Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Galway and Waterford

For one person, living is cheaper in Waterford: $2,623 a month against $3,184 in Galway, rent and utilities included – about $6,700 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
127

Cost of Living Index in Waterford
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Waterford Living Index

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Galway

🇮🇪 Ireland

$3,184

/mo nomad

Waterford

🇮🇪 Ireland

$2,623

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Galway and in Waterford

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,184 in Galway versus $2,623 in Waterford.

Galway $3,184
Waterford $2,623

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,539 in Galway versus $3,792 in Waterford.

Galway $4,539
Waterford $3,792

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,895 in Galway versus $4,961 in Waterford.

Galway $5,895
Waterford $4,961

Living in Galway is roughly 21% more expensive than in Waterford, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Galway 134% above, Waterford 93% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.73 €20.37

$22.70 €20.35

0.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$110 €98.9

$92.3 €82.7

19.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.46 €14.75

$12.42 €11.13

32.53%

Cappuccino

$4.94 €4.43

$3.96 €3.55

24.75%

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

$2.92 €2.61

$2.88 €2.58

1.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €2.07

$2.08 €1.87

11.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.89 €7.07

$7.15 €6.40

10.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.63 €5.94

$6.23 €5.58

6.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 €1.42

$1.47 €1.32

8.16%

White Bread (500g)

$2.34 €2.10

$2.29 €2.05

2.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.26 €2.03

$2.23 €2.00

1.35%

Eggs

$4.31 €3.86

$4.30 €3.85

0.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.38 €14.68

$15.68 €14.05

4.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.93 €9.80

$11.06 €9.91

-1.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.39 €12.00

$13.25 €11.87

1.06%

Apples (1kg)

$3.06 €2.74

$3.03 €2.72

0.99%

Banana (1kg)

$2.17 €1.95

$2.25 €2.02

-3.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.10 €2.78

Tomato (1kg)

$4.05 €3.63

$4.03 €3.61

0.50%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 €1.85

$1.41 €1.27

46.10%

Onion (1kg)

$1.47 €1.32

$1.52 €1.36

-3.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.31 €1.17

$1.30 €1.16

0.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 €1.63

$1.91 €1.71

-4.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.40 €18.28

$18.35 €16.45

11.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.02 €12.56

$13.73 €12.30

2.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.50

$3.15 €2.83

24.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 €4.00

$3.10 €2.78

43.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.07 €1.85

$2.26 €2.02

-8.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.4 €59.5

$62.5 €56.0

6.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.27 €4.72

$5.15 €4.61

2.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.42 €1.27

$1.48 €1.33

-4.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$55.3 €49.59

$55.7 €49.93

-0.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.15 €1.92

$2.13 €1.91

0.94%

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

$38.0K €34.1K

$39.1K €35.1K

-2.82%

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

$38.4K €34.4K

$37.9K €34.0K

1.27%

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

$245 €220

$246 €220

-0.07%

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

$21.31 €19.09

$20.71 €18.56

2.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.4 €46.01

$50.4 €45.17

1.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.26 €40.55

$45.73 €40.98

-1.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.38 €20.05

$14.23 €12.75

57.27%

Cinema Ticket

$13.15 €11.79

$13.20 €11.83

-0.38%

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

$990 €887

$995 €892

-0.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$100 €89.9

$77.2 €69.2

29.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.73 €42.77

$47.56 €42.62

0.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 €97.4

$109 €97.7

-0.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €104

-0.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,324 €2,083

$1,678 €1,504

38.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,812 €1,623

$1,306 €1,170

38.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,534 €3,167

$2,494 €2,234

41.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,733 €2,449

$2,001 €1,793

36.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,352 €3,900

$3,089 €2,768

40.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,324 €2,979

$2,552 €2,287

30.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,933 €2,629

$3,188 €2,857

-7.99%

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 26, 2026

Last update for Waterford: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Galway

$1.8K 56.9%

Waterford

$1.3K 49.8% 27.9% $506

Eating Out

Galway

$364 11.4%

Waterford

$334 12.8% 8.2% $30

Groceries & Markets

Galway

$363 11.4%

Waterford

$352 13.4% 3.1% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Galway

$318 10%

Waterford

$317 12.1% 0.4% $1.4

Clothing & Footwear

Galway

$168 5.3%

Waterford

$158 6% 6.1% $10

Getting Around

Galway

$87 2.7%

Waterford

$84 3.2% 3.4% $3

Sport & Entertainment

Galway

$72 2.3%

Waterford

$72 2.8% 0.8% $0.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,324 in Galway and $1,678 in Waterford. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Waterford pays 9% 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 $92 in Waterford for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $363 vs $352 per month, with Waterford cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇪 Galway

🇮🇪 Waterford

🕒 Local time

00:03 12:03 AM

Same time as Galway

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

75,529

40,300

💱 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 Waterford: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Waterford is about 18% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 8% 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 $1,678 in Waterford. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 3% higher in Galway. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Waterford – a meal for two runs $92 versus $110 in Galway. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,623 in Waterford versus $3,184 in Galway, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Waterford but tight or insufficient in Galway. The gap between the two cities makes Waterford 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 Waterford are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Waterford 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.