Cost of Living Comparison Between Galway and Wicklow Cost of Living Comparison Between Galway and Wicklow

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,062 in Galway versus $2,660 in Wicklow.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,298 in Galway versus $4,011 in Wicklow.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,534 in Galway versus $5,363 in Wicklow.

Living in Galway is roughly 15% more expensive than Wicklow, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Galway 128% above, Wicklow 98% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.19 €15.67

$17.33 €14.93

4.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$94.8 €81.6

$97.0 €83.6

-2.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.27 €8.85

$10.32 €8.89

-0.48%

Cappuccino

$4.33 €3.73

$4.20 €3.62

3.10%

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

$2.42 €2.09

$2.40 €2.07

0.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 €1.34

$1.61 €1.38

-3.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.79 €5.85

$6.83 €5.88

-0.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.39 €5.51

$5.96 €5.13

7.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.27 €1.09

18.11%

White Bread (500g)

$2.51 €2.16

$1.91 €1.65

31.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.22 €1.91

$2.15 €1.85

3.26%

Eggs

$4.06 €3.50

$3.98 €3.43

2.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.60 €10.86

$12.79 €11.02

-1.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.41 €8.97

$10.28 €8.86

1.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.70 €10.08

$10.00 €8.62

17.00%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 €2.56

$3.01 €2.60

-1.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.10 €1.81

$2.07 €1.78

1.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.72 €2.35

$2.73 €2.35

-0.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.37 €2.90

$3.54 €3.05

-4.80%

Potato (1kg)

$1.39 €1.20

$1.37 €1.18

1.46%

Onion (1kg)

$1.40 €1.21

$1.48 €1.28

-5.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.25

$1.40 €1.21

3.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 €1.42

$1.59 €1.37

3.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.77 €17.03

$18.83 €16.22

4.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.13 €12.17

$13.96 €12.02

1.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.74 €4.08

$2.36 €2.03

100.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.87 €4.20

$3.53 €3.04

37.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 €1.91

$2.44 €2.10

-9.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$69.1 €59.5

$99.0 €85.3

-30.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.89 €4.21

$2.48 €2.14

97.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.38 €1.19

$2.80 €2.41

-50.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$43.42 €37.41

$33.33 €28.72

30.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.97 €1.70

$2.05 €1.77

-3.90%

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

$43.1K €37.1K

$33.4K €28.8K

28.93%

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

$39.7K €34.2K

$38.9K €33.5K

2.16%

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

$286 €246

$281 €242

1.79%

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

$21.68 €18.68

$21.92 €18.89

-1.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.1 €47.45

$51.1 €44.01

7.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 €49.31

$60.3 €52.0

-5.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.31 €7.16

Cinema Ticket

$13.88 €11.96

$13.85 €11.93

0.22%

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

$1,052 €906

$1,045 €901

0.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,072 €6,955

$8,200 €7,065

-1.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 €77.1

$89.6 €77.2

-0.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.49 €34.02

$40.32 €34.74

-2.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €88.5

$92.7 €79.8

10.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 €92.7

$108 €93.2

-0.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,977 €1,704

$1,729 €1,489

14.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,745 €1,504

$1,390 €1,198

25.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,360 €2,895

$3,143 €2,708

6.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,497 €2,151

$2,422 €2,086

3.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,209 €5,350

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,644 €4,001

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,248 €2,798

$5,867 €5,055

-44.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.8

3.77

27.32%

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

Last update for Galway: June 8, 2026

Last update for Wicklow: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,977 in Galway and $1,729 in Wicklow. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Wicklow pays 81% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $95.0 in Galway vs $97.0 in Wicklow. Groceries flip the comparison at $340 vs $311, with Wicklow 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 Wicklow: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Wicklow is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 15% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Wicklow earns 81% 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: $1,977 in Galway versus $1,729 in Wicklow. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Galway. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Wicklow – 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.

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

For families, Wicklow 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 Wicklow 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 Wicklow gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Galway. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.