Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Galway and Ballina, Ireland

For one person, living is cheaper in Ballina: $2,190 a month against $3,184 in Galway, rent and utilities included – about $11,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

153

Cost of Living Index in Galway
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Galway Living Index
106

Cost of Living Index in Ballina
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Ballina Living Index

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Galway

🇮🇪 Ireland

$3,184

/mo nomad

Ballina

🇮🇪 Ireland

$2,190

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Galway and in Ballina

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 Ballina actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,184 per month in Galway vs $2,190 in Ballina, rent included.

Galway $3,184
Ballina $2,190

A couple spends around $4,539 per month in Galway vs $3,230 in Ballina, rent included.

Galway $4,539
Ballina $3,230

A family of three spends $5,895 per month in Galway vs $4,270 in Ballina, rent included.

Galway $5,895
Ballina $4,270

Galway costs about 45% more than Ballina, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Galway and Ballina sit above the global median – Galway by 134%, Ballina by 61%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.73 €20.28

$16.94 €15.11

34.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$110 €98.5

$68.3 €60.9

61.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.46 €14.68

$12.28 €10.96

34.04%

Cappuccino

$4.94 €4.41

$3.93 €3.51

25.70%

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

$2.92 €2.60

$1.52 €1.36

92.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €2.06

$1.32 €1.18

75.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.89 €7.04

$5.73 €5.11

37.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.63 €5.92

$7.73 €6.89

-14.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 €1.42

$1.68 €1.50

-5.36%

White Bread (500g)

$2.34 €2.09

$2.18 €1.94

7.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.26 €2.02

$1.98 €1.77

14.14%

Eggs

$4.31 €3.84

$3.00 €2.68

43.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.38 €14.62

$9.86 €8.80

66.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.93 €9.76

$12.55 €11.20

-12.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.39 €11.94

$16.22 €14.47

-17.45%

Apples (1kg)

$3.06 €2.73

$2.84 €2.53

7.75%

Banana (1kg)

$2.17 €1.94

$1.55 €1.38

40.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.10 €2.77

$2.67 €2.39

16.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.05 €3.61

$5.10 €4.55

-20.59%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 €1.84

$1.89 €1.69

8.99%

Onion (1kg)

$1.47 €1.31

$1.46 €1.31

0.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.31 €1.17

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 €1.62

$2.09 €1.86

-12.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.40 €18.20

$21.13 €18.85

-3.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.02 €12.51

$10.14 €9.05

38.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.49

$3.34 €2.98

17.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 €3.98

$3.44 €3.07

29.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.07 €1.84

$5.51 €4.91

-62.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.4 €59.2

$136 €121

-51.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.27 €4.70

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.42 €1.27

$1.54 €1.38

-7.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$55.3 €49.37

$37.64 €33.59

47.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.15 €1.91

$1.98 €1.76

8.59%

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

$38.0K €33.9K

$34.8K €31.1K

9.27%

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

$38.4K €34.3K

$38.2K €34.1K

0.58%

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

$245 €219

$268 €239

-8.27%

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

$21.31 €19.01

$17.96 €16.02

18.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.4 €45.81

$38.42 €34.28

33.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.26 €40.38

$52.1 €46.45

-13.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.38 €19.96

$11.22 €10.01

99.47%

Cinema Ticket

$13.15 €11.73

$12.49 €11.14

5.28%

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

$990 €883

$1,246 €1,112

-20.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.2K €12.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$100 €89.5

$108 €96.0

-6.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.73 €42.59

$50.6 €45.10

-5.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 €97.0

$113 €101

-3.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €104

$112 €100

3.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,324 €2,074

$893 €797

160.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,812 €1,616

$829 €740

118.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,534 €3,153

$1,329 €1,186

165.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,733 €2,438

$1,349 €1,204

102.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,352 €3,883

$3,347 €2,986

30.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,324 €2,966

$2,780 €2,480

19.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,933 €2,617

$3,243 €2,893

-9.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.68

3.81

-3.41%

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

Last update for Galway: October 26, 2026

Last update for Ballina: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Galway

$1.8K 56.9%

Ballina

$829 37.9% 54.2% $983

Eating Out

Galway

$364 11.4%

Ballina

$275 12.6% 24.5% $89

Groceries & Markets

Galway

$363 11.4%

Ballina

$342 15.6% 5.9% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Galway

$318 10%

Ballina

$324 14.8% 1.8% $5.8

Clothing & Footwear

Galway

$168 5.3%

Ballina

$173 7.9% 2.8% $4.7

Getting Around

Galway

$87 2.7%

Ballina

$171 7.8% 96.1% $84

Sport & Entertainment

Galway

$72 2.3%

Ballina

$77 3.5% 7.6% $5.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,324 in Galway versus $893 in Ballina. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 11% higher in Ballina, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $110 in Galway versus $68 in Ballina. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $363 vs $342 – making Ballina the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇪 Galway

🇮🇪 Ballina

🕒 Local time

22:58 10:58 PM

Same time as Galway

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

75,529

10,556

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Galway Ballina 94 km

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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 Ballina: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Galway costs about 45% more than Ballina, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,775 per month in Galway and $3,285 in Ballina. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ballina, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $893 there versus $2,324 in Galway.

Public transport costs about 51% less in Galway. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $990 per month in Galway and $1,246 in Ballina. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,184 in Galway and $2,190 in Ballina. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Galway has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,190 in Ballina to $3,184 in Galway. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.