Cost of Living Comparison Between Galway and Kilkenny Cost of Living Comparison Between Galway and Kilkenny

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,128 in Galway versus $2,253 in Kilkenny.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,347 in Galway versus $3,211 in Kilkenny.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,566 in Galway versus $4,169 in Kilkenny.

Living in Galway is roughly 39% more expensive than Kilkenny, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Galway 133% above, Kilkenny 68% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.34 €15.77

$16.52 €14.21

11.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$94.4 €81.2

$69.2 €59.5

36.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.39 €8.94

$10.59 €9.11

-1.89%

Cappuccino

$4.25 €3.65

$4.23 €3.64

0.47%

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

$2.42 €2.08

$2.27 €1.96

6.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 €1.40

$1.71 €1.47

-5.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.73 €5.79

$5.99 €5.15

12.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.35 €5.46

$6.97 €6.00

-8.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.15 €0.99

30.43%

White Bread (500g)

$2.58 €2.22

$2.12 €1.82

21.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.15 €1.85

$1.71 €1.47

25.73%

Eggs

$3.93 €3.38

$3.21 €2.76

22.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.59 €10.83

$9.61 €8.26

31.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.62 €9.13

$9.34 €8.03

13.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.09 €10.40

$8.62 €7.41

40.26%

Apples (1kg)

$2.91 €2.50

$2.33 €2.01

24.89%

Banana (1kg)

$2.09 €1.79

$1.73 €1.49

20.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.86 €2.46

$3.41 €2.93

-16.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.49 €3.00

$2.07 €1.78

68.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.43 €1.23

$1.23 €1.06

16.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.47 €1.26

$1.14 €0.98

28.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 €1.20

$1.02 €0.88

37.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.36

$1.02 €0.88

54.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.77 €17.01

$19.06 €16.40

3.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.39 €12.38

$14.07 €12.11

2.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.99 €4.30

$2.96 €2.54

68.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.06 €4.35

$2.97 €2.55

70.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 €1.91

$2.34 €2.01

-5.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.9 €59.3

$98.8 €85.0

-30.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.03 €4.32

$5.31 €4.57

-5.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.33 €1.15

$1.20 €1.03

10.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$43.73 €37.61

$35.64 €30.66

22.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 €1.80

$1.97 €1.69

6.09%

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

$42.2K €36.3K

$38.1K €32.8K

10.55%

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

$39.1K €33.7K

$21.9K €18.8K

78.90%

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

$285 €245

$161 €139

76.51%

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

$21.92 €18.85

$21.78 €18.74

0.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.5 €47.74

$49.23 €42.35

12.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 €49.16

$56.3 €48.45

1.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.68 €7.47

$11.68 €10.04

-25.68%

Cinema Ticket

$13.80 €11.87

$13.84 €11.91

-0.29%

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

$1,066 €917

$994 €855

7.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,946 €6,835

$7,285 €6,266

9.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.2 €78.4

$75.7 €65.1

20.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.06 €34.46

$23.33 €20.07

71.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 €86.4

$83.8 €72.1

19.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 €91.8

$80.1 €68.9

33.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,005 €1,725

$1,447 €1,245

38.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,724 €1,483

$1,212 €1,042

42.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,380 €2,907

$2,394 €2,060

41.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,517 €2,165

$1,681 €1,446

49.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,193 €5,327

$8,496 €7,308

-27.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,705 €4,047

$2,335 €2,008

101.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,228 €2,777

$2,813 €2,420

14.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.8

4.27

12.41%

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

Last update for Galway: June 1, 2026

Last update for Kilkenny: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,005 in Galway and $1,447 in Kilkenny. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Galway pays 15% 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: $94.0 in Galway vs $69.0 in Kilkenny for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $344 vs $271 per month, with Kilkenny cheaper across the board.

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 cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 39% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Galway pays 15% more on average, 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: $2,005 in Galway versus $1,447 in Kilkenny. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 27% higher in Galway. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Kilkenny – a meal for two runs $69.0 versus $94.0 in Galway. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Kilkenny is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, Kilkenny is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Galway, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Galway and Kilkenny are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Kilkenny gentler on the wallet – expenses run 39% less than in Galway. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.