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: $3,391 in Galway versus $2,652 in Derry.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,706 in Galway versus $3,233 in Derry.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,020 in Galway versus $3,813 in Derry.

Living in Galway is roughly 28% more expensive than in Derry, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Galway 148% above, Derry 94% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.91 €19.97

$21.91 €19.10

4.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$117 €102

$53.4 €46.58

118.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$17.05 €14.86

$9.53 €8.30

78.91%

Cappuccino

$5.12 €4.46

$4.64 €4.04

10.34%

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

$3.04 €2.65

$1.78 €1.55

70.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 €1.97

$1.73 €1.51

30.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.00 €6.97

$5.30 €4.62

50.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.94 €6.05

$6.57 €5.73

5.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 €1.42

$1.53 €1.33

6.54%

White Bread (500g)

$2.45 €2.14

$1.53 €1.34

60.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 €1.96

$2.17 €1.89

3.69%

Eggs

$4.51 €3.93

$3.70 €3.23

21.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.09 €14.90

$13.81 €12.04

23.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.14 €9.71

$10.37 €9.04

7.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.07 €12.27

$13.65 €11.90

3.08%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 €2.76

$3.06 €2.66

3.59%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$1.67 €1.46

40.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.20 €2.79

$3.08 €2.68

3.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 €3.65

$4.36 €3.80

-3.90%

Potato (1kg)

$2.07 €1.81

$1.11 €0.96

86.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.56 €1.36

$1.41 €1.23

10.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.32 €1.15

$1.09 €0.95

21.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.97 €1.72

$1.88 €1.64

4.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$21.03 €18.33

$21.20 €18.48

-0.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.18 €12.36

$10.87 €9.48

30.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.22 €3.68

$2.43 €2.12

73.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 €4.08

$2.68 €2.33

74.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.21 €1.93

$2.52 €2.20

-12.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.6 €54.6

$95.6 €83.3

-34.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.35 €4.66

$5.42 €4.72

-1.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.46 €1.28

$1.53 €1.33

-4.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$58.5 €51.0

$56.7 €49.46

3.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 €1.92

$2.11 €1.84

4.27%

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

$40.4K €35.2K

$39.4K €34.4K

2.43%

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

$37.6K €32.8K

$38.4K €33.5K

-2.15%

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

$246 €215

-0.14%

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

$23.03 €20.07

$23.06 €20.10

-0.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.2 €45.48

$53.6 €46.70

-2.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.21 €39.41

$36.10 €31.47

25.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.37 €20.38

$27.04 €23.57

-13.57%

Cinema Ticket

$17.46 €15.22

$13.59 €11.84

28.48%

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

$1,056 €920

$1,215 €1,059

-13.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,083 €5,302

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €89.7

$105 €91.2

-1.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.26 €42.94

$50.3 €43.86

-2.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 €101

$100 €87.4

15.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €105

$74.7 €65.1

61.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,310 €2,014

$1,637 €1,427

41.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,025 €1,766

$1,413 €1,232

43.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,726 €3,248

$1,374 €1,198

171.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,813 €2,453

$1,132 €987

148.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,191 €5,397

$2,382 €2,077

159.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,786 €4,172

$1,751 €1,527

173.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,001 €2,616

$2,711 €2,363

10.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.68

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

Last update for Galway: September 14, 2026

Last update for Derry: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,310 in Galway and $1,637 in Derry. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Galway pays 11% 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: $117 in Galway vs $53.0 in Derry for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $378 vs $320 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. The 28% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 11% higher in Galway, 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: $2,310 in Galway versus $1,637 in Derry. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,056 in Galway versus $1,215 in Derry. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 18% higher in Galway. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Derry is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 28% less than in Galway. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.