Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dublin and Galway

For one person, living is cheaper in Galway: $3,184 a month against $3,629 in Dublin, rent and utilities included – about $5,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

175

Cost of Living Index in Dublin
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Dublin Living Index
153

Cost of Living Index in Galway
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Galway Living Index

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Dublin

🇮🇪 Ireland

$3,629

/mo nomad

Galway

🇮🇪 Ireland

$3,184

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,629 per month in Dublin vs $3,184 in Galway, rent included.

Dublin $3,629
Galway $3,184

A couple spends around $5,130 per month in Dublin vs $4,539 in Galway, rent included.

Dublin $5,130
Galway $4,539

A family of three spends $6,631 per month in Dublin vs $5,895 in Galway, rent included.

Dublin $6,631
Galway $5,895

Dublin costs about 14% more than Galway, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Dublin and Galway sit above the global median – Dublin by 167%, Galway by 134%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.23 €20.81

$22.73 €20.36

2.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$102 €91.3

$110 €98.9

-7.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.28 €11.89

$16.46 €14.74

-19.32%

Cappuccino

$4.91 €4.39

$4.94 €4.42

-0.61%

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

$2.98 €2.67

$2.92 €2.61

2.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 €1.95

$2.31 €2.07

-5.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.92 €7.10

$7.89 €7.07

0.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.76 €6.95

$6.63 €5.94

17.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 €1.46

$1.59 €1.42

2.52%

White Bread (500g)

$2.42 €2.17

$2.34 €2.10

3.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.06 €1.85

$2.26 €2.02

-8.85%

Eggs

$4.92 €4.41

$4.31 €3.86

14.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.86 €8.83

$16.38 €14.67

-39.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.50 €11.20

$10.93 €9.79

14.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.23 €14.54

$13.39 €11.99

21.21%

Apples (1kg)

$2.81 €2.52

$3.06 €2.74

-8.17%

Banana (1kg)

$2.22 €1.98

$2.17 €1.95

2.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.81 €2.52

$3.10 €2.78

-9.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.15 €4.61

$4.05 €3.63

27.16%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 €1.67

$2.06 €1.85

-9.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 €1.30

$1.47 €1.32

-0.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.32 €1.18

$1.31 €1.17

0.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.11 €1.89

$1.82 €1.63

15.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.86 €18.68

$20.40 €18.27

2.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.24 €11.86

$14.02 €12.55

-5.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.43 €3.07

$3.91 €3.50

-12.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 €3.14

$4.46 €4.00

-21.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.29 €2.05

$2.07 €1.85

10.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 €95.0

$66.4 €59.5

59.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.27 €4.72

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.49 €1.34

$1.42 €1.27

4.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$38.05 €34.08

$55.3 €49.56

-31.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.10 €1.88

$2.15 €1.92

-2.33%

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

$38.4K €34.4K

$38.0K €34.1K

1.03%

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

$37.8K €33.8K

$38.4K €34.4K

-1.74%

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

$269 €241

$245 €220

9.43%

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

$18.56 €16.62

$21.31 €19.08

-12.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 €47.58

$51.4 €45.99

3.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.8 €57.1

$45.26 €40.53

40.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.81 €18.64

$22.38 €20.04

-7.02%

Cinema Ticket

$15.64 €14.00

$13.15 €11.78

18.94%

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

$1,269 €1,136

$990 €887

28.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.4K €12.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €94.4

$100 €89.9

4.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.1 €45.73

$47.73 €42.75

7.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 €102

$109 €97.4

4.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 €117

$116 €104

12.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,475 €2,216

$2,324 €2,082

6.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,162 €1,936

$1,812 €1,623

19.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,319 €3,869

$3,534 €3,165

22.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,331 €2,983

$2,733 €2,448

21.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,467 €7,583

$4,352 €3,898

94.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,920 €5,302

$3,324 €2,977

78.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,706 €3,319

$2,933 €2,627

26.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

3.68

3.53%

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

Last update for Dublin: October 24, 2026

Last update for Galway: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dublin

$2.2K 59.6%

Galway

$1.8K 56.9% 16.2% $350

Groceries & Markets

Dublin

$363 10%

Galway

$363 11.4% 0% $0

Eating Out

Dublin

$360 9.9%

Galway

$364 11.4% 1.1% $3.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dublin

$340 9.4%

Galway

$318 10% 6.5% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Dublin

$181 5%

Galway

$168 5.3% 7.1% $13

Getting Around

Dublin

$128 3.5%

Galway

$87 2.7% 32% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Dublin

$95 2.6%

Galway

$72 2.3% 24.7% $23

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,475 in Dublin versus $2,324 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 26% higher in Dublin. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $102 in Dublin versus $110 in Galway. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $363 vs $363 – making Dublin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇪 Dublin

🇮🇪 Galway

🕒 Local time

09:21 9:21 AM

Same time as Dublin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

588,233 Capital

75,529

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Dublin Galway 190 km

From you

Dublin
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

Dublin vs Galway: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,629 in Dublin, $3,184 in Galway – Galway comes out roughly 12% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,444 per month in Dublin and $4,775 in Galway. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $2,475 in Dublin and $2,324 in Galway. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,629 in Dublin and $3,184 in Galway. That makes Galway about 12% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $1,269 per month in Dublin and $990 in Galway. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,629 in Dublin and $3,184 in Galway. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Galway costs $3,184 versus $3,629 in Dublin. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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