Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Malden, MA and Bray

For one person, living is cheaper in Bray: $3,100 a month against $3,463 in Malden, MA, rent and utilities included – about $4,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

169

Cost of Living Index in Malden, MA
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Malden, MA Living Index
152

Cost of Living Index in Bray
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Bray Living Index

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Malden, MA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,463

/mo nomad

Bray

🇮🇪 Ireland

$3,100

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Malden, MA and in Bray

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

A single person spends $3,463 per month in Malden, MA vs $3,100 in Bray, rent included.

Malden, MA $3,463
Bray $3,100

A couple spends around $4,740 per month in Malden, MA vs $4,532 in Bray, rent included.

Malden, MA $4,740
Bray $4,532

A family of three spends $6,017 per month in Malden, MA vs $5,964 in Bray, rent included.

Malden, MA $6,017
Bray $5,964

Malden, MA costs about 12% more than Bray, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Malden, MA and Bray sit above the global median – Malden, MA by 157%, Bray by 130%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.97 $19.97

$23.58 €20.98

-15.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$95.3 $95.3

$90.7 €80.7

5.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.66 $13.66

$12.73 €11.32

7.31%

Cappuccino

$5.38 $5.38

$4.34 €3.86

23.96%

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

$2.86 $2.86

$2.94 €2.61

-2.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 $2.25

$2.17 €1.93

3.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.79 $5.79

$7.37 €6.56

-21.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.94 $7.94

$7.46 €6.64

6.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 $1.24

$1.67 €1.49

-25.75%

White Bread (500g)

$4.04 $4.04

$2.25 €2.00

79.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.52 $5.52

$1.95 €1.74

183.08%

Eggs

$4.84 $4.84

$4.56 €4.06

6.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.09 $12.09

$10.09 €8.97

19.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.41 $14.41

$12.62 €11.22

14.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.83 $17.83

$15.83 €14.08

12.63%

Apples (1kg)

$6.64 $6.64

$2.84 €2.53

133.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 $1.75

$2.28 €2.03

-23.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.34 $5.34

$2.69 €2.39

98.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.61 $5.61

$4.87 €4.33

15.20%

Potato (1kg)

$4.41 $4.41

$1.92 €1.71

129.69%

Onion (1kg)

$1.84 $1.84

$1.48 €1.31

24.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.74 $2.74

$1.37 €1.22

100.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.09 €1.86

7.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.37 $12.37

$20.00 €17.79

-38.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.65 $13.65

$13.42 €11.93

1.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 $2.09

$3.37 €3.00

-37.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.68 $5.68

$3.46 €3.08

64.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.45 $2.45

$2.50 €2.23

-2.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.6 $90.6

$111 €98.3

-18.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.66 $2.66

$5.16 €4.59

-48.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.55 €1.38

14.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.97 $27.97

$33.12 €29.46

-15.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$2.10 €1.87

-48.10%

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

$36.2K $36.2K

$39.1K €34.8K

-7.56%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$37.1K €33.0K

-29.72%

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

$240 $240

$263 €234

-8.81%

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

$54.2 $54.2

$21.64 €19.25

150.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.4 $86.4

$53.0 €47.18

62.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.09 $35.09

$65.0 €57.8

-45.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.59 €14.76

Cinema Ticket

$15.69 $15.69

$15.59 €13.87

0.64%

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

$1,834 $1,834

$1,068 €950

71.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.4K $30.4K

$5,389 €4,794

463.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 $57.6

$94.5 €84.1

-39.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.48 $38.48

$42.99 €38.24

-10.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 $79.3

$109 €96.9

-27.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.8 $99.8

$118 €105

-15.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,427 $2,427

$2,216 €1,971

9.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,997 $1,997

$1,658 €1,475

20.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,439 $3,439

$3,814 €3,393

-9.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,763 $2,763

$2,773 €2,467

-0.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,998 €8,893

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,579 €5,852

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,638 $4,638

$3,155 €2,806

47.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.64

4.14

60.39%

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

Last update for Malden, MA: October 11, 2026

Last update for Bray: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Malden, MA

$2K 57.7%

Bray

$1.7K 53.5% 16.9% $338

Groceries & Markets

Malden, MA

$453 13.1%

Bray

$359 11.6% 20.8% $94

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Malden, MA

$381 11%

Bray

$338 10.9% 11.2% $43

Eating Out

Malden, MA

$330 9.5%

Bray

$351 11.3% 6.2% $21

Clothing & Footwear

Malden, MA

$124 3.6%

Bray

$164 5.3% 32.5% $40

Getting Around

Malden, MA

$112 3.2%

Bray

$133 4.3% 19.2% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Malden, MA

$66 1.9%

Bray

$96 3.1% 44.7% $30

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,427 in Malden, MA versus $2,216 in Bray. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 47% higher in Malden, MA, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $95.0 in Malden, MA versus $91.0 in Bray. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $453 vs $359 – making Bray the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Malden, MA

🇮🇪 Bray

🕒 Local time

07:28 7:28 AM

12:28 12:28 PM

5 h ahead of Malden, MA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

59,450

33,512

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Malden, MA Bray 4,820 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Malden, MA
Bray

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

Malden, MA vs Bray: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Malden, MA is pricier by about 12%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,194 per month in Malden, MA and $4,650 in Bray. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bray, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,463 in Malden, MA and $3,100 in Bray. That's a gap of about 12%.

Public transport costs about 22% less in Bray. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,463 in Malden, MA and $3,100 in Bray. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Bray. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Malden, MA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.