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: $3,012 in Galway versus $2,573 in Portlaoise.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,270 in Galway versus $3,607 in Portlaoise.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,527 in Galway versus $4,641 in Portlaoise.

Living in Galway is roughly 17% more expensive than in Portlaoise, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Galway 125% above, Portlaoise 93% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.43 €16.10

$18.20 €15.90

1.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$95.6 €83.6

$68.4 €59.8

39.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.29 €8.99

$10.39 €9.07

-0.96%

Cappuccino

$4.17 €3.65

$4.16 €3.64

0.24%

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

$2.31 €2.02

$2.36 €2.06

-2.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 €1.41

$1.54 €1.34

4.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.96 €6.08

$6.98 €6.10

-0.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.49 €5.67

$5.95 €5.20

9.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 €1.31

$1.45 €1.27

3.45%

White Bread (500g)

$2.55 €2.23

$1.01 €0.88

152.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 €1.92

$2.22 €1.94

-0.90%

Eggs

$4.00 €3.49

$3.99 €3.49

0.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.49 €10.91

$2.70 €2.36

362.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.50 €9.17

$10.29 €8.99

2.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.15 €10.61

$11.50 €10.05

5.65%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 €2.64

$3.01 €2.63

0.33%

Banana (1kg)

$2.00 €1.75

$2.07 €1.81

-3.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.83 €2.47

$2.75 €2.40

2.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.40 €2.97

$3.42 €2.99

-0.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.44 €1.26

Onion (1kg)

$1.43 €1.25

$1.45 €1.27

-1.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.38 €1.21

$1.39 €1.22

-0.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.46

$1.62 €1.41

3.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.25 €16.82

$17.10 €14.94

12.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.02 €12.25

$13.89 €12.14

0.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.76 €4.16

$5.02 €4.39

-5.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.99 €4.36

$5.09 €4.45

-1.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.32 €2.03

$2.40 €2.10

-3.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$69.5 €60.7

$98.5 €86.0

-29.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.05 €4.41

$4.91 €4.29

2.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.38 €1.21

$2.74 €2.39

-49.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.64 €37.25

$42.59 €37.22

0.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.00 €1.74

$2.06 €1.80

-2.91%

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

$41.6K €36.3K

$42.3K €36.9K

-1.53%

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

$39.0K €34.1K

$38.8K €33.9K

0.41%

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

$280 €245

$282 €246

-0.59%

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

$21.89 €19.13

$21.55 €18.83

1.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.9 €47.97

$56.1 €49.02

-2.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.3 €49.22

$51.3 €44.84

9.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.62 €7.53

Cinema Ticket

$13.77 €12.03

$11.18 €9.77

23.17%

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

$1,074 €938

$1,056 €922

1.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,143 €7,115

$7,978 €6,970

2.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.9 €77.6

$89.9 €78.6

-1.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.24 €35.16

$40.08 €35.02

0.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.9

$101 €87.8

2.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 €94.6

$106 €92.7

2.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,977 €1,727

$1,498 €1,309

31.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,781 €1,556

$1,250 €1,092

42.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,265 €2,852

$2,388 €2,086

36.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,522 €2,204

$1,947 €1,701

29.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,224 €5,438

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,731 €4,134

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,060 €2,673

$3,137 €2,741

-2.46%

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 Portlaoise: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,977 in Galway and $1,498 in Portlaoise. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Portlaoise pays 3% 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 $68.0 in Portlaoise for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $342 vs $294 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, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 17% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 3% lower in Portlaoise. 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 $1,498 in Portlaoise. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 16% 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 $68.0 versus $96.0 in Galway. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,573 in Portlaoise versus $3,012 in Galway, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Portlaoise but tight or insufficient in Galway. The gap between the two cities makes Portlaoise the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 17% less than in Galway. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.