Cost of Living Comparison Between Galway and Auckland Cost of Living Comparison Between Galway and Auckland

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,435 in Galway versus $2,531 in Auckland.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,835 in Galway versus $3,571 in Auckland.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,236 in Galway versus $4,612 in Auckland.

Living in Galway is roughly 36% more expensive than in Auckland, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Galway 150% above, Auckland 84% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.56 €20.26

$14.84 NZ$25.22

58.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$115 €99.0

$70.1 NZ$119

64.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$17.60 €15.13

$9.90 NZ$16.82

77.78%

Cappuccino

$4.96 €4.26

$3.46 NZ$5.89

43.35%

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

$3.17 €2.72

$2.12 NZ$3.61

49.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 €2.05

$1.81 NZ$3.07

31.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.01 €6.89

$7.31 NZ$12.43

9.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.02 €6.04

$7.07 NZ$12.02

-0.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 €1.48

$1.99 NZ$3.38

-13.57%

White Bread (500g)

$2.48 €2.13

$2.38 NZ$4.05

4.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.29 €1.97

$2.04 NZ$3.46

12.25%

Eggs

$4.57 €3.93

$6.63 NZ$11.28

-31.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.22 €14.81

$8.87 NZ$15.07

94.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.39 €9.79

$10.17 NZ$17.29

12.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.11 €12.13

$16.90 NZ$28.73

-16.51%

Apples (1kg)

$3.04 €2.62

$3.10 NZ$5.26

-1.94%

Banana (1kg)

$2.26 €1.95

$2.22 NZ$3.78

1.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.22 €2.77

$3.13 NZ$5.32

2.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.21 €3.62

$5.70 NZ$9.69

-26.14%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$2.43 NZ$4.13

-12.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 €1.37

$1.71 NZ$2.91

-7.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.32 €1.14

$2.02 NZ$3.43

-34.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 €1.71

$1.18 NZ$2.01

67.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$21.17 €18.20

$28.56 NZ$48.54

-25.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.33 €12.32

$10.62 NZ$18.05

34.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.24 €3.65

$3.10 NZ$5.27

36.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.54 €3.90

$3.55 NZ$6.03

27.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.16 €1.86

$2.71 NZ$4.61

-20.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.8 €55.7

$131 NZ$223

-50.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.44 €4.68

$2.38 NZ$4.05

128.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 €1.33

$2.08 NZ$3.54

-25.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$58.1 €49.98

$33.99 NZ$57.8

71.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.17 €1.86

$1.98 NZ$3.36

9.60%

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

$41.2K €35.4K

$26.2K NZ$44.5K

57.36%

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

$38.2K €32.8K

$24.0K NZ$40.8K

59.09%

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

$248 €214

$198 NZ$336

25.69%

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

$23.68 €20.36

$28.39 NZ$48.25

-16.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.0 €44.73

$53.0 NZ$90.0

-1.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.70 €39.29

$47.45 NZ$80.7

-3.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.88 €19.67

$18.04 NZ$30.67

26.83%

Cinema Ticket

$17.39 €14.95

$14.39 NZ$24.47

20.85%

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

$1,053 €906

$1,196 NZ$2,032

-11.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.0K NZ$35.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$106 €90.9

$81.9 NZ$139

29.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.8 €43.71

$44.86 NZ$76.2

13.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 €97.5

$91.0 NZ$155

24.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €103

$117 NZ$198

2.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,363 €2,032

$1,366 NZ$2,322

73.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,033 €1,748

$1,274 NZ$2,165

59.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,803 €3,270

$2,373 NZ$4,033

60.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,839 €2,441

$1,829 NZ$3,109

55.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,218 €5,347

$7,752 NZ$13.2K

-19.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,804 €4,130

$5,208 NZ$8,853

-7.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,955 €2,540

$3,192 NZ$5,425

-7.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.68

5.39

-31.73%

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

Last update for Galway: September 1, 2026

Last update for Auckland: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,363 in Galway and $1,366 in Auckland. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Auckland pays 8% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $115 in Galway vs $70.0 in Auckland for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $381 vs $353 per month, with Auckland 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 Auckland: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Auckland wins on cost – living expenses run 36% lower than in Galway. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Auckland the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 8% lower in Auckland. 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: $2,363 in Galway versus $1,366 in Auckland. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,053 in Galway versus $1,196 in Auckland. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% higher in Galway. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,531 in Auckland versus $3,435 in Galway, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Auckland but tight or insufficient in Galway. The gap between the two cities makes Auckland the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Auckland delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,531 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Auckland hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Galway and Auckland 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 Auckland gentler on the wallet – expenses run 36% less than in Galway. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.