Galway is where students who visit once often decide to stay forever. It's compact, walkable, deeply cultural, on the Wild Atlantic Way, and home to Medtronic, Abbott, Boston Scientific, and SAP. Lower costs than Dublin, a world-class university, and a quality of life that cities twice its size can't match.
Galway is noticeably cheaper than Dublin — around 25–35% across most living costs. This makes a significant difference during your Stamp 1G period when you're job searching without a full salary.
Galway is small enough that almost everywhere is convenient. The university is a 15-minute walk from the city centre, and most student areas are within 25 minutes on foot or bicycle.
Adjacent to the university campus. The classic student area — many UG and PG students live here. Walking distance to both the university and the city centre.
Coastal suburb 2km west of the city. Beautiful promenade along Galway Bay. Bus to university and city. Popular with students who want nature on their doorstep.
Residential suburb with good bus connections. More affordable than city centre or Salthill. Supermarkets nearby. 20-minute bus to campus.
Galway's city centre is small, walkable, and genuinely charming. Shop Street, Latin Quarter, and the famous Galway nightlife are all walkable. Universities within 15-minute walk.
Eastern suburbs, more affordable. Growing residential area with supermarkets and sports facilities. 20-minute bus to university. Popular with students on tighter budgets.
Western suburb between the university and the coast. Quiet, residential, good for cycling. Shopping centre nearby.
Galway is Ireland's medical devices capital. Medtronic, Abbott, Boston Scientific, and BD all have major operations here. A distinct career ecosystem from Dublin's tech focus.
Galway has the highest concentration of medical device companies in Ireland — and one of the highest per capita in Europe. Medtronic's European HQ, Abbott Vascular, Boston Scientific, Becton Dickinson, and Creganna Medical all hire biomedical, engineering, and science graduates regularly.
SAP has a major Galway campus and is one of the largest tech employers in the west of Ireland. Also Apple Athenry (data centre), Cisco, HubSpot Galway operations, and a growing startup ecosystem around NUI Galway's innovation campus.
While Cork dominates pharma manufacturing, Galway has a growing pharma and biotech cluster. Astellas, Boston Scientific, and the Galway Clinic create consistent demand for life sciences graduates.
Galway has a small but growing financial services sector. AIB and Bank of Ireland have significant back-office operations. Accenture and IBM have Galway teams. Less than Dublin but growing.
Galway consistently ranks as one of Europe's best student cities for quality of life. Here's what specifically makes it exceptional for Indian students.
Salthill beach and the Galway Bay promenade are a 20-minute walk from the city centre. For students from landlocked Indian cities, this is genuinely transformative — many cite it as their favourite thing about Galway.
Galway has more pubs per capita than any Irish city and a genuinely vibrant arts and music scene. The Galway International Arts Festival (July), Galway Film Fleadh, and Galway Races are world-class events. The city has a creative energy unlike any other Irish city.
Galway's city centre is genuinely compact. The university, the city centre, the train station, and most student accommodation are all within a 20-minute walk of each other. No car needed, minimal transport costs.
Because Galway is small, you actually build a community. You see the same people, you know your local shopkeeper, you have regular spots. Many Indian students say they felt more at home in Galway faster than they expected.
The Connemara National Park, the Aran Islands, the Cliffs of Moher — all within 30–60 minutes of Galway. The Wild Atlantic Way is one of the world's great scenic routes and it starts in Galway.
Galway has several excellent Indian restaurants (Kinara, The Maharaja, Indian Street Food) and Indian grocery options improving year on year. Smaller than Dublin's Indian food scene but genuinely good.
Don't be lulled by Galway's size into thinking accommodation is easy. The city is small but so is the housing supply. University on-campus accommodation fills very fast. Apply immediately on acceptance and start the private market search in March.
Galway's employer base is significantly smaller than Dublin's. Med devices and SAP cover a lot of ground, but if you're targeting very specific roles, you may need to be open to Dublin opportunities during your Stamp 1G. The city is small enough that word travels — network actively.
Galway is on the west coast of Ireland, facing the Atlantic. The weather is genuinely wetter and windier than Dublin. Buy a proper waterproof jacket before arriving. Locals genuinely don't mind — you'll adapt too.
About 20% of Galway's population is students. The city is oriented around the university calendar. This creates a wonderful, energetic atmosphere during term time — but things quiet down significantly in summer and over Christmas.
CityLink coaches run every 30 minutes between Galway and Dublin. €15 return. Many Galway students interview in Dublin during Stamp 1G while living in the more affordable west. It's a genuinely viable dual-city strategy.
Galway has a smaller Indian community than Dublin or Cork. The UG Indian Society and NUI Galway postgraduate Indian community are active, but you'll encounter fewer Indian professionals in the workplace than in Dublin.
Book a free session. We'll match you to the right University of Galway program, walk you through accommodation, and map your med devices or tech career pathway.