Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tuam and Galway

For one person, living is cheaper in Tuam: $2,580 a month against $3,268 in Galway, rent and utilities included – about $8,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

126

Cost of Living Index in Tuam
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Tuam Living Index
160

Cost of Living Index in Galway
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Galway Living Index

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Tuam

🇮🇪 Ireland

$2,580

/mo nomad

Galway

🇮🇪 Ireland

$3,268

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,580 in Tuam versus $3,268 in Galway.

Tuam $2,580
Galway $3,268

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,675 in Tuam versus $4,575 in Galway.

Tuam $3,675
Galway $4,575

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,770 in Tuam versus $5,881 in Galway.

Tuam $4,770
Galway $5,881

Living in Tuam costs roughly 21% less than in Galway, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Tuam 90% above, Galway 141% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.76 €17.57

$22.87 €20.34

-13.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.5 €54.7

$114 €101

-45.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.32 €12.74

$16.74 €14.89

-14.46%

Cappuccino

$4.47 €3.98

$4.97 €4.42

-10.06%

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

$2.92 €2.60

$3.01 €2.68

-2.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 €1.65

$2.19 €1.95

-15.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.03 €6.25

$7.74 €6.89

-9.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.59 €5.86

$6.78 €6.03

-2.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 €1.42

$1.63 €1.45

-2.45%

White Bread (500g)

$2.28 €2.03

$2.36 €2.10

-3.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.71

$2.28 €2.03

-15.79%

Eggs

$4.42 €3.93

$4.38 €3.89

0.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.28 €9.14

$16.87 €15.01

-39.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.75 €11.34

$10.88 €9.68

17.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.27 €11.81

$13.29 €11.82

-0.15%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 €2.71

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 €2.04

$2.18 €1.94

5.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.09 €2.75

$3.03 €2.70

1.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.84 €4.30

$4.10 €3.65

18.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.74

$1.98 €1.76

-1.01%

Onion (1kg)

$1.47 €1.30

$1.55 €1.38

-5.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.37 €1.22

$1.32 €1.17

3.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 €1.84

$1.83 €1.63

13.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.29 €18.05

$20.25 €18.01

0.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.56 €12.06

$13.76 €12.24

-1.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.47 €3.09

$4.13 €3.67

-15.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 €3.08

$4.58 €4.07

-24.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.57 €2.29

$2.10 €1.86

22.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.7 €54.9

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.09 €4.53

$5.39 €4.79

-5.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 €1.38

$1.44 €1.28

7.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.37 €29.68

$55.0 €48.93

-39.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.80

$2.16 €1.92

-6.48%

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

$39.0K €34.7K

$38.6K €34.3K

0.91%

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

$38.1K €33.9K

$38.5K €34.3K

-1.09%

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

$244 €217

$241 €214

1.46%

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

$21.40 €19.04

$20.86 €18.56

2.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.3 €44.72

$50.7 €45.08

-0.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.9 €52.4

$44.14 €39.26

33.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.15 €19.70

Cinema Ticket

$13.18 €11.72

$13.32 €11.85

-1.05%

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

$1,009 €897

$996 €886

1.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,119 €4,553

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.7 €85.1

$102 €90.4

-5.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.02 €37.38

$47.57 €42.32

-11.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 €95.7

$113 €100

-4.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 €101

$117 €104

-2.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,609 €1,431

$2,293 €2,040

-29.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,318 €1,172

$1,900 €1,690

-30.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,576 €2,291

$3,654 €3,250

-29.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,092 €1,860

$2,704 €2,405

-22.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,129 €5,452

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,293 €2,929

$4,623 €4,112

-28.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,929 €2,605

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 Tuam: October 19, 2026

Last update for Galway: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tuam

$1.3K 51.1%

Galway

$1.9K 58.1% 44.2% $582

Groceries & Markets

Tuam

$355 13.7%

Galway

$366 11.2% 3.2% $11

Eating Out

Tuam

$322 12.5%

Galway

$366 11.2% 13.6% $44

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tuam

$316 12.2%

Galway

$312 9.6% 1.2% $3.7

Clothing & Footwear

Tuam

$161 6.3%

Galway

$170 5.2% 5.5% $8.9

Sport & Entertainment

Tuam

$85 3.3%

Galway

$71 2.2% 16.9% $14

Getting Around

Tuam

$23 * 0.9%

Galway

$83 2.5% 258% $60

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 $1,609 in Tuam and $2,293 in Galway. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $61.0 in Tuam vs $114 in Galway for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $355 vs $366 per month, with Tuam cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇪 Tuam

🇮🇪 Galway

🕒 Local time

09:06 9:06 AM

Same time as Tuam

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,647

75,529

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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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

Tuam vs Galway: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tuam is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 27% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $3,870 in Tuam and $4,902 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: $1,609 in Tuam versus $2,293 in Galway. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,009 in Tuam versus $996 in Galway. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Tuam – a meal for two runs $61.0 versus $114 in Galway. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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

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

Safety-wise, Tuam 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 Tuam gentler on the wallet – expenses run 27% less than in Galway. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.