Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Galway and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,704 a month against $3,331 in Galway, rent and utilities included – about $7,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Galway outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

161

Cost of Living Index in Galway
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Galway Living Index
129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index

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Galway

🇮🇪 Ireland

$3,331

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Galway and in Austin, TX

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Galway and in Austin, TX actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,331 in Galway versus $2,704 in Austin, TX.

Galway $3,331
Austin, TX $2,704

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,673 in Galway versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Galway $4,673
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,015 in Galway versus $5,562 in Austin, TX.

Galway $6,015
Austin, TX $5,562

Living in Galway is roughly 23% more expensive than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Galway 149% above, Austin, TX 102% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.88 €20.42

$20.22 $20.22

13.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$112 €100

$85.0 $85.0

32.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.51 €14.73

$12.35 $12.35

33.68%

Cappuccino

$4.98 €4.44

$5.47 $5.47

-8.96%

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

$2.99 €2.66

$3.82 $3.82

-21.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €2.06

$2.50 $2.50

-7.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.85 €7.00

$8.06 $8.06

-2.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.91 €6.17

$8.99 $8.99

-23.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 €1.47

$1.13 $1.13

46.02%

White Bread (500g)

$2.39 €2.14

$3.78 $3.78

-36.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 €1.95

$3.25 $3.25

-32.62%

Eggs

$4.26 €3.80

$4.14 $4.14

2.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.01 €15.18

$13.08 $13.08

30.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.11 €9.92

$14.31 $14.31

-22.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.55 €12.09

$15.96 $15.96

-15.10%

Apples (1kg)

$3.12 €2.78

$4.38 $4.38

-28.77%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 €1.95

$1.45 $1.45

50.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.13 €2.79

$4.54 $4.54

-31.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.18 €3.73

$4.19 $4.19

-0.24%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 €1.83

$2.63 $2.63

-22.05%

Onion (1kg)

$1.49 €1.33

$2.36 $2.36

-36.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.32 €1.18

$1.76 $1.76

-25.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 €1.71

$2.16 $2.16

-11.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.25 €18.07

$9.81 $9.81

106.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.99 €12.48

$14.72 $14.72

-4.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.07 €3.64

$2.78 $2.78

46.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 €3.99

$3.48 $3.48

28.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.15 €1.92

$1.49 $1.49

44.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.4 €55.7

$40.51 $40.51

54.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.29 €4.72

$2.67 $2.67

98.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.32

$1.58 $1.58

-6.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$55.5 €49.56

$35.29 $35.29

57.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 €1.87

$0.99 $0.99

111.11%

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

$39.5K €35.2K

$35.8K $35.8K

10.27%

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

$37.4K €33.4K

$27.2K $27.2K

37.71%

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

$246 €219

$219 $219

11.99%

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

$21.02 €18.76

$58.0 $58.0

-63.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.8 €46.20

$68.4 $68.4

-24.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.53 €39.74

$57.9 $57.9

-23.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.10 €19.73

$14.82 $14.82

49.12%

Cinema Ticket

$16.91 €15.09

$14.13 $14.13

19.67%

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

$1,019 €909

$1,509 $1,509

-32.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €90.8

$51.7 $51.7

96.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.56 €43.34

$44.05 $44.05

10.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €99.5

$85.1 $85.1

30.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 €102

$105 $105

8.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,243 €2,001

$1,932 $1,932

16.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,910 €1,705

$1,272 $1,272

50.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,652 €3,259

$3,670 $3,670

-0.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,678 €2,390

$2,525 $2,525

6.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,985 €5,341

$7,617 $7,617

-21.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,556 €4,066

$3,199 $3,199

42.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,943 €2,627

$5,105 $5,105

-42.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.68

6.79

-45.80%

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

Last update for Galway: October 5, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Galway

$1.9K 57.9%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2% 33.4% $638

Groceries & Markets

Galway

$370 11.2%

Austin, TX

$403 15.3% 8.8% $33

Eating Out

Galway

$367 11.1%

Austin, TX

$348 13.2% 5.1% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Galway

$318 9.7%

Austin, TX

$346 13.1% 8.6% $27

Clothing & Footwear

Galway

$169 5.1%

Austin, TX

$129 4.9% 23.8% $40

Getting Around

Galway

$84 2.5%

Austin, TX

$57 2.2% 31.9% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Galway

$78 2.4%

Austin, TX

$86 3.3% 10% $7.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,243 in Galway and $1,932 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 73% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $112 in Galway vs $85.0 in Austin, TX. Groceries flip the comparison at $370 vs $403, with Galway cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇮🇪 Galway

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

11:19 11:19 AM

05:19 5:19 AM

6 h behind Galway

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

75,529

974,447

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Galway Austin, TX 7,280 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Galway
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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 23% lower than in Galway. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Austin, TX the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 73% lower in Austin, TX. 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: $2,243 in Galway versus $1,932 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $3,331 per month in Galway versus $2,704 in Austin, TX – a 23% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 54% less than in Galway. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Austin, TX 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 Austin, TX delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,704 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Austin, TX hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Galway and Austin, TX 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 Austin, TX gentler on the wallet – expenses run 23% less than in Galway. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.