How Much Does It Cost to Live In Galway?
Galway is a really small city in Ireland, full of life, good vibes and considered to be the cultural capital of Ireland.
You’ll spend a lot of money on leisure as this city is brimming with film festivals, cultural festivals, St. Patrick day parade and similar ceremonies.
The cost of life in this vibrant city is definitely lower than Dublin and there are a lot of big companies offering reasonably high salaries. However, many say that the infrastructure is not fully prepared to receive the amount of people wanting to move there.
Ireland : Cost of Living by City
RESTAURANTS
Eating out can be cheap in Galway depending on where you go, but it is recommendable that you check prices before eating out. Eating a meal in a mid-range restaurant could cost you 25 to 30$, while the inexpensive ones don’t go under 12$. You can get a round of good old domestic beer for 5$ per person.
MARKETS
If you’re super smart about your food, shopping for food in markets is a good idea, though the budget depends on whether you’re alone or have a family, and also on the store you’re shopping in. A family of three, for example, will probably be able to buy a weekly supply of groceries for less than 200$ in Galway.
TRANSPORTATION
The good thing about Galway is that all the big cities are close and less than 3 hours away from it, if you go by bus. And if you go by car, less. Public transportation needs a huge improvement and expensive for the service it’s offering, but if you have a bicycle things are easier and cheaper!
UTILITIES (MONTHLY)
Depending on the size of your apartment, monthly utilities, including heating, cooling, electricity and gas could cost between 70$ and 120$ a month. Keep in mind that the gas bill goes up in winter, from November to February. Internet is expensive as well, amounting up to less than 60$ a month.
SPORTS & LEISURE
In Galway, attending fitness clubs and classes is much less expensive than in other cities in Ireland. If you want to go to a fitness club in Galway and get in shape, the fee will be around 35$ a month, or 4$ for an hour of renting a tennis court, which is really cheap for Ireland. If you want to watch a movie here, however, expect it to cost over 10$.
CLOTHING & SHOES
Shopping is definitely less expensive here than in most other cities in Ireland. It is still pretty expensive in comparison to some other countries in Europe, but perfectly reasonable for Ireland. Usually, quality jeans cost around 75$, as do quality sneakers, while lighter pieces of clothing are half as much.
RENT PER MONTH
It is widely known that the most expensive aspect of living in Ireland is rent and Galway is no exception! In this city, however, rent is far cheaper than in, for example, Dublin. Here, you cannot find an apartment to rent for less than 700$, and if you’re looking for one in the center, than count on giving 900$.
Cost of Living Averages Table for Galway
*Note: All prices are indicated in USD.| Average Restaurant Prices | |
|---|---|
| Meal (Inexpensive Restaurant) | $12.50 |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 Liter) | $5.00 |
| Water (0.33 Liter) | $1.29 | Average Market Prices |
| Milk (1 Liter) | $0.99 |
| Loaf Bread (500g) | $1.37 |
| Eggs (12) | $2.67 | Average Transport Prices |
| One Way Ticket | $2.20 |
| Monthly Pass | $74.00 |
| Gasoline | $1.37 | Average Utilities Prices |
| Basic (Water, Electricity, Garbage, Heating, Cooling) | $119.53 |
| 1 min. of Prepaid Mobile Tariff Local | $0.24 |
| Internet (Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) | $56.23 | Average Leisure Prices |
| Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult | $36.58 |
| Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour) | $4.00 |
| Cinema, 1 Seat, International Release | $9.00 | Average Clothing Prices |
| 1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Comparable) | $75.71 |
| 1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, etc...) | $42.00 |
| 1 Pair of Adidas Walking Shoes (Mid-Range) | $80.00 | Average Rent Prices |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Center | $916.67 |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Center | $712.08 |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Center | $1550.00 |
How Does the Average Person Spend Their Money in Galway?
So, since rent is so expensive here, the aspect that the average person in Ireland spends the most money on, is precisely that – rent.
It is extremely expensive to rent out an apartment in Galway – in comparison to other expenses. However, when compared to other cities’ rent fees, Galway is actually cheap!
In Galway, people spend almost as much money in markets, where they buy their food, as they do on rent, which is not the case in, for instance, Dublin.
Transportation and restaurants are next on the list, since they are also pretty costly, given the fact that even the inexpensive restaurants don’t serve food for less than 10$.
Average Costs Breakdown
Galway: Average Salary, Minimum Wage & Mortgages
People in Galway earn considerable amounts of money, and this is actually their normal standard of living.
With an average wage reaching almost 2000$, a citizen of Galway, even though they have a lower average salary than those in other cities, can live in this country and cover most expenses, because the expenses are lower too.
Of course, those that are renting have a harder time paying the bills and their monthly rent, but it is possible.
The minimum wage doesn’t fall far behind the average monthly salary, so citizens of Galway shouldn’t have problems making ends meet.
Galway Safety Overview
READ THE FULL REPORT: Galway Safety Review
Safety Index:
- OVERALL RISK: LOW
- TRANSPORT & TAXIS RISK: LOW
- PICKPOCKETS RISK: MEDIUM
- NATURAL DISASTERS RISK: LOW
- MUGGING RISK: LOW
- TERRORISM RISK: LOW
- SCAMS RISK: LOW
- WOMEN TRAVELERS RISK: LOW
Cost of Living by City in Galway
| City | Cost of Living Index |
|---|---|
| Cork | 73.53 |
| Dublin | 80.28 |
| Limerick | 69.63 |
