Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Waterford and Galway

For one person, living is cheaper in Waterford: $2,623 a month against $3,184 in Galway, rent and utilities included – about $6,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

127

Cost of Living Index in Waterford
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Waterford Living Index
153

Cost of Living Index in Galway
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Galway Living Index

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Waterford

🇮🇪 Ireland

$2,623

/mo nomad

Galway

🇮🇪 Ireland

$3,184

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,623 in Waterford versus $3,184 in Galway.

Waterford $2,623
Galway $3,184

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,792 in Waterford versus $4,539 in Galway.

Waterford $3,792
Galway $4,539

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,961 in Waterford versus $5,895 in Galway.

Waterford $4,961
Galway $5,895

Living in Waterford costs roughly 18% less than in Galway, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Waterford 93% above, Galway 134% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.70 €20.33

$22.73 €20.36

-0.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$92.3 €82.7

$110 €98.9

-16.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.42 €11.13

$16.46 €14.74

-24.54%

Cappuccino

$3.96 €3.54

$4.94 €4.42

-19.84%

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

$2.88 €2.58

$2.92 €2.61

-1.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 €1.86

$2.31 €2.07

-9.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.15 €6.40

$7.89 €7.07

-9.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.23 €5.58

$6.63 €5.94

-6.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 €1.32

$1.59 €1.42

-7.55%

White Bread (500g)

$2.29 €2.05

$2.34 €2.10

-2.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 €2.00

$2.26 €2.02

-1.33%

Eggs

$4.30 €3.85

$4.31 €3.86

-0.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.68 €14.05

$16.38 €14.67

-4.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.06 €9.90

$10.93 €9.79

1.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 €11.86

$13.39 €11.99

-1.05%

Apples (1kg)

$3.03 €2.72

$3.06 €2.74

-0.98%

Banana (1kg)

$2.25 €2.02

$2.17 €1.95

3.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.10 €2.78

Tomato (1kg)

$4.03 €3.61

$4.05 €3.63

-0.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.41 €1.26

$2.06 €1.85

-31.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.52 €1.36

$1.47 €1.32

3.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 €1.16

$1.31 €1.17

-0.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 €1.71

$1.82 €1.63

4.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.35 €16.44

$20.40 €18.27

-10.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.73 €12.30

$14.02 €12.55

-2.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.15 €2.82

$3.91 €3.50

-19.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 €2.78

$4.46 €4.00

-30.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 €2.02

$2.07 €1.85

9.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.5 €56.0

$66.4 €59.5

-5.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.15 €4.61

$5.27 €4.72

-2.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.33

$1.42 €1.27

4.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$55.7 €49.90

$55.3 €49.56

0.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 €1.91

$2.15 €1.92

-0.93%

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

$39.1K €35.1K

$38.0K €34.1K

2.90%

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

$37.9K €34.0K

$38.4K €34.4K

-1.25%

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

$246 €220

$245 €220

0.07%

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

$20.71 €18.55

$21.31 €19.08

-2.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.4 €45.14

$51.4 €45.99

-1.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.73 €40.96

$45.26 €40.53

1.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.23 €12.74

$22.38 €20.04

-36.42%

Cinema Ticket

$13.20 €11.83

$13.15 €11.78

0.38%

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

$995 €891

$990 €887

0.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.2 €69.2

$100 €89.9

-23.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.56 €42.59

$47.73 €42.75

-0.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 €97.6

$109 €97.4

0.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €104

0.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,678 €1,503

$2,324 €2,082

-27.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,306 €1,169

$1,812 €1,623

-27.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,494 €2,233

$3,534 €3,165

-29.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,001 €1,792

$2,733 €2,448

-26.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,089 €2,766

$4,352 €3,898

-29.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,552 €2,286

$3,324 €2,977

-23.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,188 €2,855

$2,933 €2,627

8.68%

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 Waterford: October 25, 2026

Last update for Galway: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Waterford

$1.3K 49.8%

Galway

$1.8K 56.9% 38.8% $506

Groceries & Markets

Waterford

$352 13.4%

Galway

$363 11.4% 3.3% $11

Eating Out

Waterford

$334 12.8%

Galway

$364 11.4% 8.9% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Waterford

$317 12.1%

Galway

$318 10% 0.4% $1.4

Clothing & Footwear

Waterford

$158 6%

Galway

$168 5.3% 6.5% $10

Getting Around

Waterford

$84 3.2%

Galway

$87 2.7% 3.5% $3

Sport & Entertainment

Waterford

$72 2.8%

Galway

$72 2.3% 0.8% $0.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,678 in Waterford and $2,324 in Galway. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Waterford pays 9% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $92 in Waterford vs $110 in Galway for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $352 vs $363 per month, with Waterford cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇪 Waterford

🇮🇪 Galway

🕒 Local time

01:47 1:47 AM

Same time as Waterford

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

40,300

75,529

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 about 18% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 9% 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: $1,678 in Waterford versus $2,324 in Galway. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 3% higher in Galway. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Waterford – a meal for two runs $92 versus $110 in Galway. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,623 in Waterford versus $3,184 in Galway, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Waterford but tight or insufficient in Galway. The gap between the two cities makes Waterford 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, Waterford and Galway are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Waterford gentler on the wallet – expenses run 18% less than in Galway. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.