Cost of Living Comparison Between Galway and Balbriggan Cost of Living Comparison Between Galway and Balbriggan

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,127 in Galway versus $2,561 in Balbriggan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,274 in Galway versus $3,751 in Balbriggan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,421 in Galway versus $4,941 in Balbriggan.

Living in Galway is roughly 22% more expensive than in Balbriggan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Galway 135% above, Balbriggan 92% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.76 €16.25

$23.53 €20.37

-20.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$97.1 €84.1

$105 €91.1

-7.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.52 €9.11

$12.95 €11.21

-18.76%

Cappuccino

$4.17 €3.61

$4.81 €4.16

-13.31%

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

$2.32 €2.01

$2.48 €2.15

-6.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 €1.35

$2.22 €1.92

-29.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.10 €6.15

$8.29 €7.18

-14.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.29 €5.45

$7.13 €6.17

-11.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 €1.31

$1.66 €1.44

-9.04%

White Bread (500g)

$2.48 €2.15

$2.19 €1.90

13.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.11 €1.83

$2.09 €1.81

0.96%

Eggs

$4.10 €3.55

$3.27 €2.83

25.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.58 €10.90

$11.03 €9.55

14.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.23 €8.86

$11.63 €10.07

-12.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.12 €10.50

$13.92 €12.05

-12.93%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 €2.57

$3.17 €2.74

-6.31%

Banana (1kg)

$2.06 €1.78

Oranges (1kg)

$2.83 €2.45

$2.87 €2.48

-1.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.37 €2.92

$5.57 €4.83

-39.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.42 €1.23

$2.24 €1.94

-36.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 €1.28

$1.71 €1.48

-13.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.43 €1.24

$1.36 €1.18

5.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.44

$2.10 €1.82

-20.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.74 €17.09

$20.34 €17.61

-2.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.06 €12.17

$13.80 €11.95

1.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.96 €4.30

$2.91 €2.52

70.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.85 €4.20

$2.55 €2.21

90.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.31 €2.00

$2.46 €2.13

-6.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.2 €59.0

$98.5 €85.3

-30.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.08 €4.40

$5.19 €4.50

-2.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.38 €1.19

$2.06 €1.78

-33.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$43.30 €37.50

$38.26 €33.14

13.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.07 €1.79

$2.09 €1.81

-0.96%

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

$43.1K €37.3K

0.15%

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

$38.5K €33.4K

$41.1K €35.6K

-6.17%

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

$287 €248

$170 €148

68.31%

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

$21.96 €19.02

$17.27 €14.96

27.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.9 €48.41

$46.73 €40.47

19.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 €48.88

$54.3 €46.99

4.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.52 €7.38

Cinema Ticket

$14.05 €12.17

$13.73 €11.89

2.33%

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

$1,064 €922

$1,334 €1,155

-20.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,122 €7,034

$9,712 €8,410

-16.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.3 €79.0

$104 €89.8

-12.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.18 €33.93

$28.56 €24.73

37.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €88.3

$62.5 €54.1

63.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 €93.1

$127 €110

-15.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,986 €1,720

$1,486 €1,287

33.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,731 €1,499

$1,227 €1,062

41.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,305 €2,863

$2,412 €2,089

37.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,521 €2,183

$1,999 €1,731

26.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,992 €5,189

$4,425 €3,832

35.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,663 €4,038

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,082 €2,669

$2,327 €2,015

32.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.8

4.04

18.81%

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

Last update for Galway: July 28, 2026

Last update for Balbriggan: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,986 in Galway and $1,486 in Balbriggan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Galway pays 32% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $97.0 in Galway vs $105 in Balbriggan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $341 vs $349 per month, with Galway 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 Balbriggan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Galway and Balbriggan differ by about 22% in total monthly costs ($3,127 vs $2,561 including rent). Balbriggan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 32% 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: $1,986 in Galway versus $1,486 in Balbriggan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Galway pay roughly 2% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Balbriggan – a meal for two runs $105 versus $97.0 in Galway. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Balbriggan is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Galway and Balbriggan 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 Balbriggan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 22% less than in Galway. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.