Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Monaghan and Galway

For one person, living is cheaper in Monaghan: $2,382 a month against $3,138 in Galway, rent and utilities included – about $9,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

114

Cost of Living Index in Monaghan
Learn more

Monaghan Living Index
152

Cost of Living Index in Galway
Learn more

Galway Living Index

Jump to prices

Monaghan

🇮🇪 Ireland

$2,382

/mo nomad

Galway

🇮🇪 Ireland

$3,138

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,382 in Monaghan versus $3,138 in Galway.

Monaghan $2,382
Galway $3,138

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,362 in Monaghan versus $4,521 in Galway.

Monaghan $3,362
Galway $4,521

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,343 in Monaghan versus $5,904 in Galway.

Monaghan $4,343
Galway $5,904

Living in Monaghan costs roughly 24% less than in Galway, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Monaghan 76% above, Galway 132% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.47 €15.56

$22.07 €19.66

-20.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.8 €51.5

$113 €100

-48.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.33 €10.98

$16.59 €14.78

-25.68%

Cappuccino

$4.02 €3.58

$4.94 €4.40

-18.62%

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

$2.57 €2.29

$2.98 €2.65

-13.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 €1.88

$2.19 €1.95

-3.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.57 €5.85

$8.02 €7.14

-18.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.57 €5.85

$6.69 €5.96

-1.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.61 €1.44

$1.63 €1.45

-1.23%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.88

$2.27 €2.02

-7.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 €1.58

$2.21 €1.97

-19.91%

Eggs

$4.32 €3.85

$4.23 €3.77

2.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.84 €8.76

$16.54 €14.73

-40.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.13 €10.81

$10.99 €9.79

10.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.20 €11.75

$13.41 €11.95

-1.57%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 €2.64

$3.09 €2.75

-3.88%

Banana (1kg)

$2.22 €1.98

$2.16 €1.92

2.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.99 €2.66

$2.98 €2.66

0.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.02 €3.58

$4.09 €3.64

-1.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 €1.65

$2.07 €1.84

-10.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 €1.35

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.26 €1.12

$1.27 €1.13

-0.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 €1.64

$1.90 €1.69

-3.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.10 €17.91

$20.46 €18.23

-1.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.30 €11.84

$14.16 €12.61

-6.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.26 €2.90

$3.94 €3.51

-17.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.55 €3.16

$4.41 €3.93

-19.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.52 €2.24

$2.07 €1.84

21.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.0 €58.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.06 €4.51

$4.95 €4.41

2.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.49 €1.33

$1.51 €1.35

-1.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$37.90 €33.76

$30.96 €27.58

22.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.64

$2.06 €1.84

-10.68%

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

$38.3K €34.1K

$38.7K €34.5K

-1.08%

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

$38.0K €33.8K

$37.8K €33.6K

0.59%

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

$241 €215

$238 €212

1.40%

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

$20.67 €18.41

$20.74 €18.48

-0.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.1 €45.55

$50.0 €44.54

2.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.6 €51.3

$45.88 €40.87

25.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.59 €20.12

Cinema Ticket

$13.64 €12.15

$13.32 €11.87

2.40%

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

$1,019 €908

$990 €882

2.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,209 €4,640

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.3 €83.1

$98.7 €87.9

-5.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.49 €36.96

$48.00 €42.75

-13.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 €81.5

$111 €98.7

-17.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 €94.0

$113 €101

-6.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,275 €1,135

$2,307 €2,055

-44.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,185 €1,056

$1,780 €1,586

-33.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,259 €2,012

$3,642 €3,244

-37.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,820 €1,621

$2,750 €2,449

-33.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,098 €3,650

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,366 €2,998

$3,152 €2,808

6.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,993 €3,557

$2,887 €2,572

38.33%

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 Monaghan: 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

Monaghan

$1.2K 49.8%

Galway

$1.8K 56.7% 50.2% $595

Groceries & Markets

Monaghan

$337 14.2%

Galway

$364 11.6% 8% $27

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Monaghan

$313 13.1%

Galway

$308 9.8% 1.4% $4.4

Eating Out

Monaghan

$290 12.2%

Galway

$360 11.5% 24.2% $70

Clothing & Footwear

Monaghan

$149 6.3%

Galway

$167 5.3% 11.7% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Monaghan

$85 3.6%

Galway

$73 2.3% 14.5% $12

Getting Around

Monaghan

$23 * 1%

Galway

$87 2.8% 284% $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 $1,275 in Monaghan and $2,307 in Galway. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Monaghan pays 38% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $58 in Monaghan vs $113 in Galway for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $337 vs $364 per month, with Monaghan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇪 Monaghan

🇮🇪 Galway

🕒 Local time

16:59 4:59 PM

Same time as Monaghan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

7,700

75,529

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Monaghan Galway 170 km

From you

Monaghan
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

Monaghan vs Galway: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monaghan is about 24% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, transport, and groceries. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 38% higher in Monaghan, 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: $1,275 in Monaghan versus $2,307 in Galway. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,019 in Monaghan 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 Monaghan – a meal for two runs $58 versus $113 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, Monaghan and Galway are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.