Bled vs Galway
for digital nomads
Under balanced weights Bled edges it, 68 to 67, winning 5 of the 9 factors. Bled is stronger on cost of living; Galway on nothing outright. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.
Ireland's west-coast festival and pub town
Full Galway profile →Where to stay in Galway →Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)
| Metric | Bled | Galway |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | 33 ✓ | 19 |
| Safety | 85 ✓ | 83 |
| Healthcare | 84 | 85 ✓ |
| Internet | 80 ✓ | 75 |
| Visa ease | 76 ✓ | 75 |
| Getting there & around | 53 | 58 ✓ |
| Climate | 25 ✓ | 17 |
| Air quality | 86 | 95 ✓ |
| Quality of life | 93 | 97 ✓ |
Cost
| Metric | Bled | Galway |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost, one personcountry-level estimate for at least one city | $2,000 ✓ | $2,882 |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | $2,121 |
Safety and health (country-level)
| Metric | Bled | Galway |
|---|---|---|
| Homicides per 100k | 0.71 | 0.7 ✓ |
| Political stability (0–100) | 81 ✓ | 78.7 |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 84 ✓ | 82 |
| Life expectancy | 80.4 yrs | 81.6 yrs ✓ |
Internet (M-Lab measured medians)
| Metric | Bled | Galway |
|---|---|---|
| Download | 64.7 Mbps ✓ | 49.1 Mbps |
| Upload | 26 Mbps ✓ | 22.3 Mbps |
Visa
| Metric | Bled | Galway |
|---|---|---|
| Nomad visa | Digital nomad temporary residence permit ✓ | none listed |
| Minimum income for the visa | $3,806/mo | no data |
| Entry, US passport | 90 days | 90 days |
| Entry, EU passport | unlimited | unlimited |
| Entry, UK passport | 90 days | unlimited ✓ |
Getting there and around
| Metric | Bled | Galway |
|---|---|---|
| Non-stop airport destinations | 29 | 44 ✓ |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 4 | 4 |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 2 | 2 |
Climate and air
| Metric | Bled | Galway |
|---|---|---|
| Comfortable months per year | 3 ✓ | 2 |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 11.5 µg/m³ | 7.4 µg/m³ ✓ |
✓ marks the better value in each row; ties and missing data are left unmarked.
Frequently asked
- Which is cheaper, Bled or Galway?
- Bled is cheaper: about $2,000 per month versus $2,882 for one person.
- Is Bled or Galway safer?
- Bled scores higher on safety (85 vs 83), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.
- Where is the internet faster, Bled or Galway?
- Bled: a measured median of 64.7 Mbps versus 49.1 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).
More comparisons
Sources: Cost of Living Global 2026 (city rows); 2026 Cost of Living Index (country level); Digital Nomad Visas 2026; Worldwide Governance Indicators — Political Stability and Absence of Violence (score 0–100); Victims of intentional homicide per 100,000 population (national data, latest year); UHC service coverage index; Life expectancy at birth (years), both sexes; M-Lab NDT statistics (city aggregates, 2024); Airport destinations (Wikipedia airline and destination tables); NASA POWER climatology (2001–2020 monthly means); WHO Ambient Air Quality Database, June 2026 update (V8); SatPM2.5 satellite-derived annual PM2.5 (V6.GL.02.04); Human Development Index (HDR 2025, HDI 2023); EF English Proficiency Index 2024 (band); Walkability and transit ratings (editorial); Passport Index dataset (visa requirements, 199 passports × 199 destinations); OpenStreetMap restaurants (Overpass API); Nostos long-stay visa guides; Starlink availability map. Dataset 2026.10.7. See each city page for per-metric footnotes and the methodology.