Cost of Living Comparison Between Galway and Derry Cost of Living Comparison Between Galway and Derry

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,128 in Galway versus $1,834 in Derry.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,347 in Galway versus $2,671 in Derry.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,566 in Galway versus $3,507 in Derry.

Living in Galway is roughly 71% more expensive than Derry, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Galway 133% above, Derry 37% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.34 €15.77

$13.76 €11.83

33.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$94.4 €81.2

$61.6 €53.0

53.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.39 €8.94

$8.43 €7.25

23.25%

Cappuccino

$4.25 €3.65

$4.18 €3.59

1.67%

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

$2.42 €2.08

$2.07 €1.78

16.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 €1.40

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.73 €5.79

$5.28 €4.54

27.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.35 €5.46

$5.45 €4.69

16.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.49 €1.29

0.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.58 €2.22

$1.61 €1.38

60.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.15 €1.85

$2.17 €1.87

-0.92%

Eggs

$3.93 €3.38

$3.57 €3.07

10.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.59 €10.83

$12.80 €11.01

-1.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.62 €9.13

$10.45 €8.99

1.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.09 €10.40

$11.90 €10.23

1.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.91 €2.50

$2.99 €2.57

-2.68%

Banana (1kg)

$2.09 €1.79

$1.60 €1.38

30.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.86 €2.46

$2.83 €2.44

1.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.49 €3.00

$3.53 €3.04

-1.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.43 €1.23

$1.10 €0.95

30.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.47 €1.26

$1.45 €1.25

1.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 €1.20

$1.10 €0.95

27.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.36

$1.60 €1.38

-1.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.77 €17.01

$16.05 €13.80

23.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.39 €12.38

$10.98 €9.45

31.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.99 €4.30

$2.33 €2.01

114.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.06 €4.35

$2.74 €2.35

84.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 €1.91

$2.49 €2.14

-10.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.9 €59.3

$97.3 €83.7

-29.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.03 €4.32

$5.07 €4.36

-0.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.33 €1.15

$1.34 €1.15

-0.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$43.73 €37.61

$43.22 €37.18

1.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 €1.80

$2.00 €1.72

4.50%

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

$42.2K €36.3K

-0.06%

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

$39.1K €33.7K

$39.3K €33.8K

-0.34%

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

$285 €245

$220 €189

29.62%

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

$21.92 €18.85

$21.63 €18.61

1.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.5 €47.74

$54.8 €47.17

1.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 €49.16

$34.24 €29.46

66.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.68 €7.47

$26.98 €23.21

-67.83%

Cinema Ticket

$13.80 €11.87

$10.89 €9.36

26.72%

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

$1,066 €917

$1,040 €894

2.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,946 €6,835

$8,246 €7,093

-3.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.2 €78.4

$89.9 €77.3

1.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.06 €34.46

$39.45 €33.94

1.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 €86.4

$102 €87.6

-1.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 €91.8

$75.7 €65.1

40.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,005 €1,725

$730 €628

174.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,724 €1,483

$719 €618

139.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,380 €2,907

$1,288 €1,108

162.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,517 €2,165

$1,037 €892

142.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,193 €5,327

$2,424 €2,085

155.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,705 €4,047

$1,783 €1,533

163.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,228 €2,777

$2,514 €2,163

28.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.8

4.18

14.83%

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

Last update for Galway: June 1, 2026

Last update for Derry: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,005 in Galway and $730 in Derry. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Galway pays 28% 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: $94.0 in Galway vs $62.0 in Derry for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $344 vs $303 per month, with Derry cheaper across the board.

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 Derry: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Derry is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 71% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Galway pays 28% 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: $2,005 in Galway versus $730 in Derry. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,066 in Galway versus $1,040 in Derry. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 14% higher in Galway. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,834 in Derry versus $3,128 in Galway, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Derry but tight or insufficient in Galway. The gap between the two cities makes Derry the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Derry is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Galway, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Galway and Derry 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 Derry gentler on the wallet – expenses run 71% less than in Galway. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.