Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kilkenny and Galway

For one person, living is cheaper in Kilkenny: $2,340 a month against $3,184 in Galway, rent and utilities included – about $10,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

113

Cost of Living Index in Kilkenny
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Kilkenny Living Index
153

Cost of Living Index in Galway
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Galway Living Index

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Kilkenny

🇮🇪 Ireland

$2,340

/mo nomad

Galway

🇮🇪 Ireland

$3,184

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kilkenny 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 Kilkenny and in Galway actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,340 in Kilkenny versus $3,184 in Galway.

Kilkenny $2,340
Galway $3,184

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,280 in Kilkenny versus $4,539 in Galway.

Kilkenny $3,280
Galway $4,539

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,221 in Kilkenny versus $5,895 in Galway.

Kilkenny $4,221
Galway $5,895

Living in Kilkenny costs roughly 27% less than in Galway, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Kilkenny 72% above, Galway 134% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.55 €14.87

$22.73 €20.42

-27.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.4 €60.5

$110 €99.2

-39.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.02 €9.00

$16.46 €14.78

-39.13%

Cappuccino

$4.28 €3.85

$4.94 €4.44

-13.36%

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

$2.98 €2.68

$2.92 €2.62

2.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 €1.96

$2.31 €2.08

-5.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.57 €5.90

$7.89 €7.09

-16.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.50 €5.84

$6.63 €5.96

-1.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 €1.20

$1.59 €1.43

-16.35%

White Bread (500g)

$2.35 €2.11

$2.34 €2.10

0.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 €1.37

$2.26 €2.03

-32.30%

Eggs

$4.38 €3.94

$4.31 €3.87

1.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.50 €9.43

$16.38 €14.72

-35.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.72 €5.14

$10.93 €9.82

-47.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.82 €6.13

$13.39 €12.03

-49.07%

Apples (1kg)

$2.27 €2.04

$3.06 €2.75

-25.82%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €2.00

$2.17 €1.95

2.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.03 €2.72

$3.10 €2.79

-2.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.56

$4.05 €3.64

-29.63%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 €1.11

$2.06 €1.85

-40.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.14 €1.03

$1.47 €1.32

-22.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 €0.76

$1.31 €1.18

-35.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 €1.65

$1.82 €1.63

0.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.42 €18.34

$20.40 €18.33

0.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.18 €12.74

$14.02 €12.59

1.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.82 €3.43

$3.91 €3.51

-2.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.37 €3.93

$4.46 €4.01

-2.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.71 €2.44

$2.07 €1.86

30.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.4 €59.6

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.34 €4.79

$5.27 €4.73

1.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.41 €1.27

$1.42 €1.28

-0.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$56.4 €50.7

$55.3 €49.71

1.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.04 €1.83

$2.15 €1.93

-5.12%

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

$38.2K €34.3K

$38.0K €34.2K

0.50%

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

$38.4K €34.5K

-0.12%

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

$181 €162

$245 €220

-26.45%

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

$20.72 €18.62

$21.31 €19.14

-2.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.8 €46.55

$51.4 €46.13

0.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.4 €62.4

$45.26 €40.65

53.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.38 €20.10

Cinema Ticket

$13.53 €12.16

$13.15 €11.82

2.89%

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

$877 €788

$990 €890

-11.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €91.4

$100 €90.2

1.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.88 €33.13

$47.73 €42.88

-22.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €100

$109 €97.7

2.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.0 €84.5

$116 €104

-19.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,378

$2,324 €2,088

-34.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 €1,125

$1,812 €1,627

-30.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,620 €2,353

$3,534 €3,175

-25.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,818 €1,633

$2,733 €2,455

-33.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,172 €7,341

$4,352 €3,909

87.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,279 €2,047

$3,324 €2,986

-31.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,765 €2,484

$2,933 €2,635

-5.74%

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 Kilkenny: October 27, 2026

Last update for Galway: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kilkenny

$1.3K 53.5%

Galway

$1.8K 56.9% 44.7% $560

Eating Out

Kilkenny

$280 12%

Galway

$364 11.4% 29.9% $84

Groceries & Markets

Kilkenny

$280 12%

Galway

$363 11.4% 29.8% $84

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kilkenny

$253 10.8%

Galway

$318 10% 25.7% $65

Clothing & Footwear

Kilkenny

$155 6.6%

Galway

$168 5.3% 8.4% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Kilkenny

$96 4.1%

Galway

$72 2.3% 25.8% $25

Getting Around

Kilkenny

$23 * 1%

Galway

$87 2.7% 274% $64

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 $1,534 in Kilkenny and $2,324 in Galway. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Galway pays 6% 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: $67 in Kilkenny vs $110 in Galway for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $280 vs $363 per month, with Kilkenny cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇪 Kilkenny

🇮🇪 Galway

🕒 Local time

20:36 8:36 PM

Same time as Kilkenny

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

26,500

75,529

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Kilkenny Galway 140 km

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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

Kilkenny vs Galway: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kilkenny is about 27% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 6% lower in Kilkenny. 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: $1,534 in Kilkenny versus $2,324 in Galway. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $877 in Kilkenny versus $990 in Galway. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Kilkenny – a meal for two runs $67 versus $110 in Galway. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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, Kilkenny and Galway are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Kilkenny wins on affordability, Galway on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.