Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Donegal and Galway

For one person, living is cheaper in Donegal: $1,863 a month against $3,270 in Galway, rent and utilities included – about $16,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

91

Cost of Living Index in Donegal
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Donegal Living Index
160

Cost of Living Index in Galway
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Galway Living Index

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Donegal

🇮🇪 Ireland

$1,863

/mo nomad

Galway

🇮🇪 Ireland

$3,270

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,863 per month in Donegal vs $3,270 in Galway, rent included.

Donegal $1,863
Galway $3,270

A couple spends around $2,765 per month in Donegal vs $4,565 in Galway, rent included.

Donegal $2,765
Galway $4,565

A family of three spends $3,667 per month in Donegal vs $5,860 in Galway, rent included.

Donegal $3,667
Galway $5,860

Donegal is about 43% cheaper than Galway, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Donegal and Galway sit above the global median – Donegal by 38%, Galway by 142%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.68 €17.51

$22.70 €20.19

-13.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.5 €74.2

$110 €97.6

-23.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.74 €5.10

$16.68 €14.84

-65.59%

Cappuccino

$2.82 €2.51

$4.79 €4.26

-41.13%

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

$1.64 €1.46

$2.87 €2.56

-42.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.09 €0.97

$2.30 €2.05

-52.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.14 €6.35

$8.04 €7.15

-11.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.57 €5.84

$6.88 €6.12

-4.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 €1.48

$1.58 €1.40

5.06%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 €1.61

$2.37 €2.11

-23.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.79 €1.59

$2.26 €2.01

-20.80%

Eggs

$3.44 €3.06

$4.38 €3.89

-21.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.68 €6.83

$16.67 €14.83

-53.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.63 €11.23

$11.04 €9.82

14.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.21 €11.75

$13.18 €11.72

0.23%

Apples (1kg)

$2.22 €1.97

$3.05 €2.72

-27.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 €1.42

$2.23 €1.98

-28.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.32 €1.18

$2.97 €2.64

-55.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.21 €3.74

$4.17 €3.71

0.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 €1.22

$2.05 €1.82

-32.68%

Onion (1kg)

$2.71 €2.41

$1.52 €1.36

78.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.29 €1.15

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.74

$1.81 €1.61

7.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.30 €18.06

$20.14 €17.91

0.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.04 €15.15

$14.04 €12.49

21.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.02 €2.69

$3.96 €3.52

-23.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 €2.51

$4.46 €3.97

-36.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.10 €1.87

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.4 €55.5

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 €4.84

$5.07 €4.51

7.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 €1.28

$1.43 €1.27

0.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$67.3 €59.8

$56.9 €50.6

18.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.93 €1.72

$2.09 €1.86

-7.66%

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

$38.1K €33.9K

$39.1K €34.7K

-2.37%

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

$37.8K €33.6K

$36.4K €32.4K

3.81%

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

$163 €145

$246 €219

-33.86%

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

$20.94 €18.62

$20.84 €18.53

0.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.19 €39.30

$50.3 €44.71

-12.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.8 €48.73

$43.60 €38.77

25.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.58 €20.09

Cinema Ticket

$10.97 €9.76

$16.54 €14.71

-33.68%

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

$832 €740

$1,010 €898

-17.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,191 €1,949

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.4 €64.4

$99.4 €88.4

-27.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.92 €32.84

$48.19 €42.86

-23.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.1 €68.5

$111 €98.4

-30.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.3 €83.9

$114 €101

-17.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,108 €985

$2,234 €1,987

-50.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$830 €738

$1,897 €1,687

-56.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 €1,459

$3,654 €3,250

-55.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,266 €1,126

$2,698 €2,400

-53.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,679 €1,493

$5,965 €5,306

-71.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,137 €1,011

$4,623 €4,111

-75.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,191 €3,728

$2,905 €2,584

44.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.6

3.68

-2.17%

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

Last update for Donegal: October 10, 2026

Last update for Galway: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Donegal

$830 44.5%

Galway

$1.9K 58% 129% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Donegal

$321 17.3%

Galway

$365 11.2% 13.6% $44

Eating Out

Donegal

$268 14.4%

Galway

$364 11.1% 35.6% $96

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Donegal

$228 12.2%

Galway

$317 9.7% 39.2% $89

Clothing & Footwear

Donegal

$126 6.8%

Galway

$168 5.1% 32.6% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Donegal

$77 4.1%

Galway

$77 2.3% 0.1% $0.1

Getting Around

Donegal

$13 * 0.7%

Galway

$83 2.5% 556% $70

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,108 in Donegal versus $2,234 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 44% higher in Donegal, 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 Donegal versus $110 in Galway. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $321 vs $365 – making Donegal the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇪 Donegal

🇮🇪 Galway

🕒 Local time

12:23 12:23 PM

Same time as Donegal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,600

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

Donegal Galway 170 km

From you

Donegal
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

Donegal vs Galway: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Galway is pricier by about 76%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,795 per month in Donegal and $4,905 in Galway. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Donegal, 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 $1,863 in Donegal and $3,270 in Galway. That's a gap of about 76%.

Kindergarten costs $832 per month in Donegal and $1,010 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 Donegal, where all-in costs run around $1,863, than in Galway at $3,270. In Donegal it covers expenses comfortably, while in Galway it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Donegal – 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 Donegal. 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.