---
title: "Dublin vs Galway for digital nomads"
url: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/dublin-vs-galway
description: "Under balanced weights Galway edges it, 67 to 67, winning 3 of the 9 factors. Dublin is stronger on getting there & around; Galway on nothing outright. 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
---

# Dublin vs Galway for digital nomads

Under balanced weights Galway edges it, 67 to 67, winning 3 of the 9 factors. Dublin is stronger on getting there & around; Galway on nothing outright. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.

## Where they differ

- **Getting there & around.** Dublin leads on getting there & around, 78 to 58, against Galway. Non-stop airport destinations: 201 vs 44.
- **Climate.** Galway leads on climate, 17 to 8, against Dublin. Comfortable months: 1 vs 2.
- **Internet.** Galway leads on internet, 75 to 68, against Dublin. Measured download: 34.2 Mbps vs 49.1 Mbps.

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

**Pick Dublin if you want** more flights and easier getting around.

**Pick Galway if you want** to spend about $606 less a month; faster internet (49.1 Mbps measured).

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

| Metric | Dublin | Galway | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Cost of living | 11 | 19 | Galway |
| Safety | 83 | 83 | tie |
| Healthcare | 85 | 85 | tie |
| Internet | 68 | 75 | Galway |
| Visa ease | 75 | 75 | tie |
| Getting there & around | 78 | 58 | Dublin |
| Climate | 8 | 17 | Galway |
| Air quality | 95 | 95 | Dublin |
| Quality of life | 97 | 97 | tie |

## Cost

| Metric | Dublin | Galway | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly cost, one person | $3,488 | $2,882 | Galway |
| Central one-bedroom rent | $2,866 | $2,121 | Galway |

## Safety and health (country-level)

| Metric | Dublin | 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 | Dublin | Galway | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Download | 34.2 Mbps | 49.1 Mbps | Galway |
| Upload | 12.5 Mbps | 22.3 Mbps | Galway |

## Visa

| Metric | Dublin | 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 | Dublin | Galway | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Non-stop airport destinations | 201 | 44 | Dublin |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 4 | 4 | tie |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 3 | 2 | Dublin |

## Climate and air

| Metric | Dublin | Galway | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Comfortable months per year | 1 | 2 | Galway |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 7.3 µg/m³ | 7.4 µg/m³ | Dublin |

## FAQ

### Which is cheaper, Dublin or Galway?

Galway is cheaper: about $2,882 per month versus $3,488 for one person.

### Is Dublin or Galway safer?

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

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

Galway: a measured median of 49.1 Mbps versus 34.2 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).

City pages: [Dublin](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/dublin) · [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/dublin-vs-galway