Cost of Living Comparison Between Galway and Mallow Cost of Living Comparison Between Galway and Mallow

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,012 in Galway versus $2,502 in Mallow.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,270 in Galway versus $3,457 in Mallow.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,527 in Galway versus $4,413 in Mallow.

Living in Galway is roughly 20% more expensive than in Mallow, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Galway 125% above, Mallow 87% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.43 €16.10

$17.67 €15.43

4.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$95.6 €83.6

$80.5 €70.3

18.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.29 €8.99

$10.57 €9.24

-2.65%

Cappuccino

$4.17 €3.65

$3.82 €3.34

9.16%

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

$2.31 €2.02

$2.53 €2.21

-8.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 €1.41

$2.17 €1.89

-25.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.96 €6.08

$6.47 €5.66

7.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.49 €5.67

$5.03 €4.39

29.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 €1.31

$1.38 €1.21

8.70%

White Bread (500g)

$2.55 €2.23

$1.31 €1.14

94.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 €1.92

$1.54 €1.35

42.86%

Eggs

$4.00 €3.49

$3.08 €2.69

29.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.49 €10.91

$11.22 €9.81

11.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.50 €9.17

$11.68 €10.20

-10.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.15 €10.61

$11.96 €10.45

1.59%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 €2.64

$2.64 €2.31

14.39%

Banana (1kg)

$2.00 €1.75

$1.53 €1.34

30.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.83 €2.47

$2.51 €2.20

12.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.40 €2.97

$2.74 €2.40

24.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.44 €1.26

$0.90 €0.79

60.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.43 €1.25

$0.70 €0.61

104.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.38 €1.21

$2.23 €1.95

-38.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.46

$0.78 €0.68

114.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.25 €16.82

$23.01 €20.11

-16.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.02 €12.25

$13.64 €11.91

2.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.76 €4.16

$4.12 €3.60

15.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.99 €4.36

$1.13 €0.99

341.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.32 €2.03

$2.44 €2.13

-4.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$69.5 €60.7

$97.5 €85.2

-28.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.05 €4.41

$5.82 €5.08

-13.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.38 €1.21

$2.11 €1.84

-34.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.64 €37.25

$29.44 €25.72

44.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.00 €1.74

$2.02 €1.76

-0.99%

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

$41.6K €36.3K

$57.4K €50.1K

-27.50%

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

$39.0K €34.1K

$46.2K €40.4K

-15.67%

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

$280 €245

$233 €204

20.07%

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

$21.89 €19.13

$14.79 €12.92

48.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.9 €47.97

$46.23 €40.39

18.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.3 €49.22

$52.2 €45.64

7.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.62 €7.53

Cinema Ticket

$13.77 €12.03

$11.49 €10.04

19.84%

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

$1,074 €938

$1,061 €927

1.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,143 €7,115

$7,640 €6,675

6.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.9 €77.6

$91.7 €80.1

-3.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.24 €35.16

$42.22 €36.89

-4.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.9

$87.8 €76.7

17.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 €94.6

$79.6 €69.6

36.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,977 €1,727

$1,409 €1,231

40.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,781 €1,556

$1,276 €1,115

39.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,265 €2,852

$2,097 €1,832

55.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,522 €2,204

$1,879 €1,641

34.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,224 €5,438

$3,923 €3,428

58.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,731 €4,134

$917 €801

415.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,060 €2,673

$3,319 €2,900

-7.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.8

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

Last update for Galway: July 14, 2026

Last update for Mallow: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,977 in Galway and $1,409 in Mallow. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mallow pays 8% 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 $80.0 in Mallow for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $342 vs $292 per month, with Mallow 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 Mallow: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mallow is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 20% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 8% lower in Mallow. 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 $1,409 in Mallow. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 17% higher in Galway. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Mallow – a meal for two runs $80.0 versus $96.0 in Galway. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,502 in Mallow versus $3,012 in Galway, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mallow but tight or insufficient in Galway. The gap between the two cities makes Mallow the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Mallow 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 Mallow 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 Mallow gentler on the wallet – expenses run 20% less than in Galway. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.