Cost of Living Comparison Between Galway and Letterkenny Cost of Living Comparison Between Galway and Letterkenny

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,062 in Galway versus $2,154 in Letterkenny.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,298 in Galway versus $3,140 in Letterkenny.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,534 in Galway versus $4,126 in Letterkenny.

Living in Galway is roughly 42% more expensive than Letterkenny, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Galway 128% above, Letterkenny 60% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.19 €15.67

$20.23 €17.43

-10.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$94.8 €81.6

$71.1 €61.3

33.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.27 €8.85

$10.59 €9.13

-3.02%

Cappuccino

$4.33 €3.73

$5.08 €4.37

-14.76%

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

$2.42 €2.09

$2.17 €1.87

11.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 €1.34

$1.63 €1.41

-4.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.79 €5.85

$6.25 €5.39

8.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.39 €5.51

$5.77 €4.97

10.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.69 €1.45

-11.24%

White Bread (500g)

$2.51 €2.16

$2.14 €1.84

17.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.22 €1.91

$1.54 €1.32

44.16%

Eggs

$4.06 €3.50

$4.64 €4.00

-12.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.60 €10.86

$7.74 €6.67

62.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.41 €8.97

$9.47 €8.16

9.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.70 €10.08

$10.94 €9.42

6.95%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 €2.56

$3.53 €3.04

-15.58%

Banana (1kg)

$2.10 €1.81

$2.66 €2.29

-21.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.72 €2.35

$3.61 €3.11

-24.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.37 €2.90

$4.69 €4.04

-28.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.39 €1.20

$2.32 €2.00

-40.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.40 €1.21

$1.49 €1.29

-6.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.25

$1.26 €1.09

15.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 €1.42

$2.44 €2.11

-32.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.77 €17.03

$18.45 €15.90

7.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.13 €12.17

$13.72 €11.82

2.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.74 €4.08

$2.85 €2.45

66.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.87 €4.20

$3.22 €2.78

51.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 €1.91

$2.38 €2.05

-6.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$69.1 €59.5

$56.7 €48.89

21.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.89 €4.21

$5.94 €5.12

-17.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.38 €1.19

$2.07 €1.78

-33.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$43.42 €37.41

$46.27 €39.87

-6.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.97 €1.70

$1.99 €1.72

-1.01%

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

$43.1K €37.1K

$41.3K €35.6K

4.37%

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

$39.7K €34.2K

$34.4K €29.7K

15.30%

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

$286 €246

$188 €162

52.01%

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

$21.68 €18.68

$22.72 €19.57

-4.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.1 €47.45

$50.2 €43.27

9.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 €49.31

$43.69 €37.64

30.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.31 €7.16

$26.50 €22.83

-68.64%

Cinema Ticket

$13.88 €11.96

$10.40 €8.96

33.46%

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

$1,052 €906

$252 €217

316.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,072 €6,955

$10.5K €9,062

-23.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 €77.1

$77.5 €66.8

15.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.49 €34.02

$38.03 €32.76

3.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €88.5

$92.2 €79.5

11.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 €92.7

$75.1 €64.7

43.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,977 €1,704

$1,098 €946

80.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,745 €1,504

$950 €819

83.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,360 €2,895

$1,655 €1,426

103.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,497 €2,151

$1,416 €1,220

76.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,209 €5,350

$4,103 €3,536

51.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,644 €4,001

$3,167 €2,728

46.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,248 €2,798

$1,800 €1,551

80.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.8

4.16

15.38%

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

Last update for Galway: June 8, 2026

Last update for Letterkenny: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,977 in Galway and $1,098 in Letterkenny. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Galway pays 80% 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: $95.0 in Galway vs $71.0 in Letterkenny for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $340 vs $330 per month, with Letterkenny 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 Letterkenny: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Letterkenny is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 42% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Galway pays 80% 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: $1,977 in Galway versus $1,098 in Letterkenny. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 3% higher in Galway. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Letterkenny – a meal for two runs $71.0 versus $95.0 in Galway. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,154 in Letterkenny versus $3,062 in Galway, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Letterkenny but tight or insufficient in Galway. The gap between the two cities makes Letterkenny the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Letterkenny 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 Letterkenny 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 Letterkenny gentler on the wallet – expenses run 42% less than in Galway. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.