Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Loughrea and Galway

For one person, living is cheaper in Loughrea: $2,549 a month against $3,138 in Galway, rent and utilities included – about $7,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

121

Cost of Living Index in Loughrea
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Loughrea Living Index
152

Cost of Living Index in Galway
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Galway Living Index

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Loughrea

🇮🇪 Ireland

$2,549

/mo nomad

Galway

🇮🇪 Ireland

$3,138

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,549 in Loughrea versus $3,138 in Galway.

Loughrea $2,549
Galway $3,138

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,761 in Loughrea versus $4,521 in Galway.

Loughrea $3,761
Galway $4,521

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,974 in Loughrea versus $5,904 in Galway.

Loughrea $4,974
Galway $5,904

Living in Loughrea costs roughly 19% less than in Galway, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Loughrea 89% above, Galway 132% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.57 €20.10

$22.07 €19.66

2.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.4 €88.5

$113 €100

-11.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.25 €11.81

$16.59 €14.78

-20.13%

Cappuccino

$3.43 €3.05

$4.94 €4.40

-30.57%

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

$2.22 €1.97

$2.98 €2.65

-25.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 €2.03

$2.19 €1.95

4.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.50 €4.90

$8.02 €7.14

-31.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.43 €3.95

$6.69 €5.96

-33.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 €1.48

$1.63 €1.45

1.84%

White Bread (500g)

$2.28 €2.03

$2.27 €2.02

0.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.08 €1.85

$2.21 €1.97

-5.88%

Eggs

$4.99 €4.45

$4.23 €3.77

17.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.31 €2.95

$16.54 €14.73

-79.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.53 €5.82

$10.99 €9.79

-40.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.29 €10.06

$13.41 €11.95

-15.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 €2.54

$3.09 €2.75

-7.77%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 €1.95

$2.16 €1.92

0.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.68 €2.39

$2.98 €2.66

-10.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.43 €3.95

$4.09 €3.64

8.31%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 €1.63

$2.07 €1.84

-11.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 €1.37

$1.51 €1.35

1.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 €0.66

$1.27 €1.13

-41.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 €1.77

$1.90 €1.69

4.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$21.47 €19.12

$20.46 €18.23

4.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.38 €11.92

$14.16 €12.61

-5.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.35 €2.98

$3.94 €3.51

-14.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 €3.18

$4.41 €3.93

-19.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.48 €2.21

$2.07 €1.84

19.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.0 €49.88

$66.0 €58.8

-15.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 €4.67

$4.95 €4.41

5.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.52 €1.36

$1.51 €1.35

0.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$37.14 €33.08

$30.96 €27.58

19.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.76 €1.56

$2.06 €1.84

-14.56%

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

$39.3K €35.0K

$38.7K €34.5K

1.47%

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

$38.8K €34.5K

$37.8K €33.6K

2.67%

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

$165 €147

$238 €212

-30.42%

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

$17.97 €16.00

$20.74 €18.48

-13.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.9 €47.99

$50.0 €44.54

7.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.8 €51.5

$45.88 €40.87

26.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$49.87 €44.42

$22.59 €20.12

120.76%

Cinema Ticket

$15.67 €13.96

$13.32 €11.87

17.64%

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

$1,274 €1,135

$990 €882

28.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,211 €4,642

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.1 €81.2

$98.7 €87.9

-7.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.9 €45.36

$48.00 €42.75

6.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 €103

$111 €98.7

4.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 €118

$113 €101

16.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,595 €1,421

$2,307 €2,055

-30.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,362 €1,213

$1,780 €1,586

-23.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,561 €2,281

$3,642 €3,244

-29.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,141 €1,907

$2,750 €2,449

-22.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,098 €3,650

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,444 €3,068

$3,152 €2,808

9.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,527 €2,251

$2,887 €2,572

-12.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

3.68

3.53%

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

Last update for Loughrea: November 2, 2026

Last update for Galway: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Loughrea

$1.4K 53.4%

Galway

$1.8K 56.7% 30.7% $418

Eating Out

Loughrea

$316 12.4%

Galway

$360 11.5% 13.9% $44

Groceries & Markets

Loughrea

$290 11.4%

Galway

$364 11.6% 25.4% $74

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Loughrea

$237 9.3%

Galway

$308 9.8% 30% $71

Clothing & Footwear

Loughrea

$175 6.9%

Galway

$167 5.3% 5% $8.7

Sport & Entertainment

Loughrea

$89 3.5%

Galway

$73 2.3% 18.7% $17

Getting Around

Loughrea

$79 3.1%

Galway

$87 2.8% 10.1% $8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,595 in Loughrea and $2,307 in Galway. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Galway pays 14% 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: $99 in Loughrea vs $113 in Galway for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $290 vs $364 per month, with Loughrea cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇪 Loughrea

🇮🇪 Galway

🕒 Local time

23:34 11:34 PM

Same time as Loughrea

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,600

75,529

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Loughrea Galway 33 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

Loughrea vs Galway: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Loughrea is about 19% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 12% lower in Loughrea. 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: $1,595 in Loughrea versus $2,307 in Galway. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 25% higher in Galway. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Loughrea – a meal for two runs $99 versus $113 in Galway. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,549 in Loughrea versus $3,138 in Galway, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Loughrea but tight or insufficient in Galway. The gap between the two cities makes Loughrea 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, Loughrea and Galway are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Loughrea gentler on the wallet – expenses run 19% less than in Galway. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.