Cost of Living Comparison Between Cavan and Galway Cost of Living Comparison Between Cavan and Galway

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,474 in Cavan versus $3,025 in Galway.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,786 in Cavan versus $4,255 in Galway.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,099 in Cavan versus $5,485 in Galway.

Living in Cavan costs roughly 18% less than in Galway, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cavan 85% above, Galway 126% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.32 €14.79

$18.83 €16.08

-8.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.1 €77.8

$94.4 €80.6

-3.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$17.02 €14.53

$10.50 €8.96

62.10%

Cappuccino

$3.06 €2.61

$4.38 €3.74

-30.14%

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

$3.57 €3.05

$2.40 €2.05

48.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 €1.78

$1.62 €1.39

29.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.11 €5.22

$6.87 €5.87

-11.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.76 €5.78

$6.55 €5.59

3.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 €1.11

$1.52 €1.30

-14.47%

White Bread (500g)

$2.39 €2.04

$2.52 €2.15

-5.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 €1.65

$2.14 €1.83

-9.81%

Eggs

$5.47 €4.67

$4.07 €3.48

34.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.93 €6.77

$12.77 €10.90

-37.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.01 €13.67

$10.37 €8.86

54.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.13 €10.36

$11.80 €10.08

2.80%

Apples (1kg)

$5.73 €4.89

$3.01 €2.57

90.37%

Banana (1kg)

$2.90 €2.48

$2.08 €1.77

39.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.78 €5.79

$2.80 €2.39

142.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.12 €4.37

$3.40 €2.91

50.59%

Potato (1kg)

$2.93 €2.50

$1.45 €1.23

102.07%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 €0.96

$1.41 €1.20

-19.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.29 €1.10

$1.45 €1.24

-11.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 €0.97

$1.67 €1.43

-32.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.56 €15.85

$19.49 €16.64

-4.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.85 €11.83

$14.60 €12.47

-5.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.51 €3.85

$4.79 €4.09

-5.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.62 €4.80

$5.09 €4.35

10.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.45 €2.09

$2.28 €1.95

7.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$318 €271

$68.9 €58.9

361.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 €4.93

$4.97 €4.25

16.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.85 €1.58

$1.38 €1.18

34.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.68 €9.98

$43.55 €37.19

-73.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.93 €1.65

$2.00 €1.71

-3.50%

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

$38.6K €33.0K

$42.1K €36.0K

-8.27%

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

$37.4K €31.9K

$39.7K €33.9K

-5.94%

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

$203 €174

$280 €239

-27.37%

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

$22.99 €19.63

$21.99 €18.78

4.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.04 €28.21

$54.9 €46.86

-39.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$91.2 €77.9

$56.5 €48.25

61.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.41 €30.24

$8.74 €7.46

305.15%

Cinema Ticket

$23.32 €19.91

$14.15 €12.09

64.81%

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

$1,064 €909

$1,057 €903

0.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,661 €6,543

$7,993 €6,826

-4.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.3 €78.9

$91.9 €78.5

0.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.42 €25.13

$39.82 €34.00

-26.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.8 €66.5

$101 €86.5

-23.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$34.81 €29.73

$108 €92.1

-67.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,174 €1,002

$2,024 €1,729

-42.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$913 €780

$1,719 €1,468

-46.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,153 €1,838

$3,303 €2,821

-34.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 €1,410

$2,589 €2,211

-36.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,276 €5,360

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,813 €4,111

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,142 €2,683

$3,219 €2,749

-2.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.5

4.8

-6.25%

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

Last update for Cavan: April 27, 2026

Last update for Galway: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,174 in Cavan and $2,024 in Galway. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Galway pays 2% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $91.0 in Cavan vs $94.0 in Galway. Groceries flip the comparison at $397 vs $343, with Galway cheaper for home cooking.

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

Cavan vs Galway: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cavan and Galway differ by about 22% in total monthly costs ($2,474 vs $3,025 including rent). Cavan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Galway earns 2% less. 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: $1,174 in Cavan versus $2,024 in Galway. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Galway pay roughly 16% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Cavan – a meal for two runs $91.0 versus $94.0 in Galway. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Cavan is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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.

Safety-wise, Cavan 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 Cavan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 22% less than in Galway. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.