28%.

Kindergarten costs $1,052 per month in Carlow and $996 in Galway. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Carlow, where all-in costs run around $2,548, than in Galway at $3,268. In Carlow it covers expenses comfortably, while in Galway it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Carlow – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Carlow. 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.