Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Galway and Mullingar

For one person, living is cheaper in Mullingar: $2,754 a month against $3,184 in Galway, rent and utilities included – about $5,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

153

Cost of Living Index in Galway
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Galway Living Index
132

Cost of Living Index in Mullingar
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Mullingar Living Index

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Galway

🇮🇪 Ireland

$3,184

/mo nomad

Mullingar

🇮🇪 Ireland

$2,754

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Galway and in Mullingar

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,184 in Galway versus $2,754 in Mullingar.

Galway $3,184
Mullingar $2,754

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,539 in Galway versus $3,853 in Mullingar.

Galway $4,539
Mullingar $3,853

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,895 in Galway versus $4,953 in Mullingar.

Galway $5,895
Mullingar $4,953

Living in Galway is roughly 16% more expensive than in Mullingar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Galway 134% above, Mullingar 102% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.73 €20.37

$20.43 €18.31

11.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$110 €98.9

$84.0 €75.3

31.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.46 €14.75

$13.54 €12.13

21.57%

Cappuccino

$4.94 €4.43

$4.73 €4.24

4.44%

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

$2.92 €2.61

$2.53 €2.27

15.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €2.07

$2.23 €2.00

3.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.89 €7.07

$7.40 €6.63

6.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.63 €5.94

$6.68 €5.99

-0.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 €1.42

$1.53 €1.37

3.92%

White Bread (500g)

$2.34 €2.10

$1.20 €1.08

95.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.26 €2.03

$1.76 €1.57

28.41%

Eggs

$4.31 €3.86

$3.99 €3.57

8.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.38 €14.68

$8.47 €7.59

93.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.93 €9.80

$12.26 €10.99

-10.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.39 €12.00

$13.96 €12.51

-4.08%

Apples (1kg)

$3.06 €2.74

$4.15 €3.72

-26.27%

Banana (1kg)

$2.17 €1.95

$1.99 €1.79

9.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.10 €2.78

$1.58 €1.42

96.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.05 €3.63

$3.94 €3.53

2.79%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 €1.85

$2.27 €2.03

-9.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.47 €1.32

$1.25 €1.12

17.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.31 €1.17

$1.30 €1.17

0.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 €1.63

$1.10 €0.98

65.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.40 €18.28

$20.56 €18.42

-0.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.02 €12.56

$11.22 €10.06

24.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.50

$2.84 €2.55

37.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 €4.00

$3.42 €3.07

30.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.07 €1.85

$1.73 €1.55

19.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.4 €59.5

$68.1 €61.1

-2.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.27 €4.72

$5.54 €4.97

-4.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.42 €1.27

$1.46 €1.31

-2.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$55.3 €49.59

$66.7 €59.7

-16.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.15 €1.92

$2.08 €1.87

3.37%

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

$38.0K €34.1K

$38.3K €34.3K

-0.62%

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

$38.4K €34.4K

$38.2K €34.2K

0.61%

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

$245 €220

$161 €145

52.06%

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

$21.31 €19.09

$20.54 €18.41

3.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.4 €46.01

$45.88 €41.11

11.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.26 €40.55

$59.5 €53.4

-23.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.38 €20.05

$33.02 €29.59

-32.22%

Cinema Ticket

$13.15 €11.79

$11.03 €9.88

19.22%

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

$990 €887

$850 €762

16.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,224 €1,993

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$100 €89.9

$88.0 €78.8

14.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.73 €42.77

$36.04 €32.30

32.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 €97.4

$89.1 €79.8

22.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €104

$94.6 €84.8

22.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,324 €2,083

$1,738 €1,558

33.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,812 €1,623

$1,579 €1,415

14.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,534 €3,167

$2,444 €2,190

44.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,733 €2,449

$2,224 €1,993

22.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,352 €3,900

$3,976 €3,563

9.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,324 €2,979

$3,795 €3,401

-12.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,933 €2,629

$2,610 €2,339

12.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.68

3.6

2.22%

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

Last update for Galway: October 26, 2026

Last update for Mullingar: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Galway

$1.8K 56.9%

Mullingar

$1.6K 57.3% 12.9% $233

Eating Out

Galway

$364 11.4%

Mullingar

$330 12% 9.3% $34

Groceries & Markets

Galway

$363 11.4%

Mullingar

$309 11.2% 15% $54

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Galway

$318 10%

Mullingar

$228 8.3% 28.4% $90

Clothing & Footwear

Galway

$168 5.3%

Mullingar

$138 5% 17.5% $29

Getting Around

Galway

$87 2.7%

Mullingar

$88 3.2% 1% $0.9

Sport & Entertainment

Galway

$72 2.3%

Mullingar

$82 3% 14% $10

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,324 in Galway and $1,738 in Mullingar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Galway pays 12% 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 $84 in Mullingar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $363 vs $309 per month, with Mullingar cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇪 Galway

🇮🇪 Mullingar

🕒 Local time

04:37 4:37 AM

Same time as Galway

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

75,529

22,667

💱 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 Mullingar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mullingar is about 14% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 12% 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: $2,324 in Galway versus $1,738 in Mullingar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 18% higher in Galway. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Mullingar – a meal for two runs $84 versus $110 in Galway. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Mullingar is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

It comes down to priorities – Mullingar wins on affordability, Galway on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.