Cost of Living Comparison Between Galway and Waterford Cost of Living Comparison Between Galway and Waterford

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,025 in Galway versus $2,755 in Waterford.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,255 in Galway versus $3,957 in Waterford.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,485 in Galway versus $5,158 in Waterford.

Living in Galway is roughly 10% more expensive than Waterford, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Galway 126% above, Waterford 106% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.83 €16.12

$23.52 €20.14

-19.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$94.4 €80.8

$93.4 €80.0

1.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.50 €8.98

$12.53 €10.73

-16.20%

Cappuccino

$4.38 €3.75

$3.93 €3.36

11.45%

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

$2.40 €2.06

$2.45 €2.10

-2.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 €1.39

$2.26 €1.93

-28.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 €5.88

$6.88 €5.89

-0.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.55 €5.61

$5.58 €4.78

17.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 €1.30

$1.37 €1.17

10.95%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 €2.16

$2.78 €2.38

-9.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.14 €1.83

$2.38 €2.04

-10.08%

Eggs

$4.07 €3.49

$4.21 €3.60

-3.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.77 €10.93

$11.91 €10.20

7.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.37 €8.88

$10.36 €8.87

0.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.80 €10.10

$14.48 €12.40

-18.51%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 €2.58

$3.07 €2.63

-1.95%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 €1.78

$2.68 €2.29

-22.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.80 €2.40

$3.49 €2.99

-19.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.40 €2.91

$3.64 €3.11

-6.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.45 €1.24

$2.25 €1.93

-35.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.41 €1.21

$1.47 €1.26

-4.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.24

$1.25 €1.07

16.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.43

$1.99 €1.70

-16.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.49 €16.68

$18.03 €15.43

8.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.60 €12.50

$20.20 €17.29

-27.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.79 €4.10

$3.06 €2.62

56.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.09 €4.36

$3.23 €2.77

57.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.96

$2.55 €2.19

-10.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.9 €59.0

$64.9 €55.6

6.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 €4.26

$6.00 €5.14

-17.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.38 €1.18

$1.21 €1.04

14.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$43.55 €37.28

$34.69 €29.69

25.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.00 €1.71

$1.98 €1.69

1.01%

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

$42.1K €36.1K

$36.5K €31.3K

15.37%

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

$39.7K €34.0K

$40.7K €34.8K

-2.31%

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

$280 €240

$221 €189

26.57%

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

$21.99 €18.82

$26.17 €22.40

-15.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.9 €46.97

$63.0 €53.9

-12.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.5 €48.36

$48.41 €41.44

16.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.74 €7.48

$14.49 €12.40

-39.68%

Cinema Ticket

$14.15 €12.11

$13.27 €11.36

6.63%

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

$1,057 €905

$1,205 €1,032

-12.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,993 €6,842

$7,638 €6,538

4.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.9 €78.7

$95.5 €81.8

-3.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.82 €34.08

$56.6 €48.44

-29.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €86.7

$115 €98.8

-12.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 €92.3

$131 €112

-17.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,024 €1,733

$1,752 €1,500

15.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,719 €1,471

$1,402 €1,200

22.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,303 €2,828

$2,727 €2,334

21.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,589 €2,216

$2,227 €1,906

16.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,276 €5,373

$4,118 €3,525

52.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,813 €4,120

$2,883 €2,468

66.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,219 €2,755

$3,331 €2,852

-3.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.8

4.23

13.48%

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

Last update for Galway: April 27, 2026

Last update for Waterford: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,024 in Galway and $1,752 in Waterford. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Waterford pays 4% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $94.0 in Galway vs $93.0 in Waterford. Groceries flip the comparison at $343 vs $363, with Galway 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 Waterford: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Waterford is cheaper overall, especially in Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 10% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Waterford earns 4% less. 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: $2,024 in Galway versus $1,752 in Waterford. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Galway pay roughly 6% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Waterford – a meal for two runs $93.0 versus $94.0 in Galway. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Waterford is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, Waterford 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 Waterford 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 Waterford gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Galway. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.