Cost of Living Comparison Between Galway and Limerick Cost of Living Comparison Between Galway and Limerick

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,012 in Galway versus $2,851 in Limerick.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,270 in Galway versus $3,902 in Limerick.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,527 in Galway versus $4,953 in Limerick.

Living in Galway is roughly 6% more expensive than in Limerick, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Galway 125% above, Limerick 113% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.43 €16.10

$20.05 €17.52

-8.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$95.6 €83.6

$91.0 €79.5

5.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.29 €8.99

$10.57 €9.24

-2.65%

Cappuccino

$4.17 €3.65

$4.32 €3.77

-3.47%

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

$2.31 €2.02

$2.11 €1.85

9.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 €1.41

$1.65 €1.44

-2.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.96 €6.08

$7.10 €6.20

-1.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.49 €5.67

$6.78 €5.93

-4.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 €1.31

$1.63 €1.43

-7.98%

White Bread (500g)

$2.55 €2.23

$2.14 €1.87

19.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 €1.92

$1.55 €1.35

41.94%

Eggs

$4.00 €3.49

$4.50 €3.94

-11.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.49 €10.91

$7.55 €6.59

65.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.50 €9.17

$13.23 €11.56

-20.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.15 €10.61

$12.46 €10.89

-2.49%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 €2.64

$3.59 €3.13

-15.88%

Banana (1kg)

$2.00 €1.75

$2.77 €2.42

-27.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.83 €2.47

$3.63 €3.17

-22.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.40 €2.97

$4.37 €3.82

-22.20%

Potato (1kg)

$1.44 €1.26

$2.27 €1.98

-36.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.43 €1.25

$1.57 €1.37

-8.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.38 €1.21

$1.25 €1.10

10.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.46

$2.41 €2.11

-30.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.25 €16.82

$18.61 €16.26

3.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.02 €12.25

$17.02 €14.87

-17.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.76 €4.16

$2.74 €2.39

73.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.99 €4.36

$3.32 €2.90

50.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.32 €2.03

$2.48 €2.17

-6.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$69.5 €60.7

$53.5 €46.74

29.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.05 €4.41

$5.88 €5.14

-14.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.38 €1.21

$1.16 €1.01

18.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.64 €37.25

$70.5 €61.6

-39.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.00 €1.74

$2.02 €1.77

-0.99%

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

$41.6K €36.3K

$43.0K €37.6K

-3.23%

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

$39.0K €34.1K

$39.1K €34.1K

-0.22%

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

$280 €245

$189 €165

48.32%

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

$21.89 €19.13

$22.70 €19.84

-3.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.9 €47.97

$50.5 €44.12

8.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.3 €49.22

$53.1 €46.37

6.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.62 €7.53

$7.66 €6.69

12.53%

Cinema Ticket

$13.77 €12.03

$11.46 €10.01

20.16%

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

$1,074 €938

$977 €853

9.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,143 €7,115

$2,277 €1,990

257.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.9 €77.6

$76.7 €67.0

15.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.24 €35.16

$37.82 €33.04

6.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.9

$99.2 €86.7

3.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 €94.6

$74.7 €65.3

44.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,977 €1,727

$2,056 €1,796

-3.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,781 €1,556

$1,661 €1,451

7.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,265 €2,852

$2,619 €2,288

24.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,522 €2,204

$2,258 €1,973

11.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,224 €5,438

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,731 €4,134

$3,057 €2,671

54.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,060 €2,673

$3,284 €2,870

-6.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.8

4.53

5.96%

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

Last update for Galway: July 14, 2026

Last update for Limerick: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,977 in Galway and $2,056 in Limerick. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Limerick pays 7% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $96.0 in Galway vs $91.0 in Limerick. Groceries flip the comparison at $342 vs $357, with Galway cheaper for home cooking.

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 Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 6% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 7% 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: $1,977 in Galway versus $2,056 in Limerick. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Galway pay roughly 5% 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 $91.0 versus $96.0 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 6% less than in Galway. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.