Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Galway and Bray

For one person, living costs are similar in Galway and in Bray: $3,268 and $3,126 a month, rent and utilities included.

160

Cost of Living Index in Galway
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Galway Living Index
151

Cost of Living Index in Bray
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Bray Living Index

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Galway

🇮🇪 Ireland

$3,268

/mo nomad

Bray

🇮🇪 Ireland

$3,126

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Galway and in Bray

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

A single person spends $3,268 per month in Galway vs $3,126 in Bray, rent included.

Galway $3,268
Bray $3,126

A couple spends around $4,575 per month in Galway vs $4,556 in Bray, rent included.

Galway $4,575
Bray $4,556

A family of three spends $5,881 per month in Galway vs $5,986 in Bray, rent included.

Galway $5,881
Bray $5,986

Galway costs about 5% more than Bray, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Galway and Bray sit above the global median – Galway by 141%, Bray by 131%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.87 €20.34

$23.73 €21.11

-3.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$114 €101

$101 €90.2

12.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.74 €14.89

$13.57 €12.07

23.36%

Cappuccino

$4.97 €4.42

$4.83 €4.30

2.90%

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

$3.01 €2.68

$2.99 €2.66

0.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 €1.95

$2.20 €1.96

-0.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.74 €6.89

$7.94 €7.06

-2.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.78 €6.03

$7.02 €6.25

-3.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 €1.45

$1.62 €1.44

0.62%

White Bread (500g)

$2.36 €2.10

$2.29 €2.04

3.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.28 €2.03

$2.07 €1.84

10.14%

Eggs

$4.38 €3.89

$4.40 €3.92

-0.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.87 €15.01

$10.04 €8.93

68.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.88 €9.68

$11.01 €9.79

-1.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.29 €11.82

$13.34 €11.87

-0.37%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 €2.71

$2.76 €2.46

10.51%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 €1.94

$2.24 €1.99

-2.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.03 €2.70

$2.77 €2.46

9.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.10 €3.65

$4.02 €3.58

1.99%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 €1.76

$1.91 €1.70

3.66%

Onion (1kg)

$1.55 €1.38

$1.55 €1.37

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.32 €1.17

$1.26 €1.12

4.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 €1.63

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.25 €18.01

$20.38 €18.13

-0.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.76 €12.24

$13.72 €12.20

0.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.13 €3.67

$3.51 €3.12

17.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.58 €4.07

$3.46 €3.08

32.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.10 €1.86

$2.54 €2.26

-17.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.7 €54.9

$110 €97.9

-43.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 €4.79

$5.25 €4.67

2.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 €1.28

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$55.0 €48.93

$38.24 €34.01

43.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.16 €1.92

$2.06 €1.84

4.85%

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

$38.6K €34.3K

$39.5K €35.1K

-2.14%

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

$38.5K €34.3K

$38.4K €34.1K

0.45%

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

$241 €214

$271 €241

-11.17%

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

$20.86 €18.56

$20.64 €18.36

1.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.7 €45.08

$50.8 €45.20

-0.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.14 €39.26

$65.5 €58.3

-32.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.15 €19.70

$17.04 €15.15

29.99%

Cinema Ticket

$13.32 €11.85

$15.76 €14.01

-15.48%

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

$996 €886

$1,004 €893

-0.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.5K €12.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €90.4

$99.0 €88.1

2.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.57 €42.32

$48.70 €43.32

-2.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 €100

$109 €96.7

3.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 €104

$113 €101

3.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,293 €2,040

$2,222 €1,977

3.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,900 €1,690

$1,689 €1,502

12.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,654 €3,250

$3,799 €3,379

-3.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,704 €2,405

$2,766 €2,460

-2.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,129 €5,452

$10.2K €9,101

-40.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,623 €4,112

$6,718 €5,976

-31.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,929 €2,605

$3,150 €2,802

-7.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.68

3.82

-3.66%

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

Last update for Galway: October 17, 2026

Last update for Bray: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Galway

$1.9K 58.1%

Bray

$1.7K 54% 11.1% $211

Eating Out

Galway

$366 11.2%

Bray

$363 11.6% 0.8% $2.8

Groceries & Markets

Galway

$366 11.2%

Bray

$336 10.8% 8.1% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Galway

$312 9.6%

Bray

$342 11% 9.7% $30

Clothing & Footwear

Galway

$170 5.2%

Bray

$166 5.3% 2.4% $4.1

Getting Around

Galway

$83 2.5%

Bray

$133 4.2% 60.4% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Galway

$71 2.2%

Bray

$97 3.1% 37.1% $26

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,293 in Galway versus $2,222 in Bray. 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 8% higher in Bray, 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 $114 in Galway versus $101 in Bray. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $366 vs $336 – making Bray the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇪 Galway

🇮🇪 Bray

🕒 Local time

09:14 9:14 AM

Same time as Galway

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

75,529

33,512

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Galway Bray 200 km

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 Bray: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Galway is pricier by about 5%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,902 per month in Galway and $4,690 in Bray. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,268 in Galway and $3,126 in Bray. That's a gap of about 5%.

Public transport costs about 78% less in Bray. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,268 in Galway and $3,126 in Bray. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Bray – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Bray. 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.