Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Galway and Limerick

For one person, living is cheaper in Limerick: $2,791 a month against $3,270 in Galway, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

160

Cost of Living Index in Galway
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Galway Living Index
137

Cost of Living Index in Limerick
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Limerick Living Index

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Galway

🇮🇪 Ireland

$3,270

/mo nomad

Limerick

🇮🇪 Ireland

$2,791

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Galway and in Limerick

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,270 in Galway versus $2,791 in Limerick.

Galway $3,270
Limerick $2,791

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,565 in Galway versus $3,934 in Limerick.

Galway $4,565
Limerick $3,934

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,860 in Galway versus $5,077 in Limerick.

Galway $5,860
Limerick $5,077

Living in Galway is roughly 17% more expensive than in Limerick, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Galway 142% above, Limerick 107% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.70 €20.19

$20.04 €17.83

13.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$110 €97.6

$84.5 €75.1

29.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.68 €14.84

$13.42 €11.94

24.29%

Cappuccino

$4.79 €4.26

$4.47 €3.97

7.16%

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

$2.87 €2.56

$2.55 €2.26

12.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 €2.05

$2.21 €1.96

4.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.04 €7.16

$7.35 €6.54

9.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.88 €6.12

$6.71 €5.97

2.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 €1.40

$1.67 €1.49

-5.39%

White Bread (500g)

$2.37 €2.11

$1.79 €1.60

32.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.26 €2.01

$1.83 €1.63

23.50%

Eggs

$4.38 €3.89

$5.48 €4.87

-20.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.67 €14.83

$8.27 €7.35

101.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.04 €9.82

$12.55 €11.16

-12.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.18 €11.72

$14.24 €12.66

-7.44%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 €2.72

$4.21 €3.74

-27.55%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.98

$2.69 €2.40

-17.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.97 €2.65

$3.88 €3.45

-23.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.17 €3.71

$4.05 €3.61

2.96%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 €1.82

$4.43 €3.94

-53.72%

Onion (1kg)

$1.52 €1.36

$2.70 €2.40

-43.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.29 €1.15

$1.25 €1.12

3.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.81 €1.61

$2.28 €2.03

-20.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.14 €17.91

$20.43 €18.17

-1.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.04 €12.49

$16.58 €14.75

-15.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.96 €3.52

$2.95 €2.63

34.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 €3.97

$3.83 €3.41

16.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.10 €1.87

$2.48 €2.21

-15.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.4 €55.5

$59.0 €52.4

5.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.07 €4.51

$5.57 €4.95

-8.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.43 €1.27

$1.43 €1.28

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$56.9 €50.6

$67.1 €59.7

-15.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 €1.86

$2.00 €1.78

4.50%

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

$39.1K €34.8K

$38.7K €34.4K

1.04%

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

$36.4K €32.4K

$37.9K €33.7K

-3.85%

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

$246 €219

$163 €145

51.18%

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

$20.84 €18.54

$21.20 €18.86

-1.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.3 €44.71

$46.06 €40.97

9.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.60 €38.78

$49.76 €44.26

-12.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.58 €20.09

$25.20 €22.42

-10.40%

Cinema Ticket

$16.54 €14.71

$11.23 €9.99

47.28%

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

$1,010 €898

$838 €745

20.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,266 €2,016

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.4 €88.5

$86.2 €76.6

15.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.19 €42.86

$35.71 €31.77

34.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €98.4

$91.3 €81.2

21.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 €101

$94.6 €84.1

20.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,234 €1,987

$1,860 €1,655

20.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,897 €1,687

$1,572 €1,398

20.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,654 €3,251

$2,384 €2,121

53.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,698 €2,400

$2,249 €2,001

19.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,965 €5,306

$4,514 €4,015

32.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,623 €4,112

$3,874 €3,446

19.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,905 €2,584

$3,266 €2,905

-11.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.68

3.6

2.22%

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

Last update for Galway: October 12, 2026

Last update for Limerick: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Galway

$1.9K 58%

Limerick

$1.6K 56.3% 17.1% $325

Groceries & Markets

Galway

$365 11.2%

Limerick

$374 13.4% 2.4% $8.7

Eating Out

Galway

$364 11.1%

Limerick

$323 11.6% 11.1% $40

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Galway

$317 9.7%

Limerick

$230 8.2% 27.5% $87

Clothing & Footwear

Galway

$168 5.1%

Limerick

$138 5% 17.3% $29

Getting Around

Galway

$83 2.5%

Limerick

$82 2.9% 1.7% $1.4

Sport & Entertainment

Galway

$77 2.3%

Limerick

$72 2.6% 5.8% $4.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,234 in Galway and $1,860 in Limerick. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Limerick pays 12% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $110 in Galway vs $84.0 in Limerick. Groceries flip the comparison at $365 vs $374, with Galway cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇮🇪 Galway

🇮🇪 Limerick

🕒 Local time

10:28 10:28 AM

Same time as Galway

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

75,529

94,192

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Limerick: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Limerick is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, clothing, and transport. The 17% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 12% lower in Limerick. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,234 in Galway versus $1,860 in Limerick. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Galway pay roughly 2% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Limerick – a meal for two runs $84.0 versus $110 in Galway. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Limerick is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, Limerick 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 Limerick 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 Limerick gentler on the wallet – expenses run 17% less than in Galway. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.