Cost of Living Comparison Between Galway and Drogheda Cost of Living Comparison Between Galway and Drogheda

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $3,025 per month in Galway vs $3,357 in Drogheda, rent included.

A couple spends around $4,255 per month in Galway vs $4,532 in Drogheda, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,485 per month in Galway vs $5,707 in Drogheda, rent included.

Galway is about 10% cheaper than Drogheda, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Galway and Drogheda sit above the global median – Galway by 126%, Drogheda by 151%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.83 €16.12

$17.32 €14.83

8.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$94.4 €80.8

$93.7 €80.2

0.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.50 €8.98

$10.37 €8.87

1.25%

Cappuccino

$4.38 €3.75

$4.22 €3.62

3.79%

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

$2.40 €2.06

$2.36 €2.02

1.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 €1.39

$1.55 €1.33

4.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 €5.88

$6.53 €5.59

5.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.55 €5.61

$6.33 €5.42

3.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 €1.30

$1.44 €1.23

5.56%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 €2.16

$2.49 €2.13

1.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.14 €1.83

$1.13 €0.97

89.38%

Eggs

$4.07 €3.49

$4.08 €3.49

-0.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.77 €10.93

$10.47 €8.96

21.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.37 €8.88

$10.32 €8.84

0.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.80 €10.10

$11.89 €10.18

-0.76%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 €2.58

$2.99 €2.56

0.67%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 €1.78

$1.93 €1.65

7.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.80 €2.40

$1.69 €1.44

65.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.40 €2.91

$3.56 €3.05

-4.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.45 €1.24

$1.44 €1.23

0.69%

Onion (1kg)

$1.41 €1.21

$0.92 €0.78

53.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.24

$1.01 €0.86

43.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.43

$1.56 €1.34

7.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.49 €16.68

$18.67 €15.98

4.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.60 €12.50

$14.18 €12.14

2.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.79 €4.10

$3.51 €3.00

36.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.09 €4.36

$3.68 €3.15

38.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.96

$3.06 €2.62

-25.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.9 €59.0

$153 €131

-54.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 €4.26

$4.96 €4.25

0.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.38 €1.18

$1.66 €1.42

-16.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$43.55 €37.28

$44.06 €37.71

-1.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.00 €1.71

$1.98 €1.69

1.01%

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

$42.1K €36.1K

$43.2K €37.0K

-2.52%

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

$39.7K €34.0K

$38.8K €33.2K

2.40%

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

$280 €240

$281 €240

-0.21%

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

$21.99 €18.82

$21.64 €18.53

1.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.9 €46.97

$45.56 €39.00

20.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.5 €48.36

$71.9 €61.5

-21.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.74 €7.48

$69.9 €59.9

-87.50%

Cinema Ticket

$14.15 €12.11

$13.90 €11.90

1.80%

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

$1,057 €905

$1,043 €893

1.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,993 €6,842

$2,054 €1,758

289.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.9 €78.7

$88.6 €75.8

3.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.82 €34.08

$39.56 €33.87

0.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €86.7

$101 €86.1

0.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 €92.3

$106 €90.7

1.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,024 €1,733

$2,369 €2,028

-14.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,719 €1,471

$2,003 €1,714

-14.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,303 €2,828

$3,248 €2,780

1.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,589 €2,216

$2,783 €2,382

-6.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,276 €5,373

$4,145 €3,548

51.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,813 €4,120

$3,251 €2,783

48.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,219 €2,755

$3,395 €2,906

-5.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.8

4.55

5.49%

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

Last update for Galway: April 27, 2026

Last update for Drogheda: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,024 in Galway versus $2,369 in Drogheda. 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 5% higher in Drogheda, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $94.0 in Galway versus $94.0 in Drogheda. Groceries tell a different story – $343 in Galway vs $312 in Drogheda – so Drogheda wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Drogheda: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Drogheda costs about 11% more than Galway, with the gap driven mainly by Getting Around. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,537 per month in Galway and $5,035 in Drogheda. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Galway, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,025 in Galway and $3,357 in Drogheda. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 122% less in Galway. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,025 in Galway and $3,357 in Drogheda. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Galway costs $3,025 versus $3,357 in Drogheda. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Galway. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Drogheda makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.