Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Galway and Sligo

For one person, living is cheaper in Sligo: $1,795 a month against $3,184 in Galway, rent and utilities included – about $16,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

153

Cost of Living Index in Galway
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Galway Living Index
86

Cost of Living Index in Sligo
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Sligo Living Index

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Galway

🇮🇪 Ireland

$3,184

/mo nomad

Sligo

🇮🇪 Ireland

$1,795

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Galway and in Sligo

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,184 in Galway versus $1,795 in Sligo.

Galway $3,184
Sligo $1,795

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,539 in Galway versus $2,734 in Sligo.

Galway $4,539
Sligo $2,734

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,895 in Galway versus $3,672 in Sligo.

Galway $5,895
Sligo $3,672

Living in Galway is roughly 77% more expensive than in Sligo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Galway 134% above, Sligo 32% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.73 €20.36

$16.98 €15.21

33.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$110 €98.9

$79.3 €71.1

39.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.46 €14.74

$9.14 €8.19

80.09%

Cappuccino

$4.94 €4.42

$3.71 €3.32

33.15%

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

$2.92 €2.61

$2.63 €2.35

11.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €2.07

$1.92 €1.72

20.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.89 €7.07

$6.58 €5.89

19.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.63 €5.94

$6.07 €5.44

9.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 €1.42

$1.40 €1.25

13.57%

White Bread (500g)

$2.34 €2.10

$1.49 €1.34

57.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.26 €2.02

$1.60 €1.43

41.25%

Eggs

$4.31 €3.86

$3.46 €3.10

24.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.38 €14.67

$8.60 €7.70

90.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.93 €9.79

$8.89 €7.96

22.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.39 €11.99

$11.07 €9.91

20.96%

Apples (1kg)

$3.06 €2.74

$2.01 €1.80

52.24%

Banana (1kg)

$2.17 €1.95

$1.73 €1.55

25.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.10 €2.78

$2.90 €2.60

6.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.05 €3.63

$2.71 €2.43

49.45%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 €1.85

$1.69 €1.52

21.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.47 €1.32

$1.18 €1.06

24.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.31 €1.17

$1.30 €1.16

0.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 €1.63

$1.64 €1.46

10.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.40 €18.27

$17.45 €15.62

16.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.02 €12.55

$11.00 €9.85

27.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.50

$2.66 €2.39

46.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 €4.00

$3.81 €3.41

17.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.07 €1.85

$2.18 €1.95

-5.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.4 €59.5

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.27 €4.72

$5.55 €4.97

-5.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.42 €1.27

$1.49 €1.34

-4.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$55.3 €49.56

$66.7 €59.8

-17.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.15 €1.92

$1.99 €1.78

8.04%

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

$38.0K €34.1K

$38.3K €34.3K

-0.61%

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

$38.4K €34.4K

$38.0K €34.0K

1.16%

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

$245 €220

$162 €145

51.93%

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

$21.31 €19.08

$22.47 €20.13

-5.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.4 €45.99

$45.00 €40.30

14.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.26 €40.53

$65.0 €58.2

-30.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.38 €20.04

$10.97 €9.82

104.01%

Cinema Ticket

$13.15 €11.78

$11.31 €10.13

16.27%

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

$990 €887

$808 €723

22.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,264 €2,028

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$100 €89.9

$87.3 €78.2

14.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.73 €42.75

$28.41 €25.44

68.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 €97.4

$74.0 €66.2

47.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €104

$88.1 €78.9

31.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,324 €2,082

$1,342 €1,202

73.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,812 €1,623

$787 €705

130.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,534 €3,165

$2,269 €2,033

55.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,733 €2,448

$1,347 €1,207

102.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,352 €3,898

$2,140 €1,917

103.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,324 €2,977

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,933 €2,627

$4,073 €3,648

-27.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.68

3.6

2.22%

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

Last update for Galway: October 26, 2026

Last update for Sligo: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Galway

$1.8K 56.9%

Sligo

$787 43.9% 56.6% $1K

Eating Out

Galway

$364 11.4%

Sligo

$271 15.1% 25.6% $93

Groceries & Markets

Galway

$363 11.4%

Sligo

$273 15.2% 24.7% $90

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Galway

$318 10%

Sligo

$229 12.8% 28% $89

Clothing & Footwear

Galway

$168 5.3%

Sligo

$125 7% 25.5% $43

Getting Around

Galway

$87 2.7%

Sligo

$22 * 1.2% 75% $65

Sport & Entertainment

Galway

$72 2.3%

Sligo

$88 4.9% 22.4% $16

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,324 in Galway and $1,342 in Sligo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sligo pays 39% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $110 in Galway vs $79 in Sligo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $363 vs $273 per month, with Sligo cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇪 Galway

🇮🇪 Sligo

🕒 Local time

20:49 8:49 PM

Same time as Galway

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

75,529

20,608

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Sligo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sligo is about 44% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 28% lower in Galway. 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: $2,324 in Galway versus $1,342 in Sligo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $990 in Galway versus $808 in Sligo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Sligo – a meal for two runs $79 versus $110 in Galway. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,795 in Sligo versus $3,184 in Galway, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Sligo but tight or insufficient in Galway. The gap between the two cities makes Sligo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Sligo 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 Sligo are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.