Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Galway and Tuam

For one person, living is cheaper in Tuam: $2,580 a month against $3,268 in Galway, rent and utilities included – about $8,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

160

Cost of Living Index in Galway
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Galway Living Index
126

Cost of Living Index in Tuam
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Tuam Living Index

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Galway

🇮🇪 Ireland

$3,268

/mo nomad

Tuam

🇮🇪 Ireland

$2,580

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Galway and in Tuam

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,268 in Galway versus $2,580 in Tuam.

Galway $3,268
Tuam $2,580

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,575 in Galway versus $3,675 in Tuam.

Galway $4,575
Tuam $3,675

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,881 in Galway versus $4,770 in Tuam.

Galway $5,881
Tuam $4,770

Living in Galway is roughly 27% more expensive than in Tuam, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Galway 141% above, Tuam 90% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.87 €20.34

$19.76 €17.57

15.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$114 €101

$61.5 €54.7

85.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.74 €14.89

$14.32 €12.74

16.90%

Cappuccino

$4.97 €4.42

$4.47 €3.98

11.19%

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

$3.01 €2.68

$2.92 €2.60

3.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 €1.95

$1.85 €1.65

18.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.74 €6.89

$7.03 €6.25

10.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.78 €6.03

$6.59 €5.86

2.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 €1.45

$1.59 €1.42

2.52%

White Bread (500g)

$2.36 €2.10

$2.28 €2.03

3.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.28 €2.03

$1.92 €1.71

18.75%

Eggs

$4.38 €3.89

$4.42 €3.93

-0.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.87 €15.01

$10.28 €9.14

64.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.88 €9.68

$12.75 €11.34

-14.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.29 €11.82

$13.27 €11.81

0.15%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 €2.71

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 €1.94

$2.29 €2.04

-4.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.03 €2.70

$3.09 €2.75

-1.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.10 €3.65

$4.84 €4.30

-15.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 €1.76

$1.96 €1.74

1.02%

Onion (1kg)

$1.55 €1.38

$1.47 €1.30

5.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.32 €1.17

$1.37 €1.22

-3.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 €1.63

$2.07 €1.84

-11.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.25 €18.01

$20.29 €18.05

-0.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.76 €12.24

$13.56 €12.06

1.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.13 €3.67

$3.47 €3.09

19.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.58 €4.07

$3.46 €3.08

32.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.10 €1.86

$2.57 €2.29

-18.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.7 €54.9

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 €4.79

$5.09 €4.53

5.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 €1.28

$1.55 €1.38

-7.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$55.0 €48.93

$33.37 €29.68

64.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.16 €1.92

$2.02 €1.80

6.93%

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

$38.6K €34.3K

$39.0K €34.7K

-0.90%

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

$38.5K €34.3K

$38.1K €33.9K

1.10%

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

$241 €214

$244 €217

-1.44%

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

$20.86 €18.56

$21.40 €19.04

-2.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.7 €45.08

$50.3 €44.72

0.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.14 €39.26

$58.9 €52.4

-25.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.15 €19.70

Cinema Ticket

$13.32 €11.85

$13.18 €11.72

1.06%

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

$996 €886

$1,009 €897

-1.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,119 €4,553

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €90.4

$95.7 €85.1

6.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.57 €42.32

$42.02 €37.38

13.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 €100

$108 €95.7

4.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 €104

$114 €101

2.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,293 €2,040

$1,609 €1,431

42.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,900 €1,690

$1,318 €1,172

44.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,654 €3,250

$2,576 €2,291

41.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,704 €2,405

$2,092 €1,860

29.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,129 €5,452

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,623 €4,112

$3,293 €2,929

40.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,929 €2,605

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.68

4.14

-11.11%

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

Last update for Galway: October 17, 2026

Last update for Tuam: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Galway

$1.9K 58.1%

Tuam

$1.3K 51.1% 30.7% $582

Eating Out

Galway

$366 11.2%

Tuam

$322 12.5% 12% $44

Groceries & Markets

Galway

$366 11.2%

Tuam

$355 13.7% 3.1% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Galway

$312 9.6%

Tuam

$316 12.2% 1.2% $3.7

Clothing & Footwear

Galway

$170 5.2%

Tuam

$161 6.3% 5.2% $8.9

Getting Around

Galway

$83 2.5%

Tuam

$23 * 0.9% 72% $60

Sport & Entertainment

Galway

$71 2.2%

Tuam

$85 3.3% 20.4% $14

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 $2,293 in Galway and $1,609 in Tuam. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $114 in Galway vs $61.0 in Tuam for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $366 vs $355 per month, with Tuam cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇪 Galway

🇮🇪 Tuam

🕒 Local time

09:54 9:54 AM

Same time as Galway

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

75,529

9,647

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Tuam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tuam is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and clothing. The 27% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $4,902 in Galway and $3,870 in Tuam 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: $2,293 in Galway versus $1,609 in Tuam. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $996 in Galway versus $1,009 in Tuam. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Tuam – a meal for two runs $61.0 versus $114 in Galway. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Tuam is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, Tuam 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 Tuam 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 Tuam gentler on the wallet – expenses run 27% less than in Galway. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.