Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Galway and Portlaoise

For one person, living is cheaper in Portlaoise: $1,924 a month against $3,184 in Galway, rent and utilities included – about $15,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

153

Cost of Living Index in Galway
Learn more

Galway Living Index

Jump to prices

Galway

🇮🇪 Ireland

$3,184

/mo nomad

Portlaoise

🇮🇪 Ireland

$1,924

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Galway and in Portlaoise

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,184 in Galway versus $1,924 in Portlaoise.

Galway $3,184
Portlaoise $1,924

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,539 in Galway versus $3,046 in Portlaoise.

Galway $4,539
Portlaoise $3,046

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,895 in Galway versus $4,168 in Portlaoise.

Galway $5,895
Portlaoise $4,168

Living in Galway is roughly 65% more expensive than in Portlaoise, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Galway 134% above, Portlaoise 41% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.73 €20.37

$18.81 €16.85

20.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$110 €98.9

$78.2 €70.1

41.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.46 €14.75

$12.23 €10.96

34.59%

Cappuccino

$4.94 €4.43

$3.93 €3.52

25.70%

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

$2.92 €2.61

$2.15 €1.92

35.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €2.07

$1.29 €1.16

79.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.89 €7.07

$6.85 €6.14

15.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.63 €5.94

$5.45 €4.89

21.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 €1.42

$1.64 €1.47

-3.05%

White Bread (500g)

$2.34 €2.10

$2.27 €2.04

3.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.26 €2.03

$1.30 €1.17

73.85%

Eggs

$4.31 €3.86

$7.65 €6.86

-43.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.38 €14.68

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.93 €9.80

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.39 €12.00

Apples (1kg)

$3.06 €2.74

$2.19 €1.96

39.73%

Banana (1kg)

$2.17 €1.95

$2.28 €2.04

-4.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.10 €2.78

$2.23 €1.99

39.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.05 €3.63

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 €1.85

$1.10 €0.99

87.27%

Onion (1kg)

$1.47 €1.32

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.31 €1.17

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 €1.63

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.40 €18.28

$19.43 €17.41

4.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.02 €12.56

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.50

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 €4.00

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.07 €1.85

$4.55 €4.07

-54.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.4 €59.5

$44.78 €40.13

48.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.27 €4.72

$6.23 €5.59

-15.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.42 €1.27

$1.43 €1.28

-0.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$55.3 €49.59

$18.81 €16.85

194.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.15 €1.92

$2.02 €1.81

6.44%

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

$38.0K €34.1K

$40.4K €36.2K

-5.75%

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

$38.4K €34.4K

$33.3K €29.8K

15.42%

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

$245 €220

$234 €210

4.95%

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

$21.31 €19.09

$33.50 €30.02

-36.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.4 €46.01

$56.6 €50.7

-9.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.26 €40.55

$56.0 €50.2

-19.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.38 €20.05

Cinema Ticket

$13.15 €11.79

$16.74 €15.00

-21.45%

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

$990 €887

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,113 €4,582

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$100 €89.9

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.73 €42.77

$27.80 €24.91

71.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 €97.4

$68.3 €61.2

59.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €104

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,324 €2,083

$1,211 €1,085

91.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,812 €1,623

$986 €884

83.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,534 €3,167

$2,324 €2,083

52.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,733 €2,449

$2,104 €1,886

29.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,352 €3,900

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,324 €2,979

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,933 €2,629

$2,851 €2,555

2.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.68

3.5

5.14%

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

Last update for Galway: October 26, 2026

Last update for Portlaoise: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Galway

$1.8K 56.9%

Portlaoise

–

Eating Out

Galway

$364 11.4%

Portlaoise

–

Groceries & Markets

Galway

$363 11.4%

Portlaoise

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Galway

$318 10%

Portlaoise

–

Clothing & Footwear

Galway

$168 5.3%

Portlaoise

–

Getting Around

Galway

$87 2.7%

Portlaoise

–

Sport & Entertainment

Galway

$72 2.3%

Portlaoise

–

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,324 in Galway and $1,211 in Portlaoise. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Galway pays 3% 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 $78 in Portlaoise for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $363 vs $112 per month, with Portlaoise cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇪 Galway

🇮🇪 Portlaoise

🕒 Local time

03:46 3:46 AM

Same time as Galway

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

75,529

23,494

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Galway Portlaoise 120 km

From you

Galway
Portlaoise

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 Portlaoise: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Portlaoise is about 40% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $4,775 in Galway and $2,887 in Portlaoise to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,324 in Galway versus $1,211 in Portlaoise. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Portlaoise – a meal for two runs $78 versus $110 in Galway. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

A monthly transit pass in Portlaoise runs roughly 33% less than in Galway. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Galway and Portlaoise are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Portlaoise gentler on the wallet – expenses run 40% less than in Galway. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.