Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Galway and Wicklow

For one person, living is cheaper in Wicklow: $2,446 a month against $3,184 in Galway, rent and utilities included – about $8,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

153

Cost of Living Index in Galway
Learn more

Galway Living Index
118

Cost of Living Index in Wicklow
Learn more

Wicklow Living Index

Jump to prices

Galway

🇮🇪 Ireland

$3,184

/mo nomad

Wicklow

🇮🇪 Ireland

$2,446

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Galway and in Wicklow

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,184 in Galway versus $2,446 in Wicklow.

Galway $3,184
Wicklow $2,446

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,539 in Galway versus $3,745 in Wicklow.

Galway $4,539
Wicklow $3,745

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,895 in Galway versus $5,045 in Wicklow.

Galway $5,895
Wicklow $5,045

Living in Galway is roughly 30% more expensive than in Wicklow, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Galway 134% above, Wicklow 80% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.73 €20.36

$15.44 €13.83

47.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$110 €98.9

$110 €98.3

0.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.46 €14.74

$9.24 €8.27

78.14%

Cappuccino

$4.94 €4.42

$4.07 €3.65

21.38%

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

$2.92 €2.61

$2.57 €2.30

13.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €2.07

$2.07 €1.85

11.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.89 €7.07

$6.79 €6.08

16.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.63 €5.94

$5.89 €5.28

12.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 €1.42

$1.56 €1.40

1.92%

White Bread (500g)

$2.34 €2.10

$1.71 €1.53

36.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.26 €2.02

$2.27 €2.03

-0.44%

Eggs

$4.31 €3.86

$4.35 €3.89

-0.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.38 €14.67

$16.74 €15.00

-2.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.93 €9.79

$10.10 €9.05

8.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.39 €11.99

$7.70 €6.90

73.90%

Apples (1kg)

$3.06 €2.74

$3.09 €2.77

-0.97%

Banana (1kg)

$2.17 €1.95

$2.16 €1.94

0.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.10 €2.78

$3.05 €2.73

1.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.05 €3.63

$4.06 €3.64

-0.25%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 €1.85

$2.00 €1.79

3.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.47 €1.32

$1.49 €1.33

-1.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.31 €1.17

$1.30 €1.17

0.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 €1.63

$1.83 €1.64

-0.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.40 €18.27

$20.47 €18.33

-0.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.02 €12.55

$13.83 €12.39

1.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.50

$2.26 €2.02

73.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 €4.00

$3.40 €3.05

31.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.07 €1.85

$2.89 €2.59

-28.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.4 €59.5

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.27 €4.72

$2.53 €2.27

108.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.42 €1.27

$1.41 €1.27

0.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$55.3 €49.56

$31.88 €28.56

73.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.15 €1.92

$2.01 €1.80

6.97%

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

$38.0K €34.1K

$36.8K €32.9K

3.50%

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

$38.4K €34.4K

$38.0K €34.1K

1.06%

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

$245 €220

$225 €202

8.99%

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

$21.31 €19.08

$20.97 €18.78

1.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.4 €45.99

$33.98 €30.44

51.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.26 €40.53

$58.4 €52.3

-22.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.38 €20.04

Cinema Ticket

$13.15 €11.78

$13.38 €11.98

-1.72%

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

$990 €887

$1,871 €1,676

-47.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$100 €89.9

$99.6 €89.2

0.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.73 €42.75

$34.04 €30.49

40.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 €97.4

$67.0 €60.0

62.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €104

$115 €103

1.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,324 €2,082

$1,700 €1,523

36.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,812 €1,623

$1,327 €1,189

36.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,534 €3,165

$2,977 €2,666

18.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,733 €2,448

$2,393 €2,143

14.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,352 €3,898

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,324 €2,977

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,933 €2,627

$5,481 €4,909

-46.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.68

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

Last update for Galway: October 26, 2026

Last update for Wicklow: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Galway

$1.8K 56.9%

Wicklow

$1.3K 54.3% 26.7% $484

Eating Out

Galway

$364 11.4%

Wicklow

$264 10.8% 27.4% $100

Groceries & Markets

Galway

$363 11.4%

Wicklow

$326 13.3% 10.3% $37

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Galway

$318 10%

Wicklow

$280 11.5% 11.9% $38

Clothing & Footwear

Galway

$168 5.3%

Wicklow

$142 5.8% 15.5% $26

Getting Around

Galway

$87 2.7%

Wicklow

$21 * 0.9% 75.7% $66

Sport & Entertainment

Galway

$72 2.3%

Wicklow

$85 3.5% 19% $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 $2,324 in Galway and $1,700 in Wicklow. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Wicklow pays 87% 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 $110 in Wicklow. Groceries flip the comparison at $363 vs $326, with Wicklow cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇮🇪 Galway

🇮🇪 Wicklow

🕒 Local time

14:47 2:47 PM

Same time as Galway

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

75,529

12,957

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Galway Wicklow 200 km

From you

Galway
Wicklow

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 Wicklow: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Wicklow is about 23% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, transport, and groceries. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 46% 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 $1,700 in Wicklow. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 11% higher in Galway. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Childcare runs $990 in Galway versus $1,871 in Wicklow. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $2,446 in Wicklow versus $3,184 in Galway, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Wicklow but tight or insufficient in Galway. The gap between the two cities makes Wicklow 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 Wicklow are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.