Cost of Living Comparison Between Galway and Swords Cost of Living Comparison Between Galway and Swords

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,062 in Galway versus $2,605 in Swords.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,298 in Galway versus $3,727 in Swords.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,534 in Galway versus $4,850 in Swords.

Living in Galway is roughly 18% more expensive than Swords, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Galway 128% above, Swords 94% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.19 €15.76

$18.54 €16.07

-1.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$94.8 €82.1

$97.1 €84.2

-2.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.27 €8.90

$10.41 €9.02

-1.34%

Cappuccino

$4.33 €3.76

$4.41 €3.83

-1.81%

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

$2.42 €2.10

$2.33 €2.02

3.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 €1.35

$1.56 €1.35

-0.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.79 €5.89

$6.95 €6.03

-2.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.39 €5.54

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 €1.30

White Bread (500g)

$2.51 €2.17

$2.23 €1.94

12.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.22 €1.92

$2.08 €1.80

6.73%

Eggs

$4.06 €3.52

$3.97 €3.44

2.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.60 €10.92

$11.03 €9.56

14.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.41 €9.02

$10.46 €9.06

-0.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.70 €10.14

$12.15 €10.53

-3.70%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 €2.58

$2.87 €2.49

3.83%

Banana (1kg)

$2.10 €1.82

$1.99 €1.73

5.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.72 €2.36

$2.85 €2.47

-4.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.37 €2.92

$3.48 €3.02

-3.16%

Potato (1kg)

$1.39 €1.20

$1.37 €1.19

1.46%

Onion (1kg)

$1.40 €1.22

$1.47 €1.28

-4.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.26

$1.31 €1.14

10.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 €1.43

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.77 €17.13

$19.34 €16.76

2.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.13 €12.25

$13.80 €11.96

2.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.74 €4.11

$3.60 €3.12

31.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.87 €4.22

$4.03 €3.49

20.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 €1.92

$2.49 €2.16

-10.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$69.1 €59.9

$100 €86.8

-31.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.89 €4.24

$4.98 €4.31

-1.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.38 €1.20

$2.12 €1.83

-34.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$43.42 €37.63

$39.00 €33.80

11.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.97 €1.71

$2.06 €1.78

-4.37%

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

$43.1K €37.3K

$43.3K €37.5K

-0.42%

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

$39.7K €34.4K

0.13%

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

$286 €248

$279 €242

2.48%

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

$21.68 €18.79

$23.18 €20.09

-6.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.1 €47.73

$54.4 €47.17

1.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 €49.60

$40.15 €34.80

42.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.31 €7.20

Cinema Ticket

$13.88 €12.03

$13.67 €11.84

1.54%

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

$1,052 €911

$1,063 €921

-1.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,072 €6,996

$8,152 €7,065

-0.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 €77.5

$89.7 €77.8

-0.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.49 €34.22

$39.68 €34.39

-0.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.0

$103 €88.9

0.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 €93.2

$107 €92.3

0.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,977 €1,714

$1,457 €1,263

35.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,745 €1,513

$1,233 €1,069

41.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,360 €2,912

$2,427 €2,104

38.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,497 €2,164

$2,000 €1,733

24.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,209 €5,381

$4,064 €3,522

52.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,644 €4,025

$3,178 €2,755

46.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,248 €2,815

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.8

4.04

18.81%

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

Last update for Galway: June 8, 2026

Last update for Swords: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,977 in Galway and $1,457 in Swords. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $95.0 in Galway vs $97.0 in Swords. Groceries flip the comparison at $340 vs $324, with Swords cheaper for home cooking.

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 Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 18% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $4,593 in Galway and $3,907 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: $1,977 in Galway versus $1,457 in Swords. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 5% higher in Galway. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Swords – a meal for two runs $97.0 versus $95.0 in Galway. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,605 in Swords versus $3,062 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.

For families, Swords 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 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.

Expats usually find Swords gentler on the wallet – expenses run 18% less than in Galway. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.