Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Galway and Donegal

For one person, living is cheaper in Donegal: $1,877 a month against $3,184 in Galway, rent and utilities included – about $15,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

153

Cost of Living Index in Galway
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Galway Living Index
90

Cost of Living Index in Donegal
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Donegal Living Index

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Galway

🇮🇪 Ireland

$3,184

/mo nomad

Donegal

🇮🇪 Ireland

$1,877

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Galway and in Donegal

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

A single person spends $3,184 per month in Galway vs $1,877 in Donegal, rent included.

Galway $3,184
Donegal $1,877

A couple spends around $4,539 per month in Galway vs $2,775 in Donegal, rent included.

Galway $4,539
Donegal $2,775

A family of three spends $5,895 per month in Galway vs $3,673 in Donegal, rent included.

Galway $5,895
Donegal $3,673

Galway costs about 70% more than Donegal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Galway and Donegal sit above the global median – Galway by 134%, Donegal by 38%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.73 €20.36

$20.37 €18.24

11.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$110 €98.9

$84.0 €75.3

31.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.46 €14.74

$5.74 €5.14

186.76%

Cappuccino

$4.94 €4.42

$2.85 €2.55

73.33%

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

$2.92 €2.61

$1.71 €1.53

70.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €2.07

$1.14 €1.02

102.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.89 €7.07

$7.31 €6.55

7.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.63 €5.94

$6.61 €5.92

0.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 €1.42

$1.61 €1.44

-1.24%

White Bread (500g)

$2.34 €2.10

$1.81 €1.62

29.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.26 €2.02

$1.82 €1.63

24.18%

Eggs

$4.31 €3.86

$3.36 €3.01

28.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.38 €14.67

$7.74 €6.93

111.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.93 €9.79

$12.61 €11.30

-13.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.39 €11.99

$13.33 €11.94

0.45%

Apples (1kg)

$3.06 €2.74

$2.28 €2.04

34.21%

Banana (1kg)

$2.17 €1.95

$1.66 €1.48

30.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.10 €2.78

$1.35 €1.21

129.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.05 €3.63

$4.15 €3.72

-2.41%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 €1.85

$1.36 €1.21

51.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.47 €1.32

$2.82 €2.52

-47.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.31 €1.17

$1.30 €1.16

0.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 €1.63

$2.07 €1.85

-12.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.40 €18.27

$20.88 €18.70

-2.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.02 €12.55

$16.80 €15.05

-16.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.50

$3.04 €2.72

28.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 €4.00

$2.78 €2.49

60.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.07 €1.85

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.4 €59.5

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.27 €4.72

$5.49 €4.92

-4.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.42 €1.27

$1.51 €1.35

-5.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$55.3 €49.56

$66.3 €59.4

-16.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.15 €1.92

$2.00 €1.79

7.50%

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

$38.0K €34.1K

$39.5K €35.4K

-3.64%

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

$38.4K €34.4K

$37.6K €33.7K

2.22%

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

$245 €220

$166 €149

47.94%

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

$21.31 €19.08

$20.98 €18.79

1.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.4 €45.99

$44.62 €39.96

15.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.26 €40.53

$56.5 €50.6

-19.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.38 €20.04

Cinema Ticket

$13.15 €11.78

$11.32 €10.14

16.17%

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

$990 €887

$849 €760

16.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,265 €2,029

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$100 €89.9

$73.1 €65.5

37.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.73 €42.75

$36.54 €32.73

30.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 €97.4

$77.7 €69.6

39.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €104

$97.0 €86.9

19.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,324 €2,082

$1,108 €992

109.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,812 €1,623

$827 €740

119.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,534 €3,165

$1,595 €1,428

121.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,733 €2,448

$1,238 €1,108

120.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,352 €3,898

$1,699 €1,521

156.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,324 €2,977

$1,107 €992

200.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,933 €2,627

$4,241 €3,798

-30.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.68

3.6

2.22%

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

Last update for Galway: October 26, 2026

Last update for Donegal: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Galway

$1.8K 56.9%

Donegal

$827 44.1% 54.4% $985

Eating Out

Galway

$364 11.4%

Donegal

$275 14.7% 24.4% $89

Groceries & Markets

Galway

$363 11.4%

Donegal

$323 17.2% 11.1% $40

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Galway

$318 10%

Donegal

$232 12.3% 27.2% $87

Clothing & Footwear

Galway

$168 5.3%

Donegal

$128 6.8% 23.7% $40

Getting Around

Galway

$87 2.7%

Donegal

$13 * 0.7% 85% $74

Sport & Entertainment

Galway

$72 2.3%

Donegal

$79 4.2% 10.6% $7.6

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,324 in Galway versus $1,108 in Donegal. 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 45% higher in Donegal, 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 $110 in Galway versus $84 in Donegal. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $363 vs $323 – making Donegal the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇪 Galway

🇮🇪 Donegal

🕒 Local time

15:09 3:09 PM

Same time as Galway

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

75,529

2,600

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Galway Donegal 170 km

From you

Galway
Donegal

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 Donegal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Galway is pricier by about 70%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,775 per month in Galway and $2,815 in Donegal. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Donegal, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,108 there versus $2,324 in Galway.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,184 in Galway and $1,877 in Donegal. That makes Donegal about 41% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $990 per month in Galway and $849 in Donegal. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Donegal, where all-in costs run around $1,877, than in Galway at $3,184. In Donegal it covers expenses comfortably, while in Galway it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.