Cost of Living Comparison Between Galway and Maynooth Cost of Living Comparison Between Galway and Maynooth

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,128 in Galway versus $3,663 in Maynooth.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,347 in Galway versus $5,232 in Maynooth.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,566 in Galway versus $6,800 in Maynooth.

Living in Galway costs roughly 15% less than in Maynooth, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Galway 133% above, Maynooth 173% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.34 €15.77

$20.24 €17.41

-9.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$94.4 €81.2

$93.7 €80.6

0.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.39 €8.94

$10.62 €9.13

-2.17%

Cappuccino

$4.25 €3.65

$4.35 €3.74

-2.30%

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

$2.42 €2.08

$2.45 €2.11

-1.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 €1.40

$2.21 €1.90

-26.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.73 €5.79

$6.80 €5.85

-1.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.35 €5.46

$6.82 €5.87

-6.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.69 €1.45

-11.24%

White Bread (500g)

$2.58 €2.22

$2.18 €1.88

18.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.15 €1.85

$2.09 €1.79

2.87%

Eggs

$3.93 €3.38

$4.61 €3.97

-14.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.59 €10.83

$10.62 €9.14

18.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.62 €9.13

$12.11 €10.42

-12.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.09 €10.40

$12.50 €10.75

-3.28%

Apples (1kg)

$2.91 €2.50

$3.18 €2.74

-8.49%

Banana (1kg)

$2.09 €1.79

$2.26 €1.94

-7.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.86 €2.46

$2.95 €2.54

-3.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.49 €3.00

$4.54 €3.90

-23.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.43 €1.23

$2.26 €1.94

-36.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.47 €1.26

$1.57 €1.35

-6.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 €1.20

$1.36 €1.17

2.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.36

$2.06 €1.77

-23.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.77 €17.01

$18.69 €16.08

5.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.39 €12.38

$14.12 €12.15

1.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.99 €4.30

$2.88 €2.48

73.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.06 €4.35

$3.28 €2.82

54.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 €1.91

$3.37 €2.90

-34.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.9 €59.3

$125 €107

-44.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.03 €4.32

$5.60 €4.82

-10.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.33 €1.15

$2.13 €1.83

-37.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$43.73 €37.61

$39.26 €33.77

11.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 €1.80

$2.08 €1.79

0.48%

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

$42.2K €36.3K

$43.1K €37.0K

-2.10%

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

$39.1K €33.7K

$39.9K €34.3K

-1.88%

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

$285 €245

$183 €158

55.37%

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

$21.92 €18.85

$24.26 €20.87

-9.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.5 €47.74

$58.3 €50.1

-4.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 €49.16

$60.6 €52.1

-5.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.68 €7.47

$23.41 €20.13

-62.92%

Cinema Ticket

$13.80 €11.87

$11.43 €9.83

20.73%

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

$1,066 €917

$1,061 €913

0.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,946 €6,835

$9,747 €8,384

-18.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.2 €78.4

$93.5 €80.5

-2.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.06 €34.46

$49.91 €42.94

-19.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 €86.4

$97.7 €84.0

2.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 €91.8

$98.7 €84.9

8.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,005 €1,725

$2,593 €2,231

-22.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,724 €1,483

$2,358 €2,029

-26.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,380 €2,907

$5,713 €4,914

-40.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,517 €2,165

$3,773 €3,245

-33.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,193 €5,327

$7,726 €6,646

-19.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,705 €4,047

$5,400 €4,645

-12.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,228 €2,777

$4,500 €3,871

-28.25%

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 Maynooth: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,005 in Galway and $2,593 in Maynooth. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Maynooth pays 39% 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 $94.0 in Maynooth for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $344 vs $349 per month, with Galway 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 Maynooth: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Galway is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 17% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Maynooth earns 39% 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 $2,593 in Maynooth. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 1% higher in Maynooth. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

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

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Galway is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, Galway is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Maynooth, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Galway and Maynooth 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 Galway gentler on the wallet – expenses run 17% less than in Maynooth. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.