Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dundalk and Galway

For one person, living is cheaper in Dundalk: $2,531 a month against $3,184 in Galway, rent and utilities included – about $7,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

123

Cost of Living Index in Dundalk
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Dundalk Living Index
153

Cost of Living Index in Galway
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Galway Living Index

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Dundalk

🇮🇪 Ireland

$2,531

/mo nomad

Galway

🇮🇪 Ireland

$3,184

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,531 in Dundalk versus $3,184 in Galway.

Dundalk $2,531
Galway $3,184

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,726 in Dundalk versus $4,539 in Galway.

Dundalk $3,726
Galway $4,539

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,922 in Dundalk versus $5,895 in Galway.

Dundalk $4,922
Galway $5,895

Living in Dundalk costs roughly 20% less than in Galway, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Dundalk 86% above, Galway 134% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.08 €16.20

$22.73 €20.36

-20.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.8 €80.4

$110 €98.9

-18.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.31 €11.02

$16.46 €14.74

-25.21%

Cappuccino

$3.88 €3.48

$4.94 €4.42

-21.46%

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

$2.06 €1.84

$2.92 €2.61

-29.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 €1.14

$2.31 €2.07

-45.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.78 €6.07

$7.89 €7.07

-14.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.43 €4.86

$6.63 €5.94

-18.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 €1.25

$1.59 €1.42

-12.58%

White Bread (500g)

$0.93 €0.83

$2.34 €2.10

-60.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.35 €1.21

$2.26 €2.02

-40.27%

Eggs

$4.54 €4.07

$4.31 €3.86

5.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.92 €12.47

$16.38 €14.67

-15.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.20 €11.82

$10.93 €9.79

20.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.55 €14.83

$13.39 €11.99

23.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.18 €1.95

$3.06 €2.74

-28.76%

Banana (1kg)

$2.25 €2.02

$2.17 €1.95

3.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.26 €2.03

$3.10 €2.78

-27.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.87 €4.36

$4.05 €3.63

20.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.10 €0.98

$2.06 €1.85

-46.60%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 €1.61

$1.47 €1.32

22.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.41 €1.26

$1.31 €1.17

7.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 €1.93

$1.82 €1.63

18.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.78 €17.71

$20.40 €18.27

-3.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.50 €12.09

$14.02 €12.55

-3.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.15 €3.72

$3.91 €3.50

6.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 €3.13

$4.46 €4.00

-21.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €2.04

$2.07 €1.85

10.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$112 €101

$66.4 €59.5

69.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.21 €4.66

$5.27 €4.72

-1.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.42 €1.27

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.55 €16.61

$55.3 €49.56

-66.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.84

$2.15 €1.92

-4.19%

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

$38.4K €34.4K

$38.0K €34.1K

0.94%

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

$33.2K €29.7K

$38.4K €34.4K

-13.63%

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

$235 €211

$245 €220

-4.07%

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

$21.48 €19.24

$21.31 €19.08

0.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.5 €49.73

$51.4 €45.99

8.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.91 €43.80

$45.26 €40.53

8.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.01 €22.40

$22.38 €20.04

11.75%

Cinema Ticket

$13.18 €11.81

$13.15 €11.78

0.23%

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

$1,092 €978

$990 €887

10.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,208 €4,664

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$96.4 €86.3

$100 €89.9

-3.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.90 €24.99

$47.73 €42.75

-41.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.5 €59.5

$109 €97.4

-38.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 €108

$116 €104

3.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,734 €1,553

$2,324 €2,082

-25.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 €1,100

$1,812 €1,623

-32.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,466 €2,209

$3,534 €3,165

-30.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,993 €1,785

$2,733 €2,448

-27.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,598 €5,013

$4,352 €3,898

28.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,128 €4,593

$3,324 €2,977

54.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,477 €2,218

$2,933 €2,627

-15.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.14

3.68

12.50%

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

Last update for Dundalk: 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

Dundalk

$1.2K 48.5%

Galway

$1.8K 56.9% 47.6% $584

Groceries & Markets

Dundalk

$355 14%

Galway

$363 11.4% 2.3% $8.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dundalk

$312 12.4%

Galway

$318 10% 1.8% $5.6

Eating Out

Dundalk

$286 11.3%

Galway

$364 11.4% 27.2% $78

Clothing & Footwear

Dundalk

$140 5.5%

Galway

$168 5.3% 19.8% $28

Getting Around

Dundalk

$134 5.3%

Galway

$87 2.7% 35% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Dundalk

$75 3%

Galway

$72 2.3% 4.9% $3.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,734 in Dundalk and $2,324 in Galway. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Galway pays 18% 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: $90 in Dundalk vs $110 in Galway for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $355 vs $363 per month, with Dundalk cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇪 Dundalk

🇮🇪 Galway

🕒 Local time

20:02 8:02 PM

Same time as Dundalk

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

43,112

75,529

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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

Dundalk vs Galway: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dundalk is about 20% cheaper overall, especially in eating out and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 16% lower in Dundalk. 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: $1,734 in Dundalk versus $2,324 in Galway. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Galway runs roughly 41% less than in Dundalk. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

All in, you’ll spend $2,531 per month in Dundalk versus $3,184 in Galway – Dundalk is about 20% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Dundalk 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, Dundalk and Galway are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Dundalk wins on affordability, Galway on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.