Bray vs Malahide: which is better to live in? (2026)

Bray (A98) and Malahide (K36) compared on price, safety, schools and quality of life.

The verdict
Bray is the cheaper of the two — a median €510,000 against Malahide's €610,000 (20% lower). Bray has the stronger safety score (69/100 vs 57/100); on the other facets the two are closely matched.

Bray vs Malahide: common questions

Is Bray cheaper than Malahide?
Yes. The median sale price in Bray over the last 12 months was €510,000, against €610,000 in Malahide (Property Price Register).
Is Bray or Malahide safer?
Bray 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, Bray or Malahide?
Malahide has the stronger gross rental yield — 4.5% vs 4.3% — though net returns depend on price, condition and tenancy regulation.

Dig deeper

Related comparisons

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 (A98 and K36).