Cost of Living Comparison Between Galway and Cavan Cost of Living Comparison Between Galway and Cavan

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,062 in Galway versus $2,421 in Cavan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,298 in Galway versus $3,827 in Cavan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,534 in Galway versus $5,234 in Cavan.

Living in Galway is roughly 27% more expensive than Cavan, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Galway 128% above, Cavan 80% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.19 €15.67

$17.21 €14.83

5.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$94.8 €81.6

$92.5 €79.7

2.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.27 €8.85

$17.16 €14.79

-40.15%

Cappuccino

$4.33 €3.73

$3.03 €2.61

42.90%

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

$2.42 €2.09

$3.48 €3.00

-30.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 €1.34

$2.02 €1.74

-23.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.79 €5.85

$6.33 €5.45

7.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.39 €5.51

$6.82 €5.88

-6.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.31 €1.13

14.50%

White Bread (500g)

$2.51 €2.16

$2.37 €2.04

5.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.22 €1.91

$2.01 €1.73

10.45%

Eggs

$4.06 €3.50

$5.40 €4.65

-24.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.60 €10.86

$8.23 €7.09

53.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.41 €8.97

$16.47 €14.19

-36.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.70 €10.08

$12.38 €10.67

-5.49%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 €2.56

$5.90 €5.08

-49.49%

Banana (1kg)

$2.10 €1.81

$2.94 €2.54

-28.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.72 €2.35

$7.04 €6.06

-61.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.37 €2.90

$4.89 €4.21

-31.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.39 €1.20

$2.91 €2.51

-52.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.40 €1.21

$1.18 €1.02

18.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.25

$1.24 €1.07

16.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 €1.42

$1.14 €0.98

44.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.77 €17.03

$18.58 €16.01

6.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.13 €12.17

$14.09 €12.14

0.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.74 €4.08

$4.55 €3.92

4.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.87 €4.20

$5.84 €5.03

-16.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 €1.91

$2.48 €2.13

-10.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$69.1 €59.5

$315 €272

-78.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.89 €4.21

$5.73 €4.94

-14.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.84 €1.58

-25.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$43.42 €37.41

$11.52 €9.93

276.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.97 €1.70

$1.92 €1.66

2.60%

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

$43.1K €37.1K

$38.8K €33.4K

10.94%

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

$39.7K €34.2K

$37.2K €32.0K

6.85%

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

$286 €246

$203 €175

41.04%

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

$21.68 €18.68

$22.96 €19.79

-5.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.1 €47.45

$32.49 €27.99

69.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 €49.31

$90.1 €77.6

-36.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.31 €7.16

$35.26 €30.38

-76.43%

Cinema Ticket

$13.88 €11.96

$23.12 €19.92

-39.97%

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

$1,052 €906

$1,056 €910

-0.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,072 €6,955

$7,735 €6,665

4.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 €77.1

$93.6 €80.6

-4.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.49 €34.02

$28.52 €24.58

38.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €88.5

$79.4 €68.4

29.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 €92.7

$34.59 €29.81

210.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,977 €1,704

$1,181 €1,018

67.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,745 €1,504

$926 €797

88.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,360 €2,895

$2,136 €1,841

57.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,497 €2,151

$1,706 €1,470

46.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,209 €5,350

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,644 €4,001

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,248 €2,798

$3,043 €2,622

6.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.8

4.5

6.67%

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

Last update for Galway: June 8, 2026

Last update for Cavan: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,977 in Galway and $1,181 in Cavan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Galway pays 7% 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: $95.0 in Galway vs $93.0 in Cavan. Groceries flip the comparison at $340 vs $403, with Galway cheaper for home cooking.

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 Cavan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Galway and Cavan differ by about 27% in total monthly costs ($3,062 vs $2,421 including rent). Cavan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Galway pays 7% more on average, 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: $1,977 in Galway versus $1,181 in Cavan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Galway pay roughly 19% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Cavan – a meal for two runs $93.0 versus $95.0 in Galway. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,421 in Cavan versus $3,062 in Galway, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Cavan but tight or insufficient in Galway. The gap between the two cities makes Cavan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 Cavan 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 Cavan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 27% less than in Galway. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.