Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Portmarnock and Galway

For one person, living is cheaper in Portmarnock: $2,718 a month against $3,184 in Galway, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Portmarnock, Ireland
Galway, Ireland
Portmarnock
🇮🇪 Ireland
$2,718
/mo nomad
Galway
🇮🇪 Ireland
$3,184
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,718 in Portmarnock versus $3,184 in Galway.

  • Portmarnock $2,718
  • Galway $3,184

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,817 in Portmarnock versus $4,539 in Galway.

  • Portmarnock $3,817
  • Galway $4,539

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,915 in Portmarnock versus $5,895 in Galway.

  • Portmarnock $4,915
  • Galway $5,895

Living in Portmarnock costs roughly 15% less than in Galway, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Portmarnock 100% above, Galway 134% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Portmarnock
Galway
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$22.47 €20.19
$22.73 €20.42
-1.14%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$101 €90.7
$110 €99.2
-8.61%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.44 €12.08
$16.46 €14.79
-18.35%
Cappuccino
$4.75 €4.27
$4.94 €4.44
-3.85%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.99 €2.68
$2.92 €2.62
2.40%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.24 €2.01
$2.31 €2.08
-3.03%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.74 €6.95
$7.89 €7.09
-1.90%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.51 €5.85
$6.63 €5.96
-1.81%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Portmarnock
Galway
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.57 €1.41
$1.59 €1.43
-1.26%
White Bread (500g)
$2.34 €2.10
$2.34 €2.10
-
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.08 €1.86
$2.26 €2.03
-7.96%
Eggs
$4.21 €3.78
$4.31 €3.87
-2.32%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.17 €9.14
$16.38 €14.72
-37.91%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.93 €9.82
$10.93 €9.82
-
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.70 €12.31
$13.39 €12.03
2.32%
Apples (1kg)
$2.83 €2.55
$3.06 €2.75
-7.52%
Banana (1kg)
$2.17 €1.95
$2.17 €1.95
-
Oranges (1kg)
$2.79 €2.51
$3.10 €2.79
-10.00%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.16 €3.74
$4.05 €3.64
2.72%
Potato (1kg)
$1.90 €1.71
$2.06 €1.85
-7.77%
Onion (1kg)
$1.53 €1.38
$1.47 €1.32
4.08%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.25 €1.12
$1.31 €1.18
-4.58%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.81 €1.63
$1.82 €1.63
-0.55%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$20.46 €18.38
$20.40 €18.33
0.29%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.45 €12.08
$14.02 €12.60
-4.07%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.49 €3.13
$3.91 €3.51
-10.74%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.42 €3.07
$4.46 €4.01
-23.32%
🚌 Getting Around
Portmarnock
Galway
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.57 €2.31
$2.07 €1.86
24.15%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$66.4 €59.6
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.04 €4.53
$5.27 €4.73
-4.36%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.49 €1.34
$1.42 €1.28
4.93%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$37.12 €33.35
$55.3 €49.72
-32.92%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.13 €1.92
$2.15 €1.93
-0.93%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.6K €34.7K
$38.0K €34.2K
1.59%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$37.4K €33.6K
$38.4K €34.5K
-2.71%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Portmarnock
Galway
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$239 €214
$245 €221
-2.77%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.37 €16.51
$21.31 €19.14
-13.80%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$51.2 €45.99
$51.4 €46.14
-0.31%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Portmarnock
Galway
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$55.1 €49.48
$45.26 €40.66
21.67%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$22.38 €20.11
-
Cinema Ticket
$13.65 €12.26
$13.15 €11.82
3.80%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Portmarnock
Galway
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,021 €917
$990 €890
3.06%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,175 €4,650
-
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Portmarnock
Galway
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$101 €91.1
$100 €90.2
1.00%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$47.74 €42.90
$47.73 €42.89
0.02%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$111 €100
$109 €97.7
2.53%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$114 €103
$116 €104
-1.57%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Portmarnock
Galway
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,441 €1,294
$2,324 €2,088
-38.02%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,450 €1,303
$1,812 €1,628
-19.97%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,279 €2,048
$3,534 €3,176
-35.51%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,024 €1,819
$2,733 €2,456
-25.93%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$4,352 €3,910
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,524 €3,167
$3,324 €2,987
6.02%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Portmarnock
Galway
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$2,933 €2,636
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.68
3.68
-

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

Last update for Portmarnock: October 24, 2026

Last update for Galway: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Portmarnock
$1.4K
Galway
$1.8K 25% $362
Eating Out
Portmarnock
$350
Galway
$364 4.1% $14
Groceries & Markets
Portmarnock
$336
Galway
$363 8% $27
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Portmarnock
$308
Galway
$318 3.2% $9.9
Clothing & Footwear
Portmarnock
$169
Galway
$168 0.5% $0.9
Sport & Entertainment
Portmarnock
$82
Galway
$72 13.1% $11
Getting Around
Portmarnock
$23 *
Galway
$87 282% $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 $1,441 in Portmarnock and $2,324 in Galway. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $101 in Portmarnock vs $110 in Galway for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $363 per month, with Portmarnock cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇮🇪 Portmarnock
🇮🇪 Galway
🕒 Local time
09:12 9:12 AM
09:12 9:12 AM
Same time as Portmarnock
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
9,285
75,529
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.898 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Portmarnock Galway 190 km
From you
  • Portmarnock
  • 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
Portmarnock vs Galway: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Portmarnock cheaper than Galway?
Portmarnock is cheaper overall, especially in transport, groceries, and eating out. The 17% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You’d need roughly $4,077 in Portmarnock and $4,775 in Galway to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
What is the rent difference between Portmarnock and Galway?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,441 in Portmarnock versus $2,324 in Galway. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $1,021 in Portmarnock versus $990 in Galway. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Is eating out cheaper in Portmarnock or in Galway?
Dining out is cheaper in Portmarnock – a meal for two runs $101 versus $110 in Galway. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Is $2,500 enough to cover costs in Portmarnock or in Galway?
Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Portmarnock is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.
Is it better to live in Portmarnock or in Galway?
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.
Which city is safer, Portmarnock or Galway?
Safety-wise, Portmarnock 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.

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