Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Galway and Drogheda

For one person, living is cheaper in Drogheda: $3,014 a month against $3,138 in Galway, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Galway outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

152

Cost of Living Index in Galway
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Galway Living Index
145

Cost of Living Index in Drogheda
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Drogheda Living Index

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Galway

🇮🇪 Ireland

$3,138

/mo nomad

Drogheda

🇮🇪 Ireland

$3,014

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Galway and in Drogheda

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

A single person spends $3,138 per month in Galway vs $3,014 in Drogheda, rent included.

Galway $3,138
Drogheda $3,014

A couple spends around $4,521 per month in Galway vs $4,402 in Drogheda, rent included.

Galway $4,521
Drogheda $4,402

A family of three spends $5,904 per month in Galway vs $5,790 in Drogheda, rent included.

Galway $5,904
Drogheda $5,790

Galway costs about 4% more than Drogheda, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Galway and Drogheda sit above the global median – Galway by 132%, Drogheda by 123%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.07 €19.66

$18.30 €16.29

20.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$113 €100

$89.9 €80.0

25.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.59 €14.77

$11.49 €10.23

44.39%

Cappuccino

$4.94 €4.40

$4.17 €3.71

18.47%

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

$2.98 €2.65

$2.94 €2.62

1.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 €1.95

$2.30 €2.05

-4.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.02 €7.14

$6.88 €6.13

16.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.69 €5.96

$6.61 €5.89

1.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 €1.45

$1.56 €1.39

4.49%

White Bread (500g)

$2.27 €2.02

$2.34 €2.08

-2.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.21 €1.96

$1.12 €1.00

97.32%

Eggs

$4.23 €3.77

$4.19 €3.73

0.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.54 €14.72

$10.19 €9.07

62.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.99 €9.78

$10.71 €9.54

2.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.41 €11.94

$13.66 €12.16

-1.83%

Apples (1kg)

$3.09 €2.75

$3.04 €2.71

1.64%

Banana (1kg)

$2.16 €1.92

$1.86 €1.66

16.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.98 €2.66

$1.82 €1.62

63.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.09 €3.64

$4.10 €3.65

-0.24%

Potato (1kg)

$2.07 €1.84

$1.77 €1.57

16.95%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 €1.35

$1.08 €0.96

39.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.27 €1.13

$1.03 €0.92

23.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 €1.69

$1.57 €1.40

21.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.46 €18.22

$20.04 €17.84

2.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.16 €12.60

$13.28 €11.83

6.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.94 €3.51

$3.41 €3.03

15.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 €3.92

$3.62 €3.22

21.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.07 €1.84

$2.91 €2.59

-28.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.0 €58.8

$215 €191

-69.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.95 €4.40

$4.89 €4.36

1.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 €1.35

$1.52 €1.36

-0.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.96 €27.56

$31.98 €28.47

-3.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.84

$2.10 €1.87

-1.90%

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

$38.7K €34.5K

$38.6K €34.3K

0.45%

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

$37.8K €33.6K

$38.3K €34.1K

-1.48%

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

$238 €212

$241 €214

-1.26%

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

$20.74 €18.47

$20.64 €18.37

0.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.0 €44.52

$44.18 €39.33

13.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.88 €40.85

$75.5 €67.3

-39.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.59 €20.11

$66.7 €59.4

-66.15%

Cinema Ticket

$13.32 €11.86

$13.53 €12.05

-1.55%

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

$990 €882

$1,005 €895

-1.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,040 €1,816

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$98.7 €87.9

$101 €90.3

-2.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.00 €42.74

$48.12 €42.85

-0.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €98.6

$110 €98.3

0.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 €101

-0.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,307 €2,054

$1,855 €1,652

24.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,780 €1,585

$1,579 €1,406

12.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,642 €3,242

$3,139 €2,795

16.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,750 €2,448

$2,555 €2,275

7.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,098 €3,649

$3,949 €3,516

3.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,152 €2,807

$2,878 €2,562

9.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,887 €2,570

$3,484 €3,102

-17.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.68

4.35

-15.40%

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

Last update for Galway: November 3, 2026

Last update for Drogheda: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Galway

$1.8K 56.7%

Drogheda

$1.6K 52.4% 11.3% $201

Groceries & Markets

Galway

$364 11.6%

Drogheda

$321 10.7% 11.9% $43

Eating Out

Galway

$360 11.5%

Drogheda

$299 9.9% 16.8% $60

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Galway

$308 9.8%

Drogheda

$305 10.1% 0.9% $2.9

Clothing & Footwear

Galway

$167 5.3%

Drogheda

$168 5.6% 0.8% $1.3

Getting Around

Galway

$87 2.8%

Drogheda

$239 7.9% 175% $152

Sport & Entertainment

Galway

$73 2.3%

Drogheda

$103 3.4% 41.5% $30

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,307 in Galway versus $1,855 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 21% higher in Drogheda, 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 $113 in Galway versus $90 in Drogheda. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $364 vs $321 – making Drogheda the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇪 Galway

🇮🇪 Drogheda

🕒 Local time

02:33 2:33 AM

Same time as Galway

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

75,529

44,135

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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

Galway costs about 4% more than Drogheda, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,707 per month in Galway and $4,520 in Drogheda. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Drogheda, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,855 there versus $2,307 in Galway.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,138 in Galway and $3,014 in Drogheda. That makes Drogheda about 4% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 69% less in Galway. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,138 in Galway and $3,014 in Drogheda. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Galway has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $3,014 in Drogheda to $3,138 in Galway. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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