Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dublin and Malahide

For one person, living is cheaper in Malahide: $3,240 a month against $3,629 in Dublin, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

175

Cost of Living Index in Dublin
Learn more

Dublin Living Index
156

Cost of Living Index in Malahide
Learn more

Malahide Living Index

Jump to prices

Dublin

🇮🇪 Ireland

$3,629

/mo nomad

Malahide

🇮🇪 Ireland

$3,240

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dublin and in Malahide

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Dublin and in Malahide actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,629 per month in Dublin vs $3,240 in Malahide, rent included.

Dublin $3,629
Malahide $3,240

A couple spends around $5,130 per month in Dublin vs $4,056 in Malahide, rent included.

Dublin $5,130
Malahide $4,056

A family of three spends $6,631 per month in Dublin vs $4,872 in Malahide, rent included.

Dublin $6,631
Malahide $4,872

Dublin costs about 12% more than Malahide, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Dublin and Malahide sit above the global median – Dublin by 167%, Malahide by 138%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.23 €20.81

$19.84 €17.77

17.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$102 €91.3

$90.7 €81.3

12.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.28 €11.89

$11.52 €10.32

15.28%

Cappuccino

$4.91 €4.39

$4.02 €3.60

22.14%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.98 €2.67

$2.40 €2.15

24.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 €1.95

$2.26 €2.02

-3.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.92 €7.10

$6.74 €6.04

17.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.76 €6.95

$6.67 €5.97

16.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 €1.46

$1.42 €1.27

14.79%

White Bread (500g)

$2.42 €2.17

$2.35 €2.10

2.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.06 €1.85

$1.98 €1.77

4.04%

Eggs

$4.92 €4.41

$4.61 €4.13

6.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.86 €8.83

$9.27 €8.30

6.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.50 €11.20

$11.97 €10.72

4.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.23 €14.54

$13.07 €11.71

24.18%

Apples (1kg)

$2.81 €2.52

$2.92 €2.62

-3.77%

Banana (1kg)

$2.22 €1.98

$2.19 €1.96

1.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.81 €2.52

$3.05 €2.73

-7.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.15 €4.61

$4.72 €4.23

9.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 €1.67

$2.13 €1.91

-12.68%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 €1.30

$1.41 €1.26

3.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.32 €1.18

$1.18 €1.06

11.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.11 €1.89

$1.69 €1.52

24.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.86 €18.68

$21.51 €19.27

-3.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.24 €11.86

$12.42 €11.13

6.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.43 €3.07

$3.13 €2.80

9.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 €3.14

$4.04 €3.62

-13.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.29 €2.05

$2.41 €2.16

-4.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 €95.0

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.27 €4.72

$5.64 €5.05

-6.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.49 €1.34

$1.30 €1.16

14.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$38.05 €34.08

$34.80 €31.16

9.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.10 €1.88

$2.00 €1.79

5.00%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$38.4K €34.4K

$35.8K €32.1K

7.38%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$37.8K €33.8K

$33.2K €29.7K

13.86%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$269 €241

$255 €228

5.45%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$18.56 €16.62

$19.11 €17.12

-2.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 €47.58

$51.0 €45.65

4.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.8 €57.1

$66.8 €59.8

-4.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.81 €18.64

Cinema Ticket

$15.64 €14.00

$11.94 €10.69

30.99%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,269 €1,136

$1,127 €1,010

12.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.4K €12.9K

$5,725 €5,127

152.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €94.4

$108 €97.0

-2.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.1 €45.73

$40.41 €36.19

26.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 €102

$104 €93.4

9.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 €117

$99.9 €89.4

31.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,475 €2,216

$1,593 €1,426

55.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,162 €1,936

$2,000 €1,791

8.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,319 €3,869

$2,550 €2,284

69.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,331 €2,983

$2,100 €1,881

58.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,467 €7,583

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,920 €5,302

$3,231 €2,894

83.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,706 €3,319

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Dublin: October 24, 2026

Last update for Malahide: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Dublin

$2.2K 59.6%

Malahide

$2K 61.7% 7.5% $162

Groceries & Markets

Dublin

$363 10%

Malahide

$337 10.4% 7.2% $26

Eating Out

Dublin

$360 9.9%

Malahide

$307 9.5% 14.7% $53

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dublin

$340 9.4%

Malahide

$325 10% 4.6% $15

Clothing & Footwear

Dublin

$181 5%

Malahide

$159 4.9% 12.1% $22

Getting Around

Dublin

$128 3.5%

Malahide

$22 * 0.7% 83% $106

Sport & Entertainment

Dublin

$95 2.6%

Malahide

$91 2.8% 4.6% $4.4

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,475 in Dublin versus $1,593 in Malahide. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $102 in Dublin versus $91 in Malahide. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $363 vs $337 – making Malahide the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇪 Dublin

🇮🇪 Malahide

🕒 Local time

23:46 11:46 PM

Same time as Dublin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

588,233 Capital

18,608

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Dublin Malahide 13 km

From you

Dublin
Malahide

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Dublin vs Malahide: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,629 in Dublin, $3,240 in Malahide – Malahide comes out roughly 11% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,444 per month in Dublin and $4,861 in Malahide. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Malahide, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,593 there versus $2,475 in Dublin.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,629 in Dublin and $3,240 in Malahide. That makes Malahide about 11% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $1,269 per month in Dublin and $1,127 in Malahide. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,629 in Dublin and $3,240 in Malahide. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Malahide – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.