Cost of Living Comparison Between Galway and Malahide Cost of Living Comparison Between Galway and Malahide

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,128 in Galway versus $2,506 in Malahide.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,347 in Galway versus $3,745 in Malahide.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,566 in Galway versus $4,985 in Malahide.

Living in Galway is roughly 25% more expensive than Malahide, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Galway 133% above, Malahide 87% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.34 €15.77

$21.69 €18.66

-15.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$94.4 €81.2

$106 €90.9

-10.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.39 €8.94

$10.36 €8.91

0.29%

Cappuccino

$4.25 €3.65

$4.28 €3.68

-0.70%

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

$2.42 €2.08

$2.35 €2.02

2.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 €1.40

$1.92 €1.65

-15.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.73 €5.79

$7.03 €6.04

-4.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.35 €5.46

$6.09 €5.24

4.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.58 €1.36

-5.06%

White Bread (500g)

$2.58 €2.22

$2.02 €1.74

27.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.15 €1.85

$2.01 €1.73

6.97%

Eggs

$3.93 €3.38

$4.19 €3.60

-6.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.59 €10.83

$10.53 €9.06

19.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.62 €9.13

$11.18 €9.61

-5.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.09 €10.40

$11.83 €10.17

2.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.91 €2.50

$3.02 €2.59

-3.64%

Banana (1kg)

$2.09 €1.79

$2.00 €1.72

4.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.86 €2.46

Tomato (1kg)

$3.49 €3.00

$3.80 €3.27

-8.16%

Potato (1kg)

$1.43 €1.23

$2.16 €1.85

-33.80%

Onion (1kg)

$1.47 €1.26

$1.51 €1.30

-2.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 €1.20

$1.36 €1.17

2.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.36

$1.93 €1.66

-18.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.77 €17.01

$18.48 €15.90

6.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.39 €12.38

$15.27 €13.13

-5.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.99 €4.30

$3.37 €2.90

48.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.06 €4.35

$3.79 €3.26

33.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 €1.91

$2.36 €2.03

-5.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.9 €59.3

$98.6 €84.8

-30.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.03 €4.32

$5.07 €4.36

-0.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.33 €1.15

$1.92 €1.65

-30.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$43.73 €37.61

$35.17 €30.25

24.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 €1.80

$1.97 €1.70

6.09%

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

$42.2K €36.3K

$41.7K €35.8K

1.16%

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

$39.1K €33.7K

$39.6K €34.0K

-1.11%

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

$285 €245

$217 €187

31.23%

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

$21.92 €18.85

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.5 €47.74

$51.1 €43.96

8.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 €49.16

$52.6 €45.21

8.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.68 €7.47

Cinema Ticket

$13.80 €11.87

$13.66 €11.75

1.02%

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

$1,066 €917

$1,058 €910

0.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,946 €6,835

$7,753 €6,669

2.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.2 €78.4

$89.3 €76.8

2.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.06 €34.46

$39.05 €33.59

2.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 €86.4

$98.9 €85.0

1.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 €91.8

$106 €91.2

0.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,005 €1,725

$1,472 €1,266

36.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,724 €1,483

$1,269 €1,091

35.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,380 €2,907

$2,348 €2,019

43.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,517 €2,165

$1,932 €1,662

30.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,193 €5,327

$4,461 €3,837

38.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,705 €4,047

$3,082 €2,651

52.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,228 €2,777

$5,761 €4,956

-43.96%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Malahide: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,005 in Galway and $1,472 in Malahide. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Malahide pays 78% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $94.0 in Galway vs $106 in Malahide. Groceries flip the comparison at $344 vs $334, with Malahide 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 Malahide: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Malahide is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 25% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Malahide earns 78% less. 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: $2,005 in Galway versus $1,472 in Malahide. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 3% higher in Galway. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Malahide – a meal for two runs $106 versus $94.0 in Galway. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,506 in Malahide versus $3,128 in Galway, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Malahide but tight or insufficient in Galway. The gap between the two cities makes Malahide the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Malahide 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 Malahide 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 Malahide gentler on the wallet – expenses run 25% less than in Galway. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.