Cost of Living Comparison Between Galway and Athlone Cost of Living Comparison Between Galway and Athlone

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,128 in Galway versus $3,095 in Athlone.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,347 in Galway versus $4,141 in Athlone.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,566 in Galway versus $5,188 in Athlone.

Living in Galway is roughly 1% more expensive than Athlone, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Galway 133% above, Athlone 131% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.34 €15.79

$19.87 €17.11

-7.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$94.4 €81.3

$95.3 €82.1

-0.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.39 €8.95

$10.58 €9.11

-1.80%

Cappuccino

$4.25 €3.66

$4.68 €4.03

-9.19%

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

$2.42 €2.08

$2.50 €2.15

-3.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 €1.40

$2.16 €1.86

-25.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.73 €5.80

$7.13 €6.14

-5.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.35 €5.47

$6.68 €5.75

-4.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.31 €1.13

14.50%

White Bread (500g)

$2.58 €2.23

$1.30 €1.12

98.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.15 €1.85

$1.74 €1.50

23.56%

Eggs

$3.93 €3.38

$3.94 €3.39

-0.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.59 €10.84

$11.18 €9.62

12.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.62 €9.14

$11.96 €10.30

-11.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.09 €10.41

$12.38 €10.66

-2.34%

Apples (1kg)

$2.91 €2.50

$2.76 €2.37

5.43%

Banana (1kg)

$2.09 €1.80

$1.52 €1.30

37.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.86 €2.46

$2.46 €2.12

16.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.49 €3.01

$2.80 €2.41

24.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.43 €1.23

$2.63 €2.27

-45.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.47 €1.26

$2.14 €1.84

-31.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 €1.20

$1.63 €1.41

-14.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.36

$1.94 €1.67

-18.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.77 €17.02

$20.79 €17.90

-4.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.39 €12.39

$11.75 €10.12

22.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.99 €4.30

$3.53 €3.04

41.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.06 €4.36

$3.66 €3.15

38.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 €1.91

$1.82 €1.56

21.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.9 €59.4

$99.4 €85.6

-30.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.03 €4.33

$5.12 €4.41

-1.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.33 €1.15

$2.65 €2.28

-49.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$43.73 €37.65

$29.41 €25.33

48.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 €1.80

$2.03 €1.75

2.96%

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

$42.2K €36.3K

$41.7K €35.9K

0.99%

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

$39.1K €33.7K

$40.1K €34.5K

-2.37%

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

$285 €245

$246 €212

15.77%

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

$21.92 €18.87

$22.09 €19.02

-0.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.5 €47.79

$47.49 €40.90

16.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 €49.21

$59.6 €51.3

-4.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.68 €7.47

$17.11 €14.74

-49.27%

Cinema Ticket

$13.80 €11.88

$14.11 €12.15

-2.20%

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

$1,066 €918

$1,351 €1,163

-21.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,946 €6,842

$7,303 €6,289

8.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.2 €78.5

$104 €89.7

-12.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.06 €34.50

$41.49 €35.73

-3.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 €86.5

$89.5 €77.0

12.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 €91.9

$77.8 €67.0

37.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,005 €1,726

$1,468 €1,264

36.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,724 €1,484

$1,793 €1,544

-3.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,380 €2,910

$2,483 €2,138

36.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,517 €2,167

$2,183 €1,880

15.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,193 €5,333

$3,525 €3,035

75.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,705 €4,051

$3,525 €3,035

33.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,228 €2,780

$3,848 €3,313

-16.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.8

4.6

4.35%

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

Last update for Galway: June 1, 2026

Last update for Athlone: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,005 in Galway and $1,468 in Athlone. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Athlone pays 19% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $94.0 in Galway vs $95.0 in Athlone. Groceries flip the comparison at $344 vs $317, with Athlone 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

Galway vs Athlone: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Athlone wins on cost – living expenses run 1% lower than in Galway. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Athlone the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Athlone earns 19% 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: $2,005 in Galway versus $1,468 in Athlone. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,066 in Galway versus $1,351 in Athlone. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Galway. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Athlone is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both work as nomad bases, but Athlone delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $3,095 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Athlone hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Galway and Athlone 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 Athlone gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Galway. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.