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: $3,012 in Galway versus $3,109 in Athlone.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,270 in Galway versus $4,096 in Athlone.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,527 in Galway versus $5,083 in Athlone.

Living in Galway costs roughly 3% less than in Athlone, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Galway 125% above, Athlone 133% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.43 €16.10

$20.47 €17.89

-9.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$95.6 €83.6

$94.8 €82.8

0.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.29 €8.99

$10.33 €9.02

-0.39%

Cappuccino

$4.17 €3.65

$4.76 €4.16

-12.39%

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

$2.31 €2.02

$2.51 €2.19

-7.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 €1.41

$2.19 €1.91

-26.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.96 €6.08

$6.99 €6.11

-0.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.49 €5.67

$6.64 €5.80

-2.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 €1.31

$1.32 €1.15

13.64%

White Bread (500g)

$2.55 €2.23

$1.37 €1.20

86.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 €1.92

$1.82 €1.59

20.88%

Eggs

$4.00 €3.49

$3.92 €3.42

2.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.49 €10.91

$11.45 €10.00

9.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.50 €9.17

$11.61 €10.14

-9.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.15 €10.61

$12.41 €10.84

-2.10%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 €2.64

$2.75 €2.40

9.82%

Banana (1kg)

$2.00 €1.75

$1.52 €1.33

31.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.83 €2.47

$2.48 €2.17

14.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.40 €2.97

$2.69 €2.35

26.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.44 €1.26

$2.70 €2.36

-46.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.43 €1.25

$2.05 €1.79

-30.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.38 €1.21

$1.69 €1.48

-18.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.46

$1.97 €1.72

-15.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.25 €16.82

$20.00 €17.48

-3.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.02 €12.25

$11.42 €9.98

22.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.76 €4.16

$3.48 €3.04

36.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.99 €4.36

$3.82 €3.34

30.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.32 €2.03

$1.89 €1.65

22.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$69.5 €60.7

$97.3 €85.0

-28.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.05 €4.41

$5.36 €4.68

-5.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.38 €1.21

$2.79 €2.43

-50.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.64 €37.25

$29.41 €25.69

44.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.00 €1.74

$2.07 €1.81

-3.38%

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

$41.6K €36.3K

$43.3K €37.8K

-3.90%

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

$39.0K €34.1K

$39.3K €34.3K

-0.83%

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

$280 €245

$245 €214

14.17%

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

$21.89 €19.13

$21.81 €19.05

0.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.9 €47.97

$47.33 €41.36

15.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.3 €49.22

$60.4 €52.8

-6.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.62 €7.53

$17.51 €15.30

-50.77%

Cinema Ticket

$13.77 €12.03

$13.96 €12.20

-1.36%

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

$1,074 €938

$1,345 €1,175

-20.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,143 €7,115

$7,253 €6,337

12.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.9 €77.6

$104 €90.6

-14.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.24 €35.16

$42.85 €37.44

-6.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.9

$89.8 €78.5

14.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 €94.6

$78.7 €68.8

37.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,977 €1,727

$1,477 €1,290

33.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,781 €1,556

$1,783 €1,558

-0.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,265 €2,852

$2,478 €2,165

31.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,522 €2,204

$2,189 €1,913

15.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,224 €5,438

$3,460 €3,023

79.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,731 €4,134

$3,418 €2,986

38.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,060 €2,673

$2,974 €2,598

2.88%

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: July 14, 2026

Last update for Athlone: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,977 in Galway and $1,477 in Athlone. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Galway pays 3% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $96.0 in Galway vs $95.0 in Athlone for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $342 vs $316 per month, with Athlone 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

Galway vs Athlone: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Galway wins on cost – living expenses run 3% lower than in Athlone. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Galway the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 3% higher in Galway, 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: $1,977 in Galway versus $1,477 in Athlone. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,074 in Galway versus $1,345 in Athlone. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Athlone pay roughly 8% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $3,012 in Galway versus $3,109 in Athlone, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Galway but tight or insufficient in Athlone. The gap between the two cities makes Galway the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Galway delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $3,012 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Galway 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 Galway gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Athlone. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.