Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Maynooth and Galway

For one person, living is cheaper in Galway: $3,270 a month against $3,666 in Maynooth, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

179

Cost of Living Index in Maynooth
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Maynooth Living Index
160

Cost of Living Index in Galway
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Galway Living Index

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Maynooth

🇮🇪 Ireland

$3,666

/mo nomad

Galway

🇮🇪 Ireland

$3,270

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,666 in Maynooth versus $3,270 in Galway.

Maynooth $3,666
Galway $3,270

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,465 in Maynooth versus $4,565 in Galway.

Maynooth $5,465
Galway $4,565

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,263 in Maynooth versus $5,860 in Galway.

Maynooth $7,263
Galway $5,860

Living in Maynooth is roughly 12% more expensive than in Galway, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Maynooth 172% above, Galway 142% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.36 €19.89

$22.70 €20.19

-1.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 €90.2

$110 €97.6

-7.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.56 €11.17

$16.68 €14.84

-24.70%

Cappuccino

$4.30 €3.83

$4.79 €4.26

-10.23%

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

$2.98 €2.65

$2.87 €2.56

3.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 €1.96

$2.30 €2.05

-3.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.10 €6.32

$8.04 €7.15

-11.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.22 €6.42

$6.88 €6.12

4.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 €1.47

$1.58 €1.40

4.43%

White Bread (500g)

$2.44 €2.17

$2.37 €2.11

2.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.04 €1.81

$2.26 €2.01

-9.73%

Eggs

$4.66 €4.15

$4.38 €3.89

6.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.88 €8.79

$16.67 €14.83

-40.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.46 €11.08

$11.04 €9.82

12.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 €14.31

$13.18 €11.72

22.08%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 €2.92

$3.05 €2.72

7.54%

Banana (1kg)

$2.92 €2.60

$2.23 €1.98

30.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.40 €3.03

$2.97 €2.64

14.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.88 €4.34

$4.17 €3.71

17.03%

Potato (1kg)

$2.18 €1.94

$2.05 €1.82

6.34%

Onion (1kg)

$1.53 €1.36

$1.52 €1.36

0.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 €1.23

$1.29 €1.15

7.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 €1.86

$1.81 €1.61

15.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.38 €18.13

$20.14 €17.91

1.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.57 €12.07

$14.04 €12.49

-3.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.42 €3.04

$3.96 €3.52

-13.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.54 €3.15

$4.46 €3.97

-20.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.42 €3.04

$2.10 €1.87

62.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$122 €109

$62.4 €55.5

96.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.08 €4.52

$5.07 €4.51

0.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 €1.36

$1.43 €1.27

6.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.09 €29.43

$56.9 €50.6

-41.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.14 €1.90

$2.09 €1.86

2.39%

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

$39.3K €34.9K

$39.1K €34.7K

0.56%

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

$38.8K €34.5K

$36.4K €32.4K

6.58%

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

$243 €216

$246 €219

-1.11%

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

$22.08 €19.64

$20.84 €18.53

5.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.1 €49.00

$50.3 €44.71

9.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.4 €52.0

$43.60 €38.77

34.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.38 €19.91

$22.58 €20.09

-0.89%

Cinema Ticket

$13.44 €11.95

$16.54 €14.71

-18.74%

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

$1,072 €954

$1,010 €898

6.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.0K €12.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.1 €82.8

$99.4 €88.4

-6.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.91 €44.39

$48.19 €42.86

3.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 €94.9

$111 €98.4

-3.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 €105

$114 €101

3.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,470 €2,196

$2,234 €1,987

10.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,236 €1,988

$1,897 €1,687

17.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,539 €4,926

$3,654 €3,250

51.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,011 €3,568

$2,698 €2,400

48.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,223 €5,534

$5,965 €5,306

4.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,200 €5,514

$4,623 €4,111

34.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,256 €3,785

$2,905 €2,584

46.50%

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 Maynooth: October 11, 2026

Last update for Galway: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Maynooth

$2.2K 61%

Galway

$1.9K 58% 15.2% $339

Groceries & Markets

Maynooth

$371 10.1%

Galway

$365 11.2% 1.7% $6.4

Eating Out

Maynooth

$339 9.2%

Galway

$364 11.1% 7.4% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Maynooth

$321 8.7%

Galway

$317 9.7% 1% $3.3

Clothing & Footwear

Maynooth

$165 4.5%

Galway

$168 5.1% 1.3% $2.1

Getting Around

Maynooth

$149 4.1%

Galway

$83 2.5% 44.2% $66

Sport & Entertainment

Maynooth

$85 2.3%

Galway

$77 2.3% 10.1% $8.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,470 in Maynooth and $2,234 in Galway. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Maynooth pays 46% 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: $101 in Maynooth vs $110 in Galway. Groceries flip the comparison at $371 vs $365, with Galway cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇮🇪 Maynooth

🇮🇪 Galway

🕒 Local time

10:35 10:35 AM

Same time as Maynooth

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

17,259

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

Maynooth vs Galway: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Galway is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, transport, and leisure. The 12% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 46% higher in Maynooth, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,470 in Maynooth versus $2,234 in Galway. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 2% higher in Maynooth. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Galway – a meal for two runs $110 versus $101 in Maynooth. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Galway is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, Galway is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Maynooth, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Maynooth 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 Galway gentler on the wallet – expenses run 12% less than in Maynooth. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.