Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Galway and Loughrea

For one person, living is cheaper in Loughrea: $2,512 a month against $3,270 in Galway, rent and utilities included – about $9,100 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
123

Cost of Living Index in Loughrea
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Loughrea Living Index

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Galway

🇮🇪 Ireland

$3,270

/mo nomad

Loughrea

🇮🇪 Ireland

$2,512

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Galway and in Loughrea

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,270 in Galway versus $2,512 in Loughrea.

Galway $3,270
Loughrea $2,512

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,565 in Galway versus $3,724 in Loughrea.

Galway $4,565
Loughrea $3,724

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,860 in Galway versus $4,936 in Loughrea.

Galway $5,860
Loughrea $4,936

Living in Galway is roughly 30% more expensive than in Loughrea, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Galway 142% above, Loughrea 86% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.70 €20.19

$23.22 €20.65

-2.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$110 €97.6

$102 €90.9

7.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.68 €14.84

$13.62 €12.12

22.47%

Cappuccino

$4.79 €4.26

$3.38 €3.01

41.72%

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

$2.87 €2.56

$2.17 €1.93

32.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 €2.05

$2.23 €1.99

3.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.04 €7.15

$5.45 €4.85

47.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.88 €6.12

$4.39 €3.91

56.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 €1.40

$1.66 €1.48

-4.82%

White Bread (500g)

$2.37 €2.11

$2.26 €2.01

4.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.26 €2.01

$1.98 €1.76

14.14%

Eggs

$4.38 €3.89

$4.82 €4.29

-9.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.67 €14.83

$3.45 €3.07

383.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.04 €9.82

$6.65 €5.91

66.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.18 €11.72

$11.08 €9.86

18.95%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 €2.72

$2.70 €2.40

12.96%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.98

$2.24 €1.99

-0.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.97 €2.64

$2.72 €2.41

9.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.17 €3.71

$4.44 €3.95

-6.08%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 €1.82

$1.86 €1.65

10.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.52 €1.36

$1.54 €1.37

-1.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.29 €1.15

$0.76 €0.67

69.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.81 €1.61

$2.08 €1.85

-12.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.14 €17.91

$21.25 €18.90

-5.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.04 €12.49

$13.16 €11.71

6.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.96 €3.52

$3.44 €3.06

15.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 €3.97

$3.43 €3.05

30.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.10 €1.87

$2.66 €2.36

-21.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.4 €55.5

$55.0 €48.92

13.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.07 €4.51

$5.23 €4.65

-3.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.43 €1.27

$1.52 €1.35

-5.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$56.9 €50.6

$37.00 €32.91

53.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 €1.86

$1.78 €1.58

17.42%

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

$39.1K €34.7K

$38.6K €34.3K

1.16%

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

$36.4K €32.4K

$39.4K €35.0K

-7.57%

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

$246 €219

$164 €146

49.68%

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

$20.84 €18.53

$18.15 €16.14

14.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.3 €44.71

$52.0 €46.22

-3.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.60 €38.77

$59.6 €53.0

-26.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.58 €20.09

$49.26 €43.81

-54.16%

Cinema Ticket

$16.54 €14.71

$15.35 €13.65

7.75%

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

$1,010 €898

$1,255 €1,116

-19.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,363 €4,770

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.4 €88.4

$89.5 €79.6

11.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.19 €42.86

$49.98 €44.45

-3.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €98.4

$113 €101

-2.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 €101

$128 €114

-10.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,234 €1,987

$1,598 €1,422

39.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,897 €1,687

$1,326 €1,179

43.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,654 €3,250

$2,530 €2,250

44.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,698 €2,400

$2,089 €1,858

29.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,965 €5,306

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,623 €4,111

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,905 €2,584

$2,538 €2,257

14.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.68

3.82

-3.66%

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

Last update for Galway: October 12, 2026

Last update for Loughrea: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Galway

$1.9K 58%

Loughrea

$1.3K 52.8% 30.1% $571

Groceries & Markets

Galway

$365 11.2%

Loughrea

$290 11.6% 20.5% $75

Eating Out

Galway

$364 11.1%

Loughrea

$321 12.8% 11.8% $43

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Galway

$317 9.7%

Loughrea

$235 9.3% 26.1% $83

Clothing & Footwear

Galway

$168 5.1%

Loughrea

$171 6.8% 2.2% $3.7

Getting Around

Galway

$83 2.5%

Loughrea

$78 3.1% 5.5% $4.6

Sport & Entertainment

Galway

$77 2.3%

Loughrea

$90 3.6% 17.7% $14

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,234 in Galway and $1,598 in Loughrea. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Galway pays 14% 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: $110 in Galway vs $102 in Loughrea for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $365 vs $290 per month, with Loughrea cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇪 Galway

🇮🇪 Loughrea

🕒 Local time

07:30 7:30 AM

Same time as Galway

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

75,529

5,600

💱 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 Loughrea: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Loughrea is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and transport. The 30% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 14% 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: $2,234 in Galway versus $1,598 in Loughrea. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 26% 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 $102 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. 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 30% less than in Galway. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.