Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Galway and Swords

For one person, living is cheaper in Swords: $2,598 a month against $3,184 in Galway, rent and utilities included – about $7,000 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
125

Cost of Living Index in Swords
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Swords Living Index

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Galway

🇮🇪 Ireland

$3,184

/mo nomad

Swords

🇮🇪 Ireland

$2,598

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Galway and in Swords

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,184 in Galway versus $2,598 in Swords.

Galway $3,184
Swords $2,598

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,539 in Galway versus $3,804 in Swords.

Galway $4,539
Swords $3,804

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,895 in Galway versus $5,010 in Swords.

Galway $5,895
Swords $5,010

Living in Galway is roughly 23% more expensive than in Swords, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Galway 134% above, Swords 91% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.73 €20.42

$22.16 €19.91

2.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$110 €99.2

$98.6 €88.6

11.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.46 €14.79

$13.20 €11.86

24.70%

Cappuccino

$4.94 €4.44

$4.93 €4.43

0.20%

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

$2.92 €2.62

$2.98 €2.68

-2.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €2.08

$2.16 €1.94

6.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.89 €7.09

$8.03 €7.21

-1.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.63 €5.96

$6.74 €6.05

-1.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 €1.43

$1.58 €1.42

0.63%

White Bread (500g)

$2.34 €2.10

$2.35 €2.11

-0.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.26 €2.03

$2.03 €1.83

11.33%

Eggs

$4.31 €3.87

$4.24 €3.81

1.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.38 €14.72

$9.89 €8.89

65.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.93 €9.82

$10.86 €9.76

0.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.39 €12.03

$13.29 €11.94

0.75%

Apples (1kg)

$3.06 €2.75

$2.75 €2.47

11.27%

Banana (1kg)

$2.17 €1.95

$2.27 €2.04

-4.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.10 €2.79

$2.79 €2.51

11.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.05 €3.64

$4.17 €3.75

-2.88%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 €1.85

$1.87 €1.68

10.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.47 €1.32

$1.47 €1.33

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.31 €1.18

$1.30 €1.16

0.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 €1.63

$1.90 €1.70

-4.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.40 €18.33

$20.52 €18.44

-0.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.02 €12.60

$13.39 €12.03

4.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.51

$3.35 €3.01

16.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 €4.01

$3.45 €3.10

29.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.07 €1.86

$2.26 €2.03

-8.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.4 €59.6

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.27 €4.73

$5.00 €4.49

5.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.42 €1.28

$1.47 €1.32

-3.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$55.3 €49.72

$37.35 €33.55

48.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.15 €1.93

$2.16 €1.94

-0.46%

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

$38.0K €34.2K

$38.6K €34.7K

-1.39%

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

$38.4K €34.5K

$38.0K €34.1K

1.14%

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

$245 €221

$246 €221

-0.35%

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

$21.31 €19.14

$18.68 €16.78

14.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.4 €46.14

$51.2 €45.97

0.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.26 €40.66

$40.58 €36.46

11.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.38 €20.11

Cinema Ticket

$13.15 €11.82

$13.43 €12.07

-2.08%

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

$990 €890

$1,010 €907

-1.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,183 €4,656

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$100 €90.2

$100 €90.0

0.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.73 €42.89

$48.06 €43.18

-0.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 €97.7

$108 €97.1

0.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €104

$113 €101

3.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,324 €2,088

$1,556 €1,398

49.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,812 €1,628

$1,342 €1,206

35.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,534 €3,176

$2,584 €2,322

36.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,733 €2,456

$2,165 €1,945

26.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,352 €3,910

$4,721 €4,242

-7.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,324 €2,987

$3,447 €3,097

-3.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,933 €2,636

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.68

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

Last update for Galway: October 26, 2026

Last update for Swords: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Galway

$1.8K 56.9%

Swords

$1.3K 51.7% 25.9% $470

Eating Out

Galway

$364 11.4%

Swords

$350 13.5% 3.8% $14

Groceries & Markets

Galway

$363 11.4%

Swords

$335 12.9% 7.9% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Galway

$318 10%

Swords

$316 12.2% 0.6% $2

Clothing & Footwear

Galway

$168 5.3%

Swords

$166 6.4% 1% $1.7

Getting Around

Galway

$87 2.7%

Swords

$21 * 0.8% 75.4% $66

Sport & Entertainment

Galway

$72 2.3%

Swords

$67 2.6% 5.8% $4.1

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 $1,556 in Swords. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $110 in Galway vs $99 in Swords for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $363 vs $335 per month, with Swords cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇪 Galway

🇮🇪 Swords

🕒 Local time

09:26 9:26 AM

Same time as Galway

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

75,529

40,776

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

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Between locations

Galway Swords 190 km

From you

Galway
Swords

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 Swords: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Swords is cheaper overall, especially in transport, groceries, and eating out. The 23% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $4,775 in Galway and $3,897 in Swords 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 $1,556 in Swords. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $990 in Galway versus $1,010 in Swords. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Swords – a meal for two runs $99 versus $110 in Galway. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,598 in Swords versus $3,184 in Galway, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Swords but tight or insufficient in Galway. The gap between the two cities makes Swords the clear choice for anyone on this 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 Swords are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.