Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Galway

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,202 a month against $3,268 in Galway, rent and utilities included – about $12,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
Learn more

Lisbon Living Index
160

Cost of Living Index in Galway
Learn more

Galway Living Index

Jump to prices

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,202

/mo nomad

Galway

🇮🇪 Ireland

$3,268

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,202 in Lisbon versus $3,268 in Galway.

Lisbon $2,202
Galway $3,268

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,274 in Lisbon versus $4,575 in Galway.

Lisbon $3,274
Galway $4,575

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,346 in Lisbon versus $5,881 in Galway.

Lisbon $4,346
Galway $5,881

Living in Lisbon costs roughly 33% less than in Galway, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 62% above, Galway 141% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.04 €15.15

$22.87 €20.34

-25.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.3 €55.4

$114 €101

-45.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.02 €9.80

$16.74 €14.89

-34.17%

Cappuccino

$3.12 €2.78

$4.97 €4.42

-37.22%

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

$2.27 €2.02

$3.01 €2.68

-24.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.55

$2.19 €1.95

-20.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.42 €3.04

$7.74 €6.89

-55.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.74 €3.33

$6.78 €6.03

-44.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 €1.04

$1.63 €1.45

-28.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.86 €1.66

$2.36 €2.10

-21.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.54 €1.37

$2.28 €2.03

-32.46%

Eggs

$4.06 €3.61

$4.38 €3.89

-7.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.91 €11.49

$16.87 €15.01

-23.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.90 €7.03

$10.88 €9.68

-27.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.64 €15.69

$13.29 €11.82

32.73%

Apples (1kg)

$2.26 €2.01

$3.05 €2.71

-25.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.55

$2.18 €1.94

-19.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 €1.68

$3.03 €2.70

-37.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.56 €2.27

$4.10 €3.65

-37.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 €1.64

$1.98 €1.76

-6.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.75

$1.55 €1.38

27.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.29

$1.32 €1.17

9.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 €0.69

$1.83 €1.63

-57.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.71 €5.97

$20.25 €18.01

-66.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.67 €5.04

$13.76 €12.24

-58.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.22

$4.13 €3.67

-66.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 €1.88

$4.58 €4.07

-53.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.32 €2.07

$2.10 €1.86

10.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.43 €39.52

$61.7 €54.9

-28.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.95 €3.51

$5.39 €4.79

-26.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 €0.93

$1.44 €1.28

-27.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.15 €15.26

$55.0 €48.93

-68.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.19 €1.95

$2.16 €1.92

1.39%

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

$33.8K €30.0K

$38.6K €34.3K

-12.49%

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

$38.3K €34.0K

$38.5K €34.3K

-0.67%

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

$164 €146

$241 €214

-31.92%

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

$18.48 €16.43

$20.86 €18.56

-11.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.96 €29.32

$50.7 €45.08

-34.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.87 €40.80

$44.14 €39.26

3.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.68 €16.61

$22.15 €19.70

-15.67%

Cinema Ticket

$9.75 €8.67

$13.32 €11.85

-26.80%

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

$684 €608

$996 €886

-31.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K €15.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €92.3

$102 €90.4

2.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.20 €41.09

$47.57 €42.32

-2.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.7 €88.7

$113 €100

-11.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €111

$117 €104

6.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,589 €1,414

$2,293 €2,040

-30.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 €1,040

$1,900 €1,690

-38.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,851 €2,536

$3,654 €3,250

-21.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,993 €1,773

$2,704 €2,405

-26.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,793 €6,932

$6,129 €5,452

27.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,418 €3,930

$4,623 €4,112

-4.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,600 €1,423

$2,929 €2,605

-45.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

3.68

4.62%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 19, 2026

Last update for Galway: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.1%

Galway

$1.9K 58.1% 62.5% $731

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$273 12.4%

Galway

$366 11.2% 34% $93

Eating Out

Lisbon

$247 11.2%

Galway

$366 11.2% 47.9% $118

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$215 9.8%

Galway

$312 9.6% 45% $97

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$168 7.7%

Galway

$170 5.2% 1.1% $1.9

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$65 3%

Galway

$71 2.2% 8.3% $5.4

Getting Around

Lisbon

$63 2.9%

Galway

$83 2.5% 31.4% $20

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,589 in Lisbon and $2,293 in Galway. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Galway pays 83% 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: $62.0 in Lisbon vs $114 in Galway for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $273 vs $366 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇮🇪 Galway

🕒 Local time

08:22 8:22 AM

Same time as Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

75,529

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Lisbon Galway 1,620 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Lisbon
Galway

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

Lisbon vs Galway: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 48% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 83% 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: $1,589 in Lisbon versus $2,293 in Galway. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 34% higher in Galway. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Lisbon – a meal for two runs $62.0 versus $114 in Galway. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,202 in Lisbon versus $3,268 in Galway, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lisbon but tight or insufficient in Galway. The gap between the two cities makes Lisbon the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Lisbon 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, Lisbon 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 Lisbon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 48% less than in Galway. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.