---
title: "Cork vs Galway for digital nomads"
url: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/cork-vs-galway
description: "Under balanced weights Galway edges it, 67 to 66, winning 2 of the 9 factors. Cork is stronger on nothing outright; Galway on climate. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you."
dataset: 2026.10.7 (2026-10-13)
license: CC BY 4.0
---

# Cork vs Galway for digital nomads

Under balanced weights Galway edges it, 67 to 66, winning 2 of the 9 factors. Cork is stronger on nothing outright; Galway on climate. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.

## Where they differ

- **Climate.** Galway leads on climate, 17 to 0, against Cork. Comfortable months: 0 vs 2.
- **Getting there & around.** Cork leads on getting there & around, 63 to 58, against Galway. Non-stop airport destinations: 46 vs 44.

Where they are close: within five points on air quality, internet, cost of living, safety, healthcare, visa ease, quality of life.

**Pick Cork if you want** nothing in particular over Galway: it trails on every factor the data covers.

**Pick Galway if you want** to spend about $93 less a month; a longer comfortable season (2 months against 0).

## Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)

| Metric | Cork | Galway | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Cost of living | 18 | 19 | Galway |
| Safety | 83 | 83 | tie |
| Healthcare | 85 | 85 | tie |
| Internet | 77 | 75 | Cork |
| Visa ease | 75 | 75 | tie |
| Getting there & around | 63 | 58 | Cork |
| Climate | 0 | 17 | Galway |
| Air quality | 97 | 95 | Cork |
| Quality of life | 97 | 97 | tie |

## Cost

| Metric | Cork | Galway | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly cost, one person | $2,975 | $2,882 | Galway |
| Central one-bedroom rent | $2,293 | $2,121 | Galway |

## Safety and health (country-level)

| Metric | Cork | Galway | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Homicides per 100k | 0.7 | 0.7 | tie |
| Political stability (0–100) | 78.7 | 78.7 | tie |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 82 | 82 | tie |
| Life expectancy | 81.6 yrs | 81.6 yrs | tie |

## Internet (M-Lab measured medians)

| Metric | Cork | Galway | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Download | 53.5 Mbps | 49.1 Mbps | Cork |
| Upload | 25.8 Mbps | 22.3 Mbps | Cork |

## Visa

| Metric | Cork | Galway | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Nomad visa | none listed | none listed | tie |
| Minimum income for the visa | no data | no data | — |
| Entry, US passport | 90 days | 90 days | tie |
| Entry, EU passport | unlimited | unlimited | tie |
| Entry, UK passport | unlimited | unlimited | tie |

## Getting there and around

| Metric | Cork | Galway | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Non-stop airport destinations | 46 | 44 | Cork |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 4 | 4 | tie |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 3 | 2 | Cork |

## Climate and air

| Metric | Cork | Galway | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Comfortable months per year | 0 | 2 | Galway |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 6.4 µg/m³ | 7.4 µg/m³ | Cork |

## FAQ

### Which is cheaper, Cork or Galway?

Galway is cheaper: about $2,882 per month versus $2,975 for one person.

### Is Cork or Galway safer?

Cork scores higher on safety (83 vs 83), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.

### Where is the internet faster, Cork or Galway?

Cork: a measured median of 53.5 Mbps versus 49.1 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).

City pages: [Cork](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/cork) · [Galway](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/galway). 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); 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); Starlink availability map.

HTML page: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/cork-vs-galway