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: $3,025 in Galway versus $2,502 in Loughrea.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,255 in Galway versus $3,685 in Loughrea.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,485 in Galway versus $4,868 in Loughrea.

Living in Galway is roughly 21% more expensive than Loughrea, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Galway 126% above, Loughrea 87% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.83 €16.12

$23.37 €20.00

-19.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$94.4 €80.8

$103 €88.6

-8.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.50 €8.98

$12.62 €10.80

-16.80%

Cappuccino

$4.38 €3.75

$3.54 €3.03

23.73%

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

$2.40 €2.06

$2.38 €2.04

0.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 €1.39

$2.16 €1.85

-25.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 €5.88

$5.80 €4.97

18.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.55 €5.61

$4.69 €4.02

39.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 €1.30

$1.68 €1.44

-9.52%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 €2.16

$2.15 €1.84

17.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.14 €1.83

$2.00 €1.71

7.00%

Eggs

$4.07 €3.49

$4.78 €4.09

-14.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.77 €10.93

$3.49 €2.99

265.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.37 €8.88

$6.79 €5.81

52.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.80 €10.10

$11.39 €9.75

3.60%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 €2.58

$3.20 €2.74

-5.94%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 €1.78

$2.15 €1.84

-3.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.80 €2.40

$2.98 €2.55

-6.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.40 €2.91

$4.67 €4.00

-27.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.45 €1.24

$2.17 €1.86

-33.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.41 €1.21

$1.71 €1.46

-17.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.24

$0.77 €0.66

88.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.43

$2.08 €1.78

-19.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.49 €16.68

$20.80 €17.81

-6.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.60 €12.50

$14.22 €12.17

2.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.79 €4.10

$3.58 €3.07

33.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.09 €4.36

$3.78 €3.24

34.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.96

$2.41 €2.07

-5.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.9 €59.0

$98.9 €84.7

-30.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 €4.26

$5.45 €4.66

-8.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.38 €1.18

$2.04 €1.75

-32.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$43.55 €37.28

$38.95 €33.34

11.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.00 €1.71

$1.88 €1.61

6.38%

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

$42.1K €36.1K

$43.3K €37.0K

-2.66%

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

$39.7K €34.0K

$40.6K €34.7K

-2.01%

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

$280 €240

$167 €143

68.09%

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

$21.99 €18.82

$19.99 €17.11

10.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.9 €46.97

$58.3 €49.94

-5.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.5 €48.36

$52.5 €44.96

7.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.74 €7.48

$52.5 €44.97

-83.37%

Cinema Ticket

$14.15 €12.11

$14.99 €12.83

-5.60%

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

$1,057 €905

$1,361 €1,165

-22.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,993 €6,842

$9,453 €8,092

-15.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.9 €78.7

$93.2 €79.8

-1.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.82 €34.08

$49.76 €42.59

-19.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €86.7

$118 €101

-14.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 €92.3

$127 €108

-14.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,024 €1,733

$1,454 €1,245

39.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,719 €1,471

$1,241 €1,062

38.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,303 €2,828

$2,391 €2,046

38.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,589 €2,216

$1,992 €1,705

29.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,276 €5,373

$4,027 €3,447

55.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,813 €4,120

$2,875 €2,461

67.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,219 €2,755

$2,692 €2,304

19.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.8

4.04

18.81%

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

Last update for Galway: April 27, 2026

Last update for Loughrea: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,024 in Galway and $1,454 in Loughrea. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Galway pays 20% 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 $103 in Loughrea. Groceries flip the comparison at $343 vs $300, with Loughrea 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 Loughrea: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Loughrea is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment. The 21% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Galway pays 20% 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: $2,024 in Galway versus $1,454 in Loughrea. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 14% 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 $103 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 $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 21% less than in Galway. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.