Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Galway and Dublin

For one person, living is cheaper in Galway: $3,184 a month against $3,629 in Dublin, rent and utilities included – about $5,300 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
175

Cost of Living Index in Dublin
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Dublin Living Index

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Galway

🇮🇪 Ireland

$3,184

/mo nomad

Dublin

🇮🇪 Ireland

$3,629

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Galway and in Dublin

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

A single person spends $3,184 per month in Galway vs $3,629 in Dublin, rent included.

Galway $3,184
Dublin $3,629

A couple spends around $4,539 per month in Galway vs $5,130 in Dublin, rent included.

Galway $4,539
Dublin $5,130

A family of three spends $5,895 per month in Galway vs $6,631 in Dublin, rent included.

Galway $5,895
Dublin $6,631

Galway is about 12% cheaper than Dublin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Galway and Dublin sit above the global median – Galway by 134%, Dublin by 167%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.73 €20.36

$23.23 €20.81

-2.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$110 €98.9

$102 €91.3

8.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.46 €14.74

$13.28 €11.89

23.95%

Cappuccino

$4.94 €4.42

$4.91 €4.39

0.61%

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

$2.92 €2.61

$2.98 €2.67

-2.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €2.07

$2.18 €1.95

5.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.89 €7.07

$7.92 €7.10

-0.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.63 €5.94

$7.76 €6.95

-14.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 €1.42

$1.63 €1.46

-2.45%

White Bread (500g)

$2.34 €2.10

$2.42 €2.17

-3.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.26 €2.02

$2.06 €1.85

9.71%

Eggs

$4.31 €3.86

$4.92 €4.41

-12.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.38 €14.67

$9.86 €8.83

66.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.93 €9.79

$12.50 €11.20

-12.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.39 €11.99

$16.23 €14.54

-17.50%

Apples (1kg)

$3.06 €2.74

$2.81 €2.52

8.90%

Banana (1kg)

$2.17 €1.95

$2.22 €1.98

-2.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.10 €2.78

$2.81 €2.52

10.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.05 €3.63

$5.15 €4.61

-21.36%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 €1.85

$1.86 €1.67

10.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.47 €1.32

$1.46 €1.30

0.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.31 €1.17

$1.32 €1.18

-0.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 €1.63

$2.11 €1.89

-13.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.40 €18.27

$20.86 €18.68

-2.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.02 €12.55

$13.24 €11.86

5.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.50

$3.43 €3.07

13.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 €4.00

$3.51 €3.14

27.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.07 €1.85

$2.29 €2.05

-9.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.4 €59.5

$106 €95.0

-37.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.27 €4.72

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.42 €1.27

$1.49 €1.34

-4.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$55.3 €49.56

$38.05 €34.08

45.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.15 €1.92

$2.10 €1.88

2.38%

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

$38.0K €34.1K

$38.4K €34.4K

-1.02%

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

$38.4K €34.4K

$37.8K €33.8K

1.78%

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

$245 €220

$269 €241

-8.62%

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

$21.31 €19.08

$18.56 €16.62

14.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.4 €45.99

$53.1 €47.58

-3.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.26 €40.53

$63.8 €57.1

-29.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.38 €20.04

$20.81 €18.64

7.54%

Cinema Ticket

$13.15 €11.78

$15.64 €14.00

-15.92%

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

$990 €887

$1,269 €1,136

-21.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.4K €12.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$100 €89.9

$105 €94.4

-4.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.73 €42.75

$51.1 €45.73

-6.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 €97.4

$114 €102

-4.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €104

$131 €117

-11.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,324 €2,082

$2,475 €2,216

-6.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,812 €1,623

$2,162 €1,936

-16.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,534 €3,165

$4,319 €3,869

-18.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,733 €2,448

$3,331 €2,983

-17.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,352 €3,898

$8,467 €7,583

-48.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,324 €2,977

$5,920 €5,302

-43.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,933 €2,627

$3,706 €3,319

-20.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.68

3.81

-3.41%

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

Last update for Galway: October 26, 2026

Last update for Dublin: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Galway

$1.8K 56.9%

Dublin

$2.2K 59.6% 19.3% $350

Eating Out

Galway

$364 11.4%

Dublin

$360 9.9% 1% $3.8

Groceries & Markets

Galway

$363 11.4%

Dublin

$363 10% 0% $0

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Galway

$318 10%

Dublin

$340 9.4% 7% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Galway

$168 5.3%

Dublin

$181 5% 7.6% $13

Getting Around

Galway

$87 2.7%

Dublin

$128 3.5% 47% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Galway

$72 2.3%

Dublin

$95 2.6% 32.8% $23

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,324 in Galway versus $2,475 in Dublin. 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 26% higher in Dublin. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $110 in Galway versus $102 in Dublin. Groceries tell a different story – $363 in Galway vs $363 in Dublin – so Galway wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇮🇪 Galway

🇮🇪 Dublin

🕒 Local time

08:16 8:16 AM

Same time as Galway

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

75,529

588,233 Capital

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

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From you

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Dublin

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 Dublin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,184 in Galway, $3,629 in Dublin – Galway comes out roughly 12% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,775 per month in Galway and $5,444 in Dublin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $2,324 in Galway and $2,475 in Dublin. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,184 in Galway and $3,629 in Dublin. That makes Galway about 12% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $990 per month in Galway and $1,269 in Dublin. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,184 in Galway and $3,629 in Dublin. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Galway costs $3,184 versus $3,629 in Dublin. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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

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