Cost of Living Comparison Between Galway and Shannon Cost of Living Comparison Between Galway and Shannon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,062 in Galway versus $2,112 in Shannon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,298 in Galway versus $3,519 in Shannon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,534 in Galway versus $4,927 in Shannon.

Living in Galway is roughly 45% more expensive than Shannon, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Galway 128% above, Shannon 57% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.19 €15.67

$20.45 €17.62

-11.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$94.8 €81.6

$115 €99.0

-17.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.27 €8.85

$10.54 €9.08

-2.56%

Cappuccino

$4.33 €3.73

$4.35 €3.75

-0.46%

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

$2.42 €2.09

$2.09 €1.80

15.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 €1.34

$2.24 €1.93

-30.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.79 €5.85

$6.95 €5.99

-2.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.39 €5.51

$6.83 €5.88

-6.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.69 €1.46

-11.24%

White Bread (500g)

$2.51 €2.16

$1.86 €1.60

34.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.22 €1.91

$1.76 €1.51

26.14%

Eggs

$4.06 €3.50

$4.74 €4.08

-14.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.60 €10.86

$11.23 €9.68

12.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.41 €8.97

$12.91 €11.12

-19.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.70 €10.08

$12.81 €11.04

-8.67%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 €2.56

$3.40 €2.93

-12.35%

Banana (1kg)

$2.10 €1.81

$2.43 €2.10

-13.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.72 €2.35

$3.49 €3.01

-22.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.37 €2.90

$4.48 €3.86

-24.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.39 €1.20

$2.54 €2.18

-45.28%

Onion (1kg)

$1.40 €1.21

$2.12 €1.83

-33.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.25

$1.37 €1.18

5.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 €1.42

$2.44 €2.10

-32.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.77 €17.03

$18.28 €15.75

8.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.13 €12.17

$14.10 €12.15

0.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.74 €4.08

$2.89 €2.49

64.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.87 €4.20

$3.30 €2.85

47.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 €1.91

$5.82 €5.02

-61.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$69.1 €59.5

$99.8 €86.0

-30.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.89 €4.21

$5.77 €4.97

-15.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.51 €1.31

-8.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$43.42 €37.41

$29.28 €25.23

48.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.97 €1.70

$2.06 €1.78

-4.37%

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

$43.1K €37.1K

$38.8K €33.4K

10.96%

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

$39.7K €34.2K

$40.1K €34.6K

-0.96%

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

$286 €246

$186 €160

53.84%

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

$21.68 €18.68

$23.05 €19.86

-5.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.1 €47.45

$50.5 €43.53

9.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 €49.31

$42.06 €36.24

36.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.31 €7.16

$46.89 €40.40

-82.28%

Cinema Ticket

$13.88 €11.96

$11.54 €9.94

20.28%

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

$1,052 €906

$970 €836

8.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,072 €6,955

$2,269 €1,955

255.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 €77.1

$78.9 €68.0

13.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.49 €34.02

$37.73 €32.50

4.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €88.5

$101 €87.0

1.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 €92.7

$79.8 €68.8

34.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,977 €1,704

$915 €788

116.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,745 €1,504

$865 €746

101.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,360 €2,895

$1,709 €1,472

96.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,497 €2,151

$1,740 €1,499

43.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,209 €5,350

$2,963 €2,553

109.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,644 €4,001

$3,172 €2,733

46.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,248 €2,798

$3,204 €2,760

1.37%

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 8, 2026

Last update for Shannon: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,977 in Galway and $915 in Shannon. 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: $95.0 in Galway vs $115 in Shannon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $340 vs $362 per month, with Galway 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 Shannon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shannon is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 45% 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: $1,977 in Galway versus $915 in Shannon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Galway pay roughly 7% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Shannon – a meal for two runs $115 versus $95.0 in Galway. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,112 in Shannon versus $3,062 in Galway, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Shannon but tight or insufficient in Galway. The gap between the two cities makes Shannon the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Shannon 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 Shannon 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 Shannon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 45% less than in Galway. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.