Cost of Living Comparison Between Galway and Loughrea Cost of Living Comparison Between Galway and Loughrea

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,398 in Galway versus $2,692 in Loughrea.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,790 in Galway versus $3,916 in Loughrea.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,181 in Galway versus $5,140 in Loughrea.

Living in Galway is roughly 26% more expensive than in Loughrea, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Galway 148% above, Loughrea 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.73 €19.44

$22.90 €19.59

-0.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$117 €100

$106 €90.6

10.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$17.40 €14.88

$14.02 €12.00

24.11%

Cappuccino

$5.15 €4.41

$3.50 €2.99

47.14%

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

$3.06 €2.61

$2.37 €2.03

29.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 €2.02

$2.24 €1.92

5.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.90 €6.75

$5.63 €4.82

40.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.13 €6.10

$4.57 €3.91

56.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 €1.55

$1.68 €1.43

7.74%

White Bread (500g)

$2.41 €2.06

$2.27 €1.94

6.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 €1.92

$2.12 €1.81

5.66%

Eggs

$4.62 €3.95

$4.91 €4.20

-5.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.53 €15.00

$3.53 €3.02

396.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.16 €9.55

$7.15 €6.12

56.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.03 €12.00

$11.68 €9.99

20.12%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 €2.61

$3.01 €2.57

1.33%

Banana (1kg)

$2.25 €1.92

$2.30 €1.97

-2.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.10 €2.65

$3.02 €2.58

2.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.24 €3.63

$4.68 €4.00

-9.40%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 €1.76

$1.95 €1.67

5.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 €1.36

$1.60 €1.37

-0.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.32 €1.13

$0.78 €0.67

69.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 €1.69

$2.08 €1.78

-4.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.90 €17.87

$22.33 €19.10

-6.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 €12.19

$13.99 €11.96

1.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.06 €3.47

$3.47 €2.97

17.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 €4.06

$3.58 €3.06

32.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 €1.91

$2.54 €2.17

-12.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.5 €55.1

$115 €98.5

-44.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.49 €4.69

$5.32 €4.55

3.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.47 €1.25

$1.60 €1.37

-8.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$57.8 €49.44

$38.98 €33.34

48.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.11 €1.81

$1.83 €1.56

15.30%

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

$39.7K €33.9K

$39.9K €34.1K

-0.65%

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

$38.8K €33.2K

$39.4K €33.7K

-1.49%

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

$255 €218

$170 €145

49.92%

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

$23.46 €20.06

$19.07 €16.31

23.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.2 €45.49

$59.0 €50.5

-9.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.99 €39.34

$56.8 €48.57

-19.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.51 €20.11

$52.0 €44.44

-54.74%

Cinema Ticket

$17.26 €14.76

$15.62 €13.36

10.50%

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

$1,050 €898

$1,344 €1,150

-21.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,471 €4,680

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.1

$92.4 €79.0

14.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.31 €42.18

$53.6 €45.84

-7.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 €96.0

$116 €99.4

-3.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.3

$122 €104

-4.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,334 €1,997

$1,594 €1,363

46.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,973 €1,688

$1,383 €1,183

42.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,812 €3,261

$2,517 €2,153

51.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,781 €2,379

$2,163 €1,850

28.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,187 €5,292

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,791 €4,098

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,183 €2,723

$2,676 €2,289

18.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.68

3.81

-3.41%

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

Last update for Galway: August 18, 2026

Last update for Loughrea: August 18, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,334 in Galway and $1,594 in Loughrea. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Galway pays 19% 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: $117 in Galway vs $106 in Loughrea for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $379 vs $303 per month, with Loughrea 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 Loughrea: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Loughrea is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out. The 26% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 19% 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: $2,334 in Galway versus $1,594 in Loughrea. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 25% higher in Galway. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Loughrea – a meal for two runs $106 versus $117 in Galway. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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

For families, Loughrea 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 Loughrea 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 Loughrea gentler on the wallet – expenses run 26% less than in Galway. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.