Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Galway and Kilkenny

For one person, living is cheaper in Kilkenny: $2,340 a month against $3,184 in Galway, rent and utilities included – about $10,100 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
113

Cost of Living Index in Kilkenny
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Kilkenny Living Index

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Galway

🇮🇪 Ireland

$3,184

/mo nomad

Kilkenny

🇮🇪 Ireland

$2,340

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Galway and in Kilkenny

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,184 in Galway versus $2,340 in Kilkenny.

Galway $3,184
Kilkenny $2,340

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,539 in Galway versus $3,280 in Kilkenny.

Galway $4,539
Kilkenny $3,280

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,895 in Galway versus $4,221 in Kilkenny.

Galway $5,895
Kilkenny $4,221

Living in Galway is roughly 36% more expensive than in Kilkenny, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Galway 134% above, Kilkenny 72% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.73 €20.42

$16.55 €14.87

37.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$110 €99.2

$67.4 €60.5

63.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.46 €14.78

$10.02 €9.00

64.27%

Cappuccino

$4.94 €4.44

$4.28 €3.85

15.42%

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

$2.92 €2.62

$2.98 €2.68

-2.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €2.08

$2.18 €1.96

5.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.89 €7.09

$6.57 €5.90

20.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.63 €5.96

$6.50 €5.84

2.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 €1.43

$1.33 €1.20

19.55%

White Bread (500g)

$2.34 €2.10

$2.35 €2.11

-0.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.26 €2.03

$1.53 €1.37

47.71%

Eggs

$4.31 €3.87

$4.38 €3.94

-1.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.38 €14.72

$10.50 €9.43

56.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.93 €9.82

$5.72 €5.14

91.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.39 €12.03

$6.82 €6.13

96.33%

Apples (1kg)

$3.06 €2.75

$2.27 €2.04

34.80%

Banana (1kg)

$2.17 €1.95

$2.23 €2.00

-2.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.10 €2.79

$3.03 €2.72

2.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.05 €3.64

$2.85 €2.56

42.11%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 €1.85

$1.23 €1.11

67.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.47 €1.32

$1.14 €1.03

28.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.31 €1.18

$0.85 €0.76

54.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 €1.63

$1.83 €1.65

-0.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.40 €18.33

$20.42 €18.34

-0.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.02 €12.59

$14.18 €12.74

-1.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.51

$3.82 €3.43

2.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 €4.01

$4.37 €3.93

2.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.07 €1.86

$2.71 €2.44

-23.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.4 €59.6

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.27 €4.73

$5.34 €4.79

-1.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.42 €1.28

$1.41 €1.27

0.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$55.3 €49.71

$56.4 €50.7

-1.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.15 €1.93

$2.04 €1.83

5.39%

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

$38.0K €34.2K

$38.2K €34.3K

-0.50%

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

$38.4K €34.5K

0.12%

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

$245 €220

$181 €162

35.97%

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

$21.31 €19.14

$20.72 €18.62

2.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.4 €46.13

$51.8 €46.55

-0.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.26 €40.65

$69.4 €62.4

-34.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.38 €20.10

Cinema Ticket

$13.15 €11.82

$13.53 €12.16

-2.81%

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

$990 €890

$877 €788

12.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$100 €90.2

$102 €91.4

-1.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.73 €42.88

$36.88 €33.13

29.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 €97.7

$111 €100

-2.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €104

$94.0 €84.5

23.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,324 €2,088

$1,534 €1,378

51.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,812 €1,627

$1,252 €1,125

44.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,534 €3,175

$2,620 €2,353

34.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,733 €2,455

$1,818 €1,633

50.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,352 €3,909

$8,172 €7,341

-46.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,324 €2,986

$2,279 €2,047

45.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,933 €2,635

$2,765 €2,484

6.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.68

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

Last update for Galway: October 26, 2026

Last update for Kilkenny: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Galway

$1.8K 56.9%

Kilkenny

$1.3K 53.5% 30.9% $560

Eating Out

Galway

$364 11.4%

Kilkenny

$280 12% 23% $84

Groceries & Markets

Galway

$363 11.4%

Kilkenny

$280 12% 23% $84

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Galway

$318 10%

Kilkenny

$253 10.8% 20.4% $65

Clothing & Footwear

Galway

$168 5.3%

Kilkenny

$155 6.6% 7.8% $13

Getting Around

Galway

$87 2.7%

Kilkenny

$23 * 1% 73.3% $64

Sport & Entertainment

Galway

$72 2.3%

Kilkenny

$96 4.1% 34.8% $25

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,324 in Galway and $1,534 in Kilkenny. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Galway pays 6% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $110 in Galway vs $67 in Kilkenny for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $363 vs $280 per month, with Kilkenny cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇪 Galway

🇮🇪 Kilkenny

🕒 Local time

22:14 10:14 PM

Same time as Galway

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

75,529

26,500

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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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 Kilkenny: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kilkenny is about 27% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 6% higher in Galway, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,324 in Galway versus $1,534 in Kilkenny. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $990 in Galway versus $877 in Kilkenny. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Kilkenny – a meal for two runs $67 versus $110 in Galway. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Galway and Kilkenny are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Kilkenny wins on affordability, Galway on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.