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: $3,073 in Galway versus $2,280 in Auckland.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,288 in Galway versus $3,435 in Auckland.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,503 in Galway versus $4,590 in Auckland.

Living in Galway is roughly 35% more expensive than Auckland, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Galway 129% above, Auckland 70% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.57 €15.84

$15.10 NZ$25.52

22.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$93.7 €79.9

$77.3 NZ$131

21.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.50 €8.96

$9.42 NZ$15.93

11.46%

Cappuccino

$4.18 €3.56

$3.53 NZ$5.96

18.41%

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

$2.39 €2.04

$2.28 NZ$3.86

4.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 €1.32

$2.25 NZ$3.81

-31.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.14 €6.09

$7.12 NZ$12.04

0.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.36 €5.42

$7.18 NZ$12.13

-11.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 €1.28

$1.80 NZ$3.05

-16.11%

White Bread (500g)

$2.55 €2.18

$2.14 NZ$3.62

19.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.15 €1.83

$1.95 NZ$3.29

10.26%

Eggs

$4.06 €3.46

$6.64 NZ$11.22

-38.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.39 €10.57

$8.87 NZ$14.99

39.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.32 €8.80

$9.50 NZ$16.06

8.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.69 €9.97

$12.88 NZ$21.76

-9.24%

Apples (1kg)

$2.94 €2.51

$2.81 NZ$4.74

4.63%

Banana (1kg)

$2.00 €1.70

$2.29 NZ$3.87

-12.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.76 €2.36

$3.30 NZ$5.58

-16.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.39 €2.89

$4.06 NZ$6.87

-16.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.44 €1.23

$2.01 NZ$3.40

-28.36%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 €1.21

$1.71 NZ$2.89

-16.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.37 €1.17

$1.96 NZ$3.31

-30.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.42

$1.23 NZ$2.07

35.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.62 €16.74

$25.12 NZ$42.46

-21.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.61 €12.46

$10.25 NZ$17.32

42.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.96 €4.23

$3.03 NZ$5.11

63.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.87 €4.15

$3.87 NZ$6.53

25.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.95

$2.74 NZ$4.63

-16.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.4 €58.4

$131 NZ$222

-47.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.92 €4.20

$2.16 NZ$3.64

127.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.31 €1.12

$1.99 NZ$3.37

-34.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$43.93 €37.47

$34.83 NZ$58.9

26.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.72

$1.64 NZ$2.77

23.17%

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

$41.7K €35.6K

$28.6K NZ$48.3K

45.97%

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

$38.4K €32.8K

$21.8K NZ$36.9K

76.16%

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

$285 €243

$145 NZ$244

97.28%

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

$21.57 €18.40

$30.57 NZ$51.7

-29.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.2 €46.23

$48.04 NZ$81.2

12.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.9 €48.57

$35.83 NZ$60.6

58.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.28 €7.06

$16.72 NZ$28.26

-50.48%

Cinema Ticket

$14.14 €12.06

$15.21 NZ$25.71

-7.03%

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

$1,061 €905

$891 NZ$1,506

19.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,055 €6,871

$13.9K NZ$23.4K

-41.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.6 €77.3

$71.4 NZ$121

26.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.62 €33.80

$49.40 NZ$83.5

-19.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €87.7

$97.6 NZ$165

5.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 €90.6

$127 NZ$215

-16.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,996 €1,703

$1,297 NZ$2,192

53.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,721 €1,468

$1,161 NZ$1,961

48.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,363 €2,869

$2,429 NZ$4,105

38.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,531 €2,159

$1,829 NZ$3,092

38.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,317 €5,388

$7,725 NZ$13.1K

-18.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,853 €4,140

$5,330 NZ$9,008

-8.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,193 €2,724

$3,279 NZ$5,541

-2.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.8

6.37

-24.65%

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

Last update for Galway: April 21, 2026

Last update for Auckland: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,996 in Galway and $1,297 in Auckland. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Auckland 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: $94 in Galway vs $77 in Auckland for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $340 vs $323 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 35% 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, Auckland earns 3% 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: $1,996 in Galway versus $1,297 in Auckland. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,061 in Galway versus $891 in Auckland. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 5% higher in Galway. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,280 in Auckland versus $3,073 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 $2,280 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 35% less than in Galway. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.