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Dublin vs Galway cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐ฎ๐ช Dublin
๐ฎ๐ช Galway
At a glance
- Where Galway is clearly cheaper: Entry ticket (32%โ), Haircut (23%โ), Studio rent (month) (20%โ)
- Where Dublin is clearly cheaper: Laundry (71%โ), SIM card (25%โ), Scooter rental (20%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Galway is easier to travel (1.2 vs 1.6). Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling โ Dublin 2 vs Galway 1. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Dublin | Galway | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | โฌ 18$20.9 | โฌ 17$19.8 | Galway โ6% |
| Street food1 item | โฌ 10$11.6 | โฌ 11$12.8 | Dublin โ9% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | โฌ 40$46.5 | โฌ 40$46.5 | similar |
| Coffeeone cup | โฌ 4.5$5.23 | โฌ 3.9$4.53 | Galway โ13% |
| Beerone bottle | โฌ 7.5$8.72 | โฌ 6.5$7.56 | Galway โ13% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | โฌ 13$15.1 | โฌ 12$14 | Galway โ8% |
| Bottled water | โฌ 1.8$2.09 | โฌ 1.6$1.86 | Galway โ11% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | โฌ 2.4$2.79 | โฌ 2$2.33 | Galway โ17% |
| Taxi5 km in town | โฌ 13$15.1 | โฌ 13$15.1 | similar |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | โฌ 9$10.5 | โฌ 8$9.3 | Galway โ11% |
| Transitone ride | โฌ 2$2.33 | โฌ 2.2$2.56 | Dublin โ9% |
| Scooter rentalper day | โฌ 20$23.3 | โฌ 25$29.1 | Dublin โ20% |
| Hotel night3-star | โฌ 175$203 | โฌ 150$174 | Galway โ14% |
| Studio rent (month) | โฌ 2,000$2,326 | โฌ 1,600$1,860 | Galway โ20% |
| Laundry | โฌ 4$4.65 | โฌ 14$16.3 | Dublin โ71% |
| SIM card1 week data | โฌ 15$17.4 | โฌ 20$23.3 | Dublin โ25% |
| Haircutcut | โฌ 22$25.6 | โฌ 17$19.8 | Galway โ23% |
| Massage1 hour | โฌ 75$87.2 | โฌ 75$87.2 | similar |
| Half-day tourper person | โฌ 30$34.9 | โฌ 30$34.9 | similar |
| Entry ticketTourist town | โฌ 22$25.6 | โฌ 15$17.4 | Galway โ32% |
Reference prices start as estimates from published price levels; items with 3+ traveler reports use the median of real reports. Hostels and local eateries cut both by 30%+.
FAQ
Which is cheaper, Dublin or Galway?
Galway is 7% cheaper than Dublin. Daily budget $369 vs $335; a month $7,755 vs $7,388.
Which is easier to travel, Dublin or Galway?
Galway is easier: Galway 1.2/5 vs Dublin 1.6/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Dublin and Galway?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Dublin is about $7,755 and Galway about $7,388 per month.
Where do the numbers come from?
They start as estimates informed by published price levels; any item with 3+ traveler reports switches to the median of real reports. Live reports are in the app.