Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kildare and Galway

For one person, living is cheaper in Kildare: $2,720 a month against $3,270 in Galway, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Galway outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

131

Cost of Living Index in Kildare
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Kildare Living Index
160

Cost of Living Index in Galway
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Galway Living Index

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Kildare

🇮🇪 Ireland

$2,720

/mo nomad

Galway

🇮🇪 Ireland

$3,270

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kildare and in Galway

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Kildare and in Galway actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,720 in Kildare versus $3,270 in Galway.

Kildare $2,720
Galway $3,270

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,216 in Kildare versus $4,565 in Galway.

Kildare $4,216
Galway $4,565

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,713 in Kildare versus $5,860 in Galway.

Kildare $5,713
Galway $5,860

Living in Kildare costs roughly 17% less than in Galway, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Kildare 101% above, Galway 142% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.00 €18.68

$22.70 €20.19

-7.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.6 €55.7

$110 €97.6

-42.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.55 €9.38

$16.68 €14.84

-36.75%

Cappuccino

$4.43 €3.94

$4.79 €4.26

-7.52%

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

$2.17 €1.93

$2.87 €2.56

-24.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 €1.57

$2.30 €2.05

-23.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.28 €6.47

$8.04 €7.16

-9.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.43 €4.83

$6.88 €6.12

-21.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 €1.46

$1.58 €1.40

3.80%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.70

$2.37 €2.11

-19.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.80 €1.60

$2.26 €2.01

-20.35%

Eggs

$3.80 €3.38

$4.38 €3.89

-13.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.80 €12.28

$16.67 €14.83

-17.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.87 €11.45

$11.04 €9.82

16.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.79 €10.49

$13.18 €11.72

-10.55%

Apples (1kg)

$2.82 €2.51

$3.05 €2.72

-7.54%

Banana (1kg)

$2.58 €2.30

$2.23 €1.98

15.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.27 €2.90

$2.97 €2.65

10.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.18 €3.72

$4.17 €3.71

0.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.75 €1.56

$2.05 €1.82

-14.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 €1.48

$1.52 €1.36

9.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.31 €1.16

$1.29 €1.15

1.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 €0.97

$1.81 €1.61

-39.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.73 €17.55

$20.14 €17.91

-2.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.20 €10.85

$14.04 €12.49

-13.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.69 €2.39

$3.96 €3.52

-32.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 €2.44

$4.46 €3.97

-38.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.10 €1.87

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$297 €265

$62.4 €55.5

376.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.06 €4.50

$5.07 €4.51

-0.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.49 €1.33

$1.43 €1.27

4.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.12 €29.46

$56.9 €50.6

-41.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.04 €1.81

$2.09 €1.86

-2.39%

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

$31.8K €28.3K

$39.1K €34.8K

-18.50%

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

$37.6K €33.5K

$36.4K €32.4K

3.38%

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

$187 €167

$246 €219

-23.87%

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

$21.41 €19.04

$20.84 €18.54

2.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.9 €49.69

$50.3 €44.71

11.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.8 €54.1

$43.60 €38.78

39.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.58 €20.09

Cinema Ticket

$13.28 €11.82

$16.54 €14.71

-19.71%

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

$1,075 €956

$1,010 €898

6.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,344 €4,753

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.1 €83.7

$99.4 €88.5

-5.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.20 €37.54

$48.19 €42.86

-12.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 €97.4

$111 €98.4

-1.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 €105

$114 €101

3.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,388 €1,235

$2,234 €1,987

-37.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,245 €1,108

$1,897 €1,687

-34.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,033 €2,698

$3,654 €3,251

-16.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,546 €2,264

$2,698 €2,400

-5.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,965 €5,306

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,623 €4,112

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,245 €1,997

$2,905 €2,584

-22.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.14

3.68

12.50%

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

Last update for Kildare: October 12, 2026

Last update for Galway: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kildare

$1.2K 45.8%

Galway

$1.9K 58% 52.3% $651

Groceries & Markets

Kildare

$333 12.2%

Galway

$365 11.2% 9.6% $32

Eating Out

Kildare

$316 11.6%

Galway

$364 11.1% 15.2% $48

Getting Around

Kildare

$310 * 11.4%

Galway

$83 2.5% 73.2% $227

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kildare

$265 9.7%

Galway

$317 9.7% 19.9% $53

Clothing & Footwear

Kildare

$164 6%

Galway

$168 5.1% 2.2% $3.7

Sport & Entertainment

Kildare

$87 3.2%

Galway

$77 2.3% 12.3% $11

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 $1,388 in Kildare and $2,234 in Galway. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Galway pays 29% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $63.0 in Kildare vs $110 in Galway for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $333 vs $365 per month, with Kildare cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇪 Kildare

🇮🇪 Galway

🕒 Local time

16:51 4:51 PM

Same time as Kildare

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

10,302

75,529

💱 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

Kildare vs Galway: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kildare is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 20% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 29% 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: $1,388 in Kildare versus $2,234 in Galway. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 10% higher in Galway. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Kildare – a meal for two runs $63.0 versus $110 in Galway. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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

For families, Kildare 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, Kildare and Galway 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 Kildare gentler on the wallet – expenses run 20% less than in Galway. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.