Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Swords and Galway

For one person, living is cheaper in Swords: $2,598 a month against $3,184 in Galway, rent and utilities included – about $7,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Swords
Learn more

Swords Living Index
153

Cost of Living Index in Galway
Learn more

Galway Living Index

Jump to prices

Swords

🇮🇪 Ireland

$2,598

/mo nomad

Galway

🇮🇪 Ireland

$3,184

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,598 in Swords versus $3,184 in Galway.

Swords $2,598
Galway $3,184

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,804 in Swords versus $4,539 in Galway.

Swords $3,804
Galway $4,539

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,010 in Swords versus $5,895 in Galway.

Swords $5,010
Galway $5,895

Living in Swords costs roughly 18% less than in Galway, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Swords 91% above, Galway 134% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.16 €19.91

$22.73 €20.42

-2.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.6 €88.6

$110 €99.2

-10.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.20 €11.86

$16.46 €14.79

-19.81%

Cappuccino

$4.93 €4.43

$4.94 €4.44

-0.20%

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

$2.98 €2.68

$2.92 €2.62

2.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.16 €1.94

$2.31 €2.08

-6.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.03 €7.21

$7.89 €7.09

1.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.74 €6.05

$6.63 €5.96

1.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 €1.42

$1.59 €1.43

-0.63%

White Bread (500g)

$2.35 €2.11

$2.34 €2.10

0.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.03 €1.83

$2.26 €2.03

-10.18%

Eggs

$4.24 €3.81

$4.31 €3.87

-1.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.89 €8.89

$16.38 €14.72

-39.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.86 €9.76

$10.93 €9.82

-0.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.29 €11.94

$13.39 €12.03

-0.75%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 €2.47

$3.06 €2.75

-10.13%

Banana (1kg)

$2.27 €2.04

$2.17 €1.95

4.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.79 €2.51

$3.10 €2.79

-10.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.17 €3.75

$4.05 €3.64

2.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.87 €1.68

$2.06 €1.85

-9.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.47 €1.33

$1.47 €1.32

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 €1.16

$1.31 €1.18

-0.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 €1.70

$1.82 €1.63

4.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.52 €18.44

$20.40 €18.33

0.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.39 €12.03

$14.02 €12.60

-4.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.35 €3.01

$3.91 €3.51

-14.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 €3.10

$4.46 €4.01

-22.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 €2.03

$2.07 €1.86

9.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.4 €59.6

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.00 €4.49

$5.27 €4.73

-5.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.47 €1.32

$1.42 €1.28

3.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$37.35 €33.55

$55.3 €49.72

-32.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.16 €1.94

$2.15 €1.93

0.47%

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

$38.6K €34.7K

$38.0K €34.2K

1.41%

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

$38.0K €34.1K

$38.4K €34.5K

-1.13%

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

$246 €221

$245 €221

0.35%

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

$18.68 €16.78

$21.31 €19.14

-12.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.2 €45.97

$51.4 €46.14

-0.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.58 €36.46

$45.26 €40.66

-10.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.38 €20.11

Cinema Ticket

$13.43 €12.07

$13.15 €11.82

2.13%

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

$1,010 €907

$990 €890

1.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,183 €4,656

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$100 €90.0

$100 €90.2

-0.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.06 €43.18

$47.73 €42.89

0.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 €97.1

$109 €97.7

-0.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 €101

$116 €104

-2.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,556 €1,398

$2,324 €2,088

-33.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,342 €1,206

$1,812 €1,628

-25.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,584 €2,322

$3,534 €3,176

-26.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,165 €1,945

$2,733 €2,456

-20.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,721 €4,242

$4,352 €3,910

8.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,447 €3,097

$3,324 €2,987

3.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,933 €2,636

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.68

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

Last update for Swords: October 26, 2026

Last update for Galway: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Swords

$1.3K 51.7%

Galway

$1.8K 56.9% 35% $470

Eating Out

Swords

$350 13.5%

Galway

$364 11.4% 4% $14

Groceries & Markets

Swords

$335 12.9%

Galway

$363 11.4% 8.6% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Swords

$316 12.2%

Galway

$318 10% 0.6% $2

Clothing & Footwear

Swords

$166 6.4%

Galway

$168 5.3% 1% $1.7

Sport & Entertainment

Swords

$67 2.6%

Galway

$72 2.3% 6.1% $4.1

Getting Around

Swords

$21 * 0.8%

Galway

$87 2.7% 307% $66

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 $1,556 in Swords and $2,324 in Galway. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $99 in Swords vs $110 in Galway for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $335 vs $363 per month, with Swords cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇪 Swords

🇮🇪 Galway

🕒 Local time

08:46 8:46 AM

Same time as Swords

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

40,776

75,529

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Swords Galway 190 km

From you

Swords
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

Swords vs Galway: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Swords is cheaper overall, especially in transport, groceries, and eating out. The 23% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $3,897 in Swords 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,556 in Swords versus $2,324 in Galway. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,010 in Swords 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 Swords – a meal for two runs $99 versus $110 in Galway. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,598 in Swords versus $3,184 in Galway, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Swords but tight or insufficient in Galway. The gap between the two cities makes Swords 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, Swords 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.