Cost of Living Comparison Between Galway and Birmingham Cost of Living Comparison Between Galway and Birmingham

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $3,025 per month in Galway vs $2,377 in Birmingham, rent included.

A couple spends around $4,255 per month in Galway vs $3,426 in Birmingham, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,485 per month in Galway vs $4,474 in Birmingham, rent included.

Galway costs about 27% more than Birmingham, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Galway and Birmingham sit above the global median – Galway by 126%, Birmingham by 78%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.83 €16.12

$20.33 £15.06

-7.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$94.4 €80.8

$80.4 £59.5

17.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.50 €8.98

$9.26 £6.86

13.39%

Cappuccino

$4.38 €3.75

$4.67 £3.46

-6.21%

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

$2.40 €2.06

$2.35 £1.74

2.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 €1.39

$1.77 £1.31

-8.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 €5.88

$6.76 £5.01

1.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.55 €5.61

$6.27 £4.65

4.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 €1.30

$1.67 £1.24

-8.98%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 €2.16

$1.66 £1.23

51.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.14 €1.83

$2.66 £1.97

-19.55%

Eggs

$4.07 €3.49

$3.63 £2.69

12.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.77 €10.93

$10.43 £7.73

22.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.37 €8.88

$8.25 £6.11

25.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.80 €10.10

$13.80 £10.23

-14.49%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 €2.58

$2.61 £1.94

15.33%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 €1.78

$1.81 £1.34

14.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.80 €2.40

$1.96 £1.46

42.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.40 €2.91

$2.73 £2.03

24.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.45 €1.24

$1.64 £1.21

-11.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.41 €1.21

$1.42 £1.05

-0.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.24

$1.46 £1.08

-0.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.43

$1.35 £1.00

23.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.49 €16.68

$18.73 £13.88

4.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.60 €12.50

$11.71 £8.68

24.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.79 €4.10

$3.47 £2.57

38.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.09 €4.36

$4.23 £3.14

20.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.96

$3.30 £2.44

-30.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.9 €59.0

$82.8 £61.4

-16.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 €4.26

$6.68 £4.95

-25.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.38 €1.18

$1.38 £1.02

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$43.55 €37.28

$22.60 £16.74

92.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.00 €1.71

$1.98 £1.47

1.01%

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

$42.1K €36.1K

$37.7K £28.0K

11.63%

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

$39.7K €34.0K

$40.3K £29.9K

-1.40%

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

$280 €240

$299 £221

-6.17%

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

$21.99 €18.82

$24.19 £17.93

-9.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.9 €46.97

$38.88 £28.81

41.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.5 €48.36

$32.74 £24.26

72.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.74 €7.48

$10.25 £7.59

-14.73%

Cinema Ticket

$14.15 €12.11

$18.00 £13.34

-21.39%

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

$1,057 €905

$1,612 £1,194

-34.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,993 €6,842

$19.5K £14.5K

-59.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.9 €78.7

$97.4 £72.2

-5.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.82 €34.08

$49.18 £36.45

-19.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €86.7

$119 £88.1

-14.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 €92.3

$143 £106

-24.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,024 €1,733

$1,317 £976

53.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,719 €1,471

$1,075 £796

59.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,303 €2,828

$2,288 £1,695

44.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,589 €2,216

$1,618 £1,199

59.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,276 €5,373

$5,405 £4,005

16.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,813 €4,120

$4,241 £3,142

13.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,219 €2,755

$3,726 £2,761

-13.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.8

5.76

-16.67%

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

Last update for Galway: April 27, 2026

Last update for Birmingham: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,024 in Galway versus $1,317 in Birmingham. 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 16% higher in Birmingham, 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 $94.0 in Galway versus $80.0 in Birmingham. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $343 vs $297 – making Birmingham the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Birmingham: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,025 in Galway, $2,377 in Birmingham – roughly 27% apart. Galway costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,537 per month in Galway and $3,565 in Birmingham. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Birmingham, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $1,057 per month in Galway and $1,612 in Birmingham. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 15% more in Galway, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Birmingham, where all-in costs run around $2,377, than in Galway at $3,025. In Birmingham it covers expenses comfortably, while in Galway it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Galway has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,377 in Birmingham to $3,025 in Galway. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Birmingham. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Galway makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.