Cost of Living Comparison Between Waterford and Galway Cost of Living Comparison Between Waterford and Galway

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,761 in Waterford versus $3,127 in Galway.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,971 in Waterford versus $4,274 in Galway.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,181 in Waterford versus $5,421 in Galway.

Living in Waterford costs roughly 12% less than in Galway, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Waterford 107% above, Galway 135% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.48 €20.47

$18.76 €16.36

25.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$92.7 €80.8

$97.1 €84.6

-4.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.42 €10.83

$10.52 €9.17

18.06%

Cappuccino

$3.89 €3.39

$4.17 €3.64

-6.71%

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

$2.38 €2.08

$2.32 €2.03

2.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.88

$1.56 €1.36

37.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.15 €6.23

$7.10 €6.19

0.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.40 €4.71

$6.29 €5.48

-14.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 €1.20

$1.51 €1.32

-9.27%

White Bread (500g)

$2.80 €2.44

$2.48 €2.16

12.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.40 €2.09

$2.11 €1.84

13.74%

Eggs

$4.36 €3.80

$4.10 €3.57

6.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.83 €10.31

$12.58 €10.97

-5.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.59 €9.23

$10.23 €8.92

3.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.96 €12.17

$12.12 €10.57

15.18%

Apples (1kg)

$3.04 €2.65

$2.97 €2.59

2.36%

Banana (1kg)

$2.61 €2.28

$2.06 €1.79

26.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.33 €2.90

$2.83 €2.47

17.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.78 €3.29

$3.37 €2.94

12.17%

Potato (1kg)

$2.34 €2.04

$1.42 €1.24

64.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 €1.27

$1.48 €1.29

-1.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.32 €1.15

$1.43 €1.25

-7.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 €1.69

$1.67 €1.45

16.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.10 €15.78

$19.74 €17.21

-8.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.55 €17.04

$14.06 €12.26

39.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 €2.53

$4.96 €4.32

-41.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.26 €2.84

$4.85 €4.23

-32.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.55 €2.23

$2.31 €2.01

10.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.0 €57.5

$68.2 €59.4

-3.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.19 €5.39

$5.08 €4.43

21.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.15 €1.00

$1.38 €1.20

-16.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.61 €30.17

$43.30 €37.75

-20.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.98 €1.73

$2.07 €1.80

-4.35%

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

$37.5K €32.7K

$43.1K €37.6K

-13.02%

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

$41.5K €36.2K

$38.5K €33.6K

7.74%

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

$217 €189

$287 €250

-24.31%

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

$25.80 €22.49

$21.96 €19.15

17.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.4 €54.4

$55.9 €48.73

11.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.28 €42.09

$56.4 €49.21

-14.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.42 €12.57

$8.52 €7.43

69.25%

Cinema Ticket

$13.23 €11.53

$14.05 €12.25

-5.84%

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

$1,221 €1,065

$1,064 €928

14.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,827 €6,823

$8,122 €7,081

-3.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.2 €83.0

$91.3 €79.6

4.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.2 €49.00

$39.18 €34.16

43.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 €98.4

$102 €88.9

10.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 €114

$108 €93.8

21.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,735 €1,512

$1,986 €1,731

-12.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,398 €1,219

$1,731 €1,509

-19.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,727 €2,378

$3,305 €2,882

-17.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,165 €1,887

$2,521 €2,198

-14.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,927 €3,424

$5,992 €5,224

-34.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,854 €2,488

$4,663 €4,065

-38.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,275 €2,855

$3,082 €2,687

6.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.23

4.8

-11.87%

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

Last update for Waterford: July 26, 2026

Last update for Galway: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,735 in Waterford and $1,986 in Galway. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Waterford pays 6% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $93.0 in Waterford vs $97.0 in Galway. Groceries flip the comparison at $361 vs $341, with Galway cheaper for home cooking.

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

Waterford vs Galway: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Waterford is cheaper overall, especially in Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 13% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 6% higher in Waterford, 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: $1,735 in Waterford versus $1,986 in Galway. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Galway pay roughly 6% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Waterford – a meal for two runs $93.0 versus $97.0 in Galway. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Waterford is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, Waterford 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, Waterford 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 Waterford gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Galway. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.