Walking through Galway’s main shopping street, I feel transported in a way I don’t in other European cities. The cobblestone streets are familiar, a variety of languages still dance in the air, and pigeons hold court on sidewalk corners or the roofs above. Maybe it’s how the buildings maintain a certain look, how music floods the streets, or how much of the city center is closed to cars.
When people ask whether Galway is affordable, I never know how to answer. The better question is what kind of life their budget actually buys.
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Why We Chose Galway Over Dublin
When it comes to moving to Ireland, Dublin is often the first choice, but it is also the most expensive city in the country. Galway, on the other hand, offers an equally bohemian experience, yet is more affordable than its east coast counterpart. That’s exactly what my husband and I were thinking when we made the calculated plan to move abroad again.
My partner and I are no strangers to living abroad. I spent nearly five years in Germany and he, on and off, in Mexico, but we’d never done it together. Our life in LA was running low on steam, and not for lack of trying. The cost of living was increasing, the entertainment industry there was floundering, and nothing felt certain. We were struggling to see how we could create the life we wanted in a place that felt like it was collapsing, just as we were making headway in our life together.
We made a list of where we were willing to go based on a few criteria: countries where we were willing to build a life and where there were job opportunities for both of us. From there, the real compass became where I got admitted to graduate school. Spoiler alert: This didn’t help much because I was accepted into programs across the EU.
We landed on Ireland for many of the reasons it’s consistently recognized as one of the best destinations to visit: its walkability, lack of a language barrier, and connection to the wider world. We landed on Galway because it was more affordable, we wouldn’t need a car, and we wanted the same access to nature we had in Los Angeles.
Moving to Galway as an American
We had to stagger our move, so I moved first last fall, and my husband joined this spring, expecting an adventure. What I found was something much rarer: a life I actually wanted to stay in.
Galway may be one of the five largest cities in Ireland, but its population of under 100,000 stands in stark contrast to Dublin, or even Cork and Limerick. Still, it is a big Irish city. According to the 2022 Census, 45% of Galway City residents aged three and over reported that they could speak Irish.
Walking through Shop Street or the Latin Quarter, you’ll find a number of small businesses encouraging orders in Irish and offering discounts, which is an easy way to assimilate linguistically at your own pace. Someone’s always playing music in a corner that floods the square, and artists create (and sell) their work in real time as you watch.
The city buzzes in a way that most others don’t; it’s present. In tandem with its modest population, Galway feels more like a big town and hub than a city. The “tourist” areas bleed into the ones locals frequent, too.
While we love many aspects of Galway, there are trade-offs that I’d be remiss not to mention.
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What It Costs Us to Live in Galway
For context, my husband and I live in a one-bedroom apartment in the city center. It isn’t perfect. For example, both of us showering and doing laundry on the same day doesn’t guarantee enough hot water (yes, we wash on cold), and we don’t have a dishwasher. But it has great light, a great location, and outdoor space.
Our total rent is €1,800 a month, which is average for our area of Galway. The table below shows my half of our household expenses. Even as a graduate student at the University of Galway, I’ve found Galway can be affordable.
I haven’t included transportation in my monthly total because I don’t regularly need it, but I’ve listed the cost below in case it’s something you need to calculate.
| My Half of the Expenses | Price Per Month |
| Rent | €900 |
| Utilities (electricity + Wi-Fi)* | €100 |
| Groceries | €225 |
| Coffee | €120 |
| Private healthcare** | €201 |
| Monthly total | €1,546 |
*Our Wi-Fi bill includes two phone lines.
**Required for most permit holders.
We shop at Aldi and go about every other day. My coffee budget works out at about €4 per latte, per day. Transportation costs me €1.35 each way when I use it.
What surprised me most in Galway (and I’m sure the same would apply to Dublin as well) is how much you can tailor your budget. For example, you can shop for groceries at Aldi or Lidl if you’re on a budget, but you can also splurge at Marks & Spencer or Dunnes food halls or spread your errands across farmers' markets and the local butcher.
These jumps between stores also don’t feel like the leap from Walmart to Erewhon can, so you can adapt them to your needs. What surprised me even more is that everyone always seemed to comment on how expensive Ireland is. It is one of the most expensive European countries, but if you are coming from the U.S.—and, more specifically, California—it can feel like a break rather than a stretch.
The Trade-Offs of Living in Galway
Finding Housing in Galway
Unfortunately, Ireland is experiencing a housing crisis, and that is very apparent in its cities. This makes the housing market expensive and selective, so finding a place can feel like a full-time job.
Our neighbor, who is in her 60s, had to move seven times in six months before she found her current place. At the same time, I have a friend who found his family a place before he even landed in Ireland.
I say this not to scare or discourage, but to provide realistic clarity about the day-to-day challenges that can arise outside of the typical visa stress.
In terms of bills, households in Ireland currently aren’t charged for domestic water supply, but depending on where you live, you may incur additional costs for gas, electricity, and Wi-Fi.
Can You Live in Galway Without a Car?
Galway is a hub in many ways. It has direct transportation links to Dublin, Cork, Connemara, Limerick, Castlebar and Westport, but much of the heart of Ireland lies outside those areas, and if you want to visit them, you’ll need a car.
My husband and I sold our car to move here, and to date, we haven’t needed it because of the transportation system and how walkable the city is—in fact, much of Galway’s city center is car-free. But there are many adventures we haven’t had yet because they require the convenience of a vehicle.
What Galway’s Climate Really Feels Like
We did move from sunny Los Angeles, but both my husband and I have lived in places where sun and dry heat were atypical, and Galway—and Ireland in general—is no exception.
I’m writing this in June, and I took my morning café walk in full-length leggings and a quilted jacket. Galway sits at roughly the same latitude as parts of southern Alaska, and its position on Ireland’s Atlantic coast means rain, wind, and unpredictable weather are not unusual, especially when combined.
There are multiple kinds of rain here and in various directions, meaning an umbrella alone sadly won’t cut it. However, there is a reason they call it the Emerald Isle. Many plants are in bloom even in the winter, and when it’s sunny, it’s hard not to fall in love with Ireland.
What Job Seekers Should Know
As I transition back into the workforce, I’ve found that many of the opportunities in my field are centered in Dublin rather than Galway or the west. Dublin is an easy two-hour train ride from Galway.
While that commute may seem very doable to my fellow North Americans, it is vast for many Irish, so you may have to do some selling during your job interview.
It is a great city for creatives, remote workers, and outdoor enthusiasts, but it may not be the right place for big-city anonymity, on-site corporate careers, or people who need lots of vitamin D to function.
Is Galway Right for You?
Regardless of these trade-offs, as my husband settles into life here, we’ve been reflecting on Galway and our decision. We are still actively forming our own community here and finding where we fit, but we love our new quality of life, slower pace, and proximity to nature.
It feels like a nice meeting point of my youth in a small town and adulthood lost in big cities.
Is Galway perfect? Probably not. Actually, definitely not. I’d like Mother Nature to send us another heat wave, please and thank you. But it’s perfect for us at this stage of life, so maybe it could be for you too.
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