Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Galway and Dun Laoghaire

For one person, living is cheaper in Dun Laoghaire: $2,779 a month against $3,138 in Galway, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Galway, Ireland
Dun Laoghaire, Ireland
Galway
🇮🇪 Ireland
$3,138
/mo nomad
Dun Laoghaire
🇮🇪 Ireland
$2,779
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Galway and in Dun Laoghaire

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

A single person spends $3,138 per month in Galway vs $2,779 in Dun Laoghaire, rent included.

  • Galway $3,138
  • Dun Laoghaire $2,779

A couple spends around $4,521 per month in Galway vs $4,423 in Dun Laoghaire, rent included.

  • Galway $4,521
  • Dun Laoghaire $4,423

A family of three spends $5,904 per month in Galway vs $6,067 in Dun Laoghaire, rent included.

  • Galway $5,904
  • Dun Laoghaire $6,067

Galway costs about 13% more than Dun Laoghaire, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Galway and Dun Laoghaire sit above the global median – Galway by 132%, Dun Laoghaire by 106%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Galway
Dun Laoghaire
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$22.07 €19.66
$22.54 €20.07
-2.09%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$113 €100
$102 €90.9
10.40%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$16.59 €14.77
$13.43 €11.96
23.53%
Cappuccino
$4.94 €4.40
$4.82 €4.29
2.49%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.98 €2.65
$2.98 €2.66
-
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.19 €1.95
$2.17 €1.94
0.92%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.02 €7.14
$7.91 €7.04
1.39%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.69 €5.96
$7.90 €7.03
-15.32%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Galway
Dun Laoghaire
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.63 €1.45
$1.57 €1.40
3.82%
White Bread (500g)
$2.27 €2.02
$2.38 €2.12
-4.62%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.21 €1.96
$2.00 €1.78
10.50%
Eggs
$4.23 €3.77
$4.39 €3.91
-3.64%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.54 €14.72
$10.00 €8.90
65.40%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.99 €9.78
$11.11 €9.89
-1.08%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.41 €11.94
$13.30 €11.84
0.83%
Apples (1kg)
$3.09 €2.75
$2.73 €2.43
13.19%
Banana (1kg)
$2.16 €1.92
$2.26 €2.01
-4.42%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.98 €2.66
$2.71 €2.41
9.96%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.09 €3.64
$4.25 €3.78
-3.76%
Potato (1kg)
$2.07 €1.84
$1.90 €1.69
8.95%
Onion (1kg)
$1.51 €1.35
$1.48 €1.32
2.03%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.27 €1.13
$1.25 €1.11
1.60%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.90 €1.69
$1.85 €1.64
2.70%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$20.46 €18.22
$20.47 €18.23
-0.05%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.16 €12.60
$13.56 €12.08
4.42%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.94 €3.51
$3.48 €3.10
13.22%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.41 €3.92
$3.54 €3.15
24.58%
🚌 Getting Around
Galway
Dun Laoghaire
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.07 €1.84
$2.53 €2.25
-18.18%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$66.0 €58.8
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.95 €4.40
$5.28 €4.70
-6.25%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.51 €1.35
$1.48 €1.32
2.03%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$30.96 €27.56
$38.10 €33.92
-18.74%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.06 €1.84
$2.07 €1.85
-0.48%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.7K €34.5K
$38.8K €34.5K
-0.10%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$37.8K €33.6K
$38.4K €34.2K
-1.65%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Galway
Dun Laoghaire
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$238 €212
$244 €218
-2.78%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$20.74 €18.47
$18.62 €16.58
11.39%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$50.0 €44.52
$51.4 €45.80
-2.80%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Galway
Dun Laoghaire
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$45.88 €40.85
$58.1 €51.7
-21.03%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$22.59 €20.11
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$13.32 €11.86
$13.21 €11.77
0.83%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Galway
Dun Laoghaire
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$990 €882
$1,004 €894
-1.40%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
-
$5,164 €4,598
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Galway
Dun Laoghaire
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$98.7 €87.9
$99.3 €88.4
-0.57%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$48.00 €42.74
$47.20 €42.03
1.69%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$111 €98.6
$111 €99.2
-0.58%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$113 €101
$128 €114
-11.44%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Galway
Dun Laoghaire
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,307 €2,054
$1,466 €1,306
57.32%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,780 €1,585
$1,492 €1,329
19.27%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,642 €3,242
$3,651 €3,251
-0.25%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,750 €2,448
$3,138 €2,794
-12.37%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,098 €3,649
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,152 €2,807
$3,404 €3,031
-7.40%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Galway
Dun Laoghaire
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,887 €2,570
$4,272 €3,803
-32.42%
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: November 3, 2026

Last update for Dun Laoghaire: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Galway
$1.8K
Dun Laoghaire
$1.5K 16.2% $288
Groceries & Markets
Galway
$364
Dun Laoghaire
$337 7.4% $27
Eating Out
Galway
$360
Dun Laoghaire
$354 1.5% $5.4
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Galway
$308
Dun Laoghaire
$315 2% $6.1
Clothing & Footwear
Galway
$167
Dun Laoghaire
$173 4.1% $6.8
Getting Around
Galway
$87
Dun Laoghaire
$23 * 73.7% $64
Sport & Entertainment
Galway
$73
Dun Laoghaire
$85 16.5% $12

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,307 in Galway versus $1,466 in Dun Laoghaire. 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 48% higher in Dun Laoghaire, 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 $102 in Dun Laoghaire. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $364 vs $337 – making Dun Laoghaire the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇮🇪 Galway
🇮🇪 Dun Laoghaire
🕒 Local time
11:07 11:07 AM
11:07 11:07 AM
Same time as Galway
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
75,529
38,761
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 0.89 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Galway Dun Laoghaire 190 km
From you
  • Galway
  • Dun Laoghaire

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 Dun Laoghaire: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Galway and in Dun Laoghaire compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $3,138 in Galway, $2,779 in Dun Laoghaire – Dun Laoghaire comes out roughly 11% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.
What salary covers living expenses in Galway compared to Dun Laoghaire?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,707 per month in Galway and $4,169 in Dun Laoghaire. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Galway and Dun Laoghaire?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Dun Laoghaire, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,466 there versus $2,307 in Galway.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $113 in Galway and $102 in Dun Laoghaire. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 8% more in Galway, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Where should digital nomads live: Galway or Dun Laoghaire?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Dun Laoghaire costs $2,779 versus $3,138 in Galway. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
Is Galway or Dun Laoghaire safer for residents?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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