Cost of Living Comparison Between Cork and Galway Cost of Living Comparison Between Cork and Galway

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,952 in Cork versus $3,128 in Galway.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,344 in Cork versus $4,347 in Galway.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,735 in Cork versus $5,566 in Galway.

Living in Cork costs roughly 6% less than in Galway, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cork 120% above, Galway 133% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.14 €18.18

$18.34 €15.77

15.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$97.4 €83.8

$94.4 €81.2

3.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.60 €9.98

$10.39 €8.94

11.65%

Cappuccino

$4.64 €3.99

$4.25 €3.65

9.18%

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

$2.89 €2.49

$2.42 €2.08

19.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.16 €1.85

$1.62 €1.40

33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.04 €6.06

$6.73 €5.79

4.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.05 €6.06

$6.35 €5.46

11.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 €1.36

$1.50 €1.29

5.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.83

$2.58 €2.22

-17.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 €1.88

$2.15 €1.85

1.40%

Eggs

$4.20 €3.61

$3.93 €3.38

6.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.75 €10.11

$12.59 €10.83

-6.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.64 €10.88

$10.62 €9.13

19.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.95 €12.86

$12.09 €10.40

23.66%

Apples (1kg)

$3.42 €2.94

$2.91 €2.50

17.53%

Banana (1kg)

$3.17 €2.73

$2.09 €1.79

51.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.70 €3.18

$2.86 €2.46

29.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.71 €4.91

$3.49 €3.00

63.61%

Potato (1kg)

$2.80 €2.40

$1.43 €1.23

95.80%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$1.47 €1.26

43.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.40 €1.20

21.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.03 €1.75

$1.58 €1.36

28.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.44 €17.59

$19.77 €17.01

3.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.90 €11.96

$14.39 €12.38

-3.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.72 €3.20

$4.99 €4.30

-25.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.77 €3.24

$5.06 €4.35

-25.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.05

$2.22 €1.91

7.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$101 €86.9

$68.9 €59.3

46.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.20 €4.47

$5.03 €4.32

3.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.68 €2.31

$1.33 €1.15

101.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.71 €30.72

$43.73 €37.61

-18.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 €1.71

$2.09 €1.80

-4.78%

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

$43.2K €37.2K

$42.2K €36.3K

2.48%

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

$39.5K €34.0K

$39.1K €33.7K

0.91%

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

$248 €213

$285 €245

-12.84%

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

$21.89 €18.83

$21.92 €18.85

-0.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.84 €42.87

$55.5 €47.74

-10.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.9 €55.9

$57.2 €49.16

13.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.23 €29.44

$8.68 €7.47

294.35%

Cinema Ticket

$13.70 €11.78

$13.80 €11.87

-0.72%

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

$1,363 €1,172

$1,066 €917

27.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,303 €6,282

$7,946 €6,835

-8.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €89.1

$91.2 €78.4

13.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.42 €42.51

$40.06 €34.46

23.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €86.6

$100 €86.4

0.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 €100

$107 €91.8

9.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,837 €1,580

$2,005 €1,725

-8.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,500 €1,291

$1,724 €1,483

-12.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,203 €2,755

$3,380 €2,907

-5.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,575 €2,215

$2,517 €2,165

2.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,879 €4,197

$6,193 €5,327

-21.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,253 €2,798

$4,705 €4,047

-30.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,354 €3,745

$3,228 €2,777

34.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.6

4.8

-4.17%

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

Last update for Cork: June 2, 2026

Last update for Galway: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,837 in Cork and $2,005 in Galway. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cork pays 35% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $97.0 in Cork vs $94.0 in Galway for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $383 vs $344 per month, with Galway cheaper across the board.

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

Cork vs Galway: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cork and Galway differ by about 6% in total monthly costs ($2,952 vs $3,128 including rent). Cork is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Cork pays 35% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,837 in Cork versus $2,005 in Galway. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Galway pay roughly 11% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Cork – a meal for two runs $97.0 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. Cork 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, Cork 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 Cork gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Galway. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.