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: $3,127 in Galway versus $2,101 in Shannon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,274 in Galway versus $3,521 in Shannon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,421 in Galway versus $4,940 in Shannon.

Living in Galway is roughly 49% more expensive than in Shannon, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Galway 135% above, Shannon 58% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.76 €16.36

$19.89 €17.34

-5.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$97.1 €84.6

$117 €102

-16.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.52 €9.17

$10.61 €9.25

-0.85%

Cappuccino

$4.17 €3.64

$4.35 €3.79

-4.14%

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

$2.32 €2.03

$2.12 €1.85

9.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 €1.36

$2.26 €1.97

-30.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.10 €6.19

$7.02 €6.12

1.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.29 €5.48

$6.81 €5.94

-7.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 €1.32

$1.71 €1.49

-11.70%

White Bread (500g)

$2.48 €2.16

$1.83 €1.59

35.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.11 €1.84

$1.73 €1.51

21.97%

Eggs

$4.10 €3.57

$4.64 €4.04

-11.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.58 €10.97

$11.17 €9.74

12.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.23 €8.92

$13.10 €11.42

-21.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.12 €10.57

$12.75 €11.12

-4.94%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 €2.59

$3.52 €3.07

-15.62%

Banana (1kg)

$2.06 €1.79

$2.36 €2.06

-12.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.83 €2.47

$3.46 €3.02

-18.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.37 €2.94

$4.38 €3.82

-23.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.42 €1.24

$2.47 €2.15

-42.51%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 €1.29

$2.03 €1.77

-27.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.43 €1.25

$1.31 €1.15

9.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.45

$2.44 €2.12

-31.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.74 €17.21

$18.25 €15.91

8.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.06 €12.26

$13.86 €12.08

1.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.96 €4.32

$2.89 €2.52

71.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.85 €4.23

$3.24 €2.83

49.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.31 €2.01

$5.82 €5.07

-60.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.2 €59.4

$99.0 €86.3

-31.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.08 €4.43

$5.63 €4.91

-9.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.38 €1.20

$1.60 €1.40

-13.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$43.30 €37.75

$28.82 €25.13

50.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.07 €1.80

$2.07 €1.81

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

$43.1K €37.6K

$40.1K €35.0K

7.51%

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

$38.5K €33.6K

$39.4K €34.3K

-2.15%

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

$287 €250

$186 €162

54.53%

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

$21.96 €19.15

$22.78 €19.86

-3.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.9 €48.73

$50.4 €43.98

10.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 €49.21

$42.81 €37.33

31.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.52 €7.43

$46.66 €40.67

-81.74%

Cinema Ticket

$14.05 €12.25

$11.75 €10.24

19.57%

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

$1,064 €928

$957 €834

11.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,122 €7,081

$2,303 €2,008

252.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.3 €79.6

$76.8 €67.0

18.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.18 €34.16

$38.45 €33.52

1.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €88.9

$101 €87.8

1.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 €93.8

$77.6 €67.7

38.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,986 €1,731

$921 €803

115.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,731 €1,509

$868 €757

99.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,305 €2,882

$1,743 €1,519

89.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,521 €2,198

$1,773 €1,546

42.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,992 €5,224

$2,943 €2,566

103.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,663 €4,065

$3,027 €2,639

54.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,082 €2,687

$3,282 €2,861

-6.09%

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 28, 2026

Last update for Shannon: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,986 in Galway and $921 in Shannon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shannon pays 6% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $97.0 in Galway vs $117 in Shannon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $341 vs $360 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 49% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 6% lower in Shannon. 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: $1,986 in Galway versus $921 in Shannon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Galway pay roughly 6% 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 $117 versus $97.0 in Galway. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,101 in Shannon versus $3,127 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 49% less than in Galway. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.