Cost of Living Comparison Between Galway and Portlaoise Cost of Living Comparison Between Galway and Portlaoise

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,128 in Galway versus $2,503 in Portlaoise.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,347 in Galway versus $3,575 in Portlaoise.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,566 in Galway versus $4,647 in Portlaoise.

Living in Galway is roughly 25% more expensive than Portlaoise, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.34 €15.77

$18.71 €16.10

-1.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$94.4 €81.2

$70.2 €60.4

34.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.39 €8.94

$10.62 €9.13

-2.17%

Cappuccino

$4.25 €3.65

$4.25 €3.66

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

$2.42 €2.08

$2.44 €2.10

-0.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 €1.40

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.73 €5.79

$6.74 €5.80

-0.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.35 €5.46

$5.76 €4.96

10.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.46 €1.25

2.74%

White Bread (500g)

$2.58 €2.22

$1.05 €0.91

145.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.15 €1.85

$2.16 €1.85

-0.46%

Eggs

$3.93 €3.38

$3.92 €3.37

0.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.59 €10.83

$2.59 €2.23

386.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.62 €9.13

$10.60 €9.12

0.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.09 €10.40

$11.39 €9.80

6.15%

Apples (1kg)

$2.91 €2.50

$2.97 €2.55

-2.02%

Banana (1kg)

$2.09 €1.79

$2.02 €1.74

3.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.86 €2.46

$2.83 €2.44

1.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.49 €3.00

$3.56 €3.06

-1.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.43 €1.23

$1.44 €1.24

-0.69%

Onion (1kg)

$1.47 €1.26

$1.41 €1.21

4.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 €1.20

$1.39 €1.19

0.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.36

$1.67 €1.44

-5.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.77 €17.01

$17.18 €14.78

15.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.39 €12.38

$13.75 €11.83

4.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.99 €4.30

$4.80 €4.13

3.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.06 €4.35

$4.89 €4.21

3.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 €1.91

$2.38 €2.04

-6.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.9 €59.3

$98.3 €84.6

-29.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.03 €4.32

$4.91 €4.22

2.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.33 €1.15

$2.66 €2.29

-50.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$43.73 €37.61

$43.46 €37.39

0.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 €1.80

$2.09 €1.79

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

$42.2K €36.3K

$42.5K €36.6K

-0.87%

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

$39.1K €33.7K

$38.9K €33.5K

0.50%

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

$285 €245

$283 €244

0.44%

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

$21.92 €18.85

$21.90 €18.83

0.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.5 €47.74

$54.4 €46.79

2.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 €49.16

$52.9 €45.46

8.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.68 €7.47

Cinema Ticket

$13.80 €11.87

$10.84 €9.32

27.31%

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

$1,066 €917

$1,062 €914

0.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,946 €6,835

$8,030 €6,908

-1.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.2 €78.4

$89.8 €77.3

1.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.06 €34.46

$38.86 €33.43

3.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 €86.4

$99.3 €85.4

1.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 €91.8

$108 €92.9

-1.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,005 €1,725

$1,489 €1,281

34.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,724 €1,483

$1,249 €1,074

38.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,380 €2,907

$2,345 €2,017

44.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,517 €2,165

$1,946 €1,674

29.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,193 €5,327

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,705 €4,047

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,228 €2,777

$3,210 €2,761

0.58%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Portlaoise: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,005 in Galway and $1,489 in Portlaoise. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Galway pays 1% 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 $70.0 in Portlaoise for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $344 vs $295 per month, with Portlaoise 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 Portlaoise: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Portlaoise 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.

Galway pays 1% more on average, 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: $2,005 in Galway versus $1,489 in Portlaoise. 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 Portlaoise – a meal for two runs $70.0 versus $94.0 in Galway. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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

For families, Portlaoise 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 Portlaoise 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 Portlaoise 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.