Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Galway and Navan

For one person, living is cheaper in Navan: $2,810 a month against $3,184 in Galway, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Galway outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Galway, Ireland
Navan, Ireland
Galway
🇮🇪 Ireland
$3,184
/mo nomad
Navan
🇮🇪 Ireland
$2,810
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Galway and in Navan

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,184 in Galway versus $2,810 in Navan.

  • Galway $3,184
  • Navan $2,810

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,539 in Galway versus $4,448 in Navan.

  • Galway $4,539
  • Navan $4,448

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,895 in Galway versus $6,086 in Navan.

  • Galway $5,895
  • Navan $6,086

Living in Galway is roughly 13% more expensive than in Navan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Galway 134% above, Navan 106% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Galway
Navan
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$22.73 €20.36
$20.15 €18.05
12.80%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$110 €98.9
$84.1 €75.3
31.31%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$16.46 €14.74
$11.27 €10.09
46.05%
Cappuccino
$4.94 €4.42
$4.48 €4.01
10.27%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.92 €2.61
$2.62 €2.35
11.45%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.31 €2.07
$2.20 €1.97
5.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.89 €7.07
$7.07 €6.33
11.60%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.63 €5.94
$6.85 €6.13
-3.21%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Galway
Navan
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.59 €1.42
$1.61 €1.44
-1.24%
White Bread (500g)
$2.34 €2.10
$1.79 €1.60
30.73%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.26 €2.02
$2.30 €2.06
-1.74%
Eggs
$4.31 €3.86
$4.48 €4.01
-3.79%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.38 €14.67
$8.33 €7.46
96.64%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.93 €9.79
$10.48 €9.38
4.29%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.39 €11.99
$14.04 €12.57
-4.63%
Apples (1kg)
$3.06 €2.74
$5.55 €4.97
-44.86%
Banana (1kg)
$2.17 €1.95
$2.57 €2.30
-15.56%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.10 €2.78
$3.42 €3.06
-9.36%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.05 €3.63
$4.07 €3.64
-0.49%
Potato (1kg)
$2.06 €1.85
$3.27 €2.93
-37.00%
Onion (1kg)
$1.47 €1.32
$2.80 €2.51
-47.50%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.31 €1.17
$1.25 €1.12
4.80%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.82 €1.63
$2.29 €2.05
-20.52%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$20.40 €18.27
$17.61 €15.77
15.84%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.02 €12.55
$16.99 €15.22
-17.48%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.91 €3.50
$3.04 €2.73
28.62%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.46 €4.00
$3.83 €3.43
16.45%
🚌 Getting Around
Galway
Navan
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.07 €1.85
$3.75 €3.36
-44.80%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$66.4 €59.5
$294 €263
-77.41%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.27 €4.72
$5.12 €4.58
2.93%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.42 €1.27
$3.82 €3.42
-62.83%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$55.3 €49.56
$49.48 €44.32
11.84%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.15 €1.92
$2.00 €1.79
7.50%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.0K €34.1K
$39.4K €35.3K
-3.47%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.4K €34.4K
$38.1K €34.1K
0.85%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Galway
Navan
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$245 €220
$161 €144
52.75%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$21.31 €19.08
$27.04 €24.22
-21.19%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$51.4 €45.99
$45.46 €40.71
12.96%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Galway
Navan
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$45.26 €40.53
$42.12 €37.72
7.45%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$22.38 €20.04
$19.36 €17.33
15.60%
Cinema Ticket
$13.15 €11.78
$11.02 €9.87
19.33%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Galway
Navan
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$990 €887
$964 €863
2.74%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
-
$9,626 €8,621
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Galway
Navan
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$100 €89.9
$86.8 €77.7
15.61%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$47.73 €42.75
$36.14 €32.36
32.07%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$109 €97.4
$89.7 €80.3
21.20%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$116 €104
$97.0 €86.8
19.75%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Galway
Navan
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,324 €2,082
$1,560 €1,397
48.97%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,812 €1,623
$1,360 €1,218
33.21%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,534 €3,165
$3,337 €2,988
5.92%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,733 €2,448
$2,807 €2,514
-2.63%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,352 €3,898
$4,134 €3,702
5.28%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,324 €2,977
$3,561 €3,189
-6.66%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Galway
Navan
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,933 €2,627
$4,705 €4,214
-37.66%
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 Navan: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Galway
$1.8K
Navan
$1.4K 24.9% $452
Eating Out
Galway
$364
Navan
$317 12.9% $47
Groceries & Markets
Galway
$363
Navan
$363 0.2% $0.7
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Galway
$318
Navan
$233 26.7% $85
Clothing & Footwear
Galway
$168
Navan
$139 17% $29
Getting Around
Galway
$87
Navan
$333 283% $246
Sport & Entertainment
Galway
$72
Navan
$64 10.3% $7.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,324 in Galway and $1,560 in Navan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Navan pays 60% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $110 in Galway vs $84 in Navan. Groceries flip the comparison at $363 vs $363, with Galway cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇮🇪 Galway
🇮🇪 Navan
🕒 Local time
12:43 12:43 PM
12:43 12:43 PM
Same time as Galway
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
75,529
33,886
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Galway Navan 160 km
From you
  • Galway
  • Navan

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Navan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Navan cheaper than Galway?
Navan is about 12% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, clothing, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Galway or Navan?
On paper, salaries run 38% lower in Galway. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
What is the rent difference between Galway and Navan?
Rent for a central apartment: $2,324 in Galway versus $1,560 in Navan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $990 in Galway versus $964 in Navan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Is eating out cheaper in Galway or in Navan?
Dining out is cheaper in Navan – a meal for two runs $84 versus $110 in Galway. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Is $2,500 enough to cover costs in Galway or in Navan?
Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Navan is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.
Is it better to live in Galway or in Navan?
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.
Which city is safer, Galway or Navan?
Safety-wise, Galway and Navan are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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