Dún Laoghaire vs Dublin 3 (Clontarf): which is better to live in? (2026)

Dún Laoghaire (A96) and Dublin 3 (Clontarf) (D03) compared on price, safety, schools and quality of life.

The verdict
Dublin 3 (Clontarf) is the cheaper of the two — a median €508,000 against Dún Laoghaire's €700,000 (38% lower). Dún Laoghaire has the stronger safety score (69/100 vs 57/100); on the other facets the two are closely matched.

Dún Laoghaire vs Dublin 3 (Clontarf): common questions

Is Dún Laoghaire cheaper than Dublin 3 (Clontarf)?
No. The median sale price in Dún Laoghaire was €700,000 over the last 12 months, against €508,000 in Dublin 3 (Clontarf) (Property Price Register).
Is Dún Laoghaire or Dublin 3 (Clontarf) safer?
Dún Laoghaire scores higher on safety — 69/100 vs 57/100, based on Garda-division crime rates per 1,000 residents.
Which is better for buy-to-let, Dún Laoghaire or Dublin 3 (Clontarf)?
Dublin 3 (Clontarf) has the stronger gross rental yield — 5.5% vs 4.0% — though net returns depend on price, condition and tenancy regulation.

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Methodology

Sale prices, premiums and days-to-sale are computed from the Property Price Register (rolling 12 months) matched to original listing prices. Safety scores derive from Garda-division crime rates per 1,000 residents; education and profile figures from CSO census small-area data. The Quality of Life composite averages six equally-weighted dimensions built from 40+ metrics across 13 public datasets. Figures refresh daily; both areas are scoped to their Eircode routing key (A96 and D03).