Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Galway and Cavan

For one person, living is cheaper in Cavan: $2,477 a month against $3,184 in Galway, rent and utilities included – about $8,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Galway outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

153

Cost of Living Index in Galway
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Galway Living Index
119

Cost of Living Index in Cavan
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Cavan Living Index

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Galway

🇮🇪 Ireland

$3,184

/mo nomad

Cavan

🇮🇪 Ireland

$2,477

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Galway and in Cavan

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,184 in Galway versus $2,477 in Cavan.

Galway $3,184
Cavan $2,477

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,539 in Galway versus $3,769 in Cavan.

Galway $4,539
Cavan $3,769

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,895 in Galway versus $5,061 in Cavan.

Galway $5,895
Cavan $5,061

Living in Galway is roughly 29% more expensive than in Cavan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Galway 134% above, Cavan 82% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.73 €20.36

$16.56 €14.83

37.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$110 €98.9

$88.7 €79.5

24.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.46 €14.74

$16.90 €15.14

-2.60%

Cappuccino

$4.94 €4.42

$3.31 €2.97

49.24%

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

$2.92 €2.61

$3.44 €3.08

-15.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €2.07

$1.99 €1.78

16.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.89 €7.07

$5.92 €5.30

33.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.63 €5.94

$6.53 €5.85

1.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 €1.42

$1.20 €1.08

32.50%

White Bread (500g)

$2.34 €2.10

$2.23 €2.00

4.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.26 €2.02

$1.58 €1.42

43.04%

Eggs

$4.31 €3.86

$4.33 €3.88

-0.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.38 €14.67

$13.11 €11.74

24.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.93 €9.79

$15.86 €14.21

-31.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.39 €11.99

$9.90 €8.87

35.25%

Apples (1kg)

$3.06 €2.74

$5.62 €5.03

-45.55%

Banana (1kg)

$2.17 €1.95

$2.72 €2.43

-20.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.10 €2.78

$6.85 €6.14

-54.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.05 €3.63

$4.95 €4.43

-18.18%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 €1.85

$2.75 €2.47

-25.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.47 €1.32

$1.15 €1.03

27.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.31 €1.17

$1.25 €1.12

4.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 €1.63

$1.11 €0.99

63.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.40 €18.27

$18.33 €16.42

11.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.02 €12.55

$13.51 €12.10

3.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.50

$4.52 €4.05

-13.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 €4.00

$5.54 €4.96

-19.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.07 €1.85

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.4 €59.5

$310 €277

-78.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.27 €4.72

$5.71 €5.12

-7.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.42 €1.27

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$55.3 €49.56

$11.37 €10.18

386.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.15 €1.92

$2.05 €1.84

4.88%

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

$38.0K €34.1K

$36.1K €32.4K

5.25%

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

$38.4K €34.4K

$36.2K €32.4K

6.21%

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

$245 €220

$244 €219

0.41%

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

$21.31 €19.08

$22.39 €20.05

-4.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.4 €45.99

$49.03 €43.91

4.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.26 €40.53

$110 €98.5

-58.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.38 €20.04

$33.01 €29.56

-32.20%

Cinema Ticket

$13.15 €11.78

$22.75 €20.37

-42.20%

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

$990 €887

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$100 €89.9

$91.0 €81.5

10.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.73 €42.75

$27.63 €24.74

72.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 €97.4

$90.6 €81.1

20.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €104

$33.52 €30.02

246.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,324 €2,082

$1,150 €1,030

102.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,812 €1,623

$901 €807

100.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,534 €3,165

$2,116 €1,895

67.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,733 €2,448

$1,595 €1,429

71.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,352 €3,898

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,324 €2,977

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,933 €2,627

$2,898 €2,595

1.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.68

4.05

-9.14%

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

Last update for Galway: October 26, 2026

Last update for Cavan: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Galway

$1.8K 56.9%

Cavan

$901 36.4% 50.2% $910

Eating Out

Galway

$364 11.4%

Cavan

$287 11.6% 21.1% $77

Groceries & Markets

Galway

$363 11.4%

Cavan

$392 15.8% 8% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Galway

$318 10%

Cavan

$316 12.8% 0.7% $2.2

Clothing & Footwear

Galway

$168 5.3%

Cavan

$109 4.4% 34.9% $59

Getting Around

Galway

$87 2.7%

Cavan

$316 * 12.7% 263% $229

Sport & Entertainment

Galway

$72 2.3%

Cavan

$156 6.3% 117% $84

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,324 in Galway and $1,150 in Cavan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $110 in Galway vs $89 in Cavan. Groceries flip the comparison at $363 vs $392, with Galway cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇮🇪 Galway

🇮🇪 Cavan

🕒 Local time

15:03 3:03 PM

Same time as Galway

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

75,529

11,000

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Galway Cavan 140 km

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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 Cavan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $3,184 in Galway and $2,477 in Cavan, so Cavan is about 22% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $4,775 in Galway and $3,716 in Cavan to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,324 in Galway versus $1,150 in Cavan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Galway pay roughly 7% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you’ll spend $3,184 per month in Galway versus $2,477 in Cavan – Cavan is about 22% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $2,477 in Cavan versus $3,184 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 both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.