Dublin 4 (Ballsbridge) vs Dublin 6 (Ranelagh/Rathmines): which is better to live in? (2026)

Dublin 4 (Ballsbridge) (D04) and Dublin 6 (Ranelagh/Rathmines) (D06) compared on price, safety, schools and quality of life.

The verdict
Dublin 4 (Ballsbridge) is the cheaper of the two — a median €668,000 against Dublin 6 (Ranelagh/Rathmines)'s €775,000 (16% lower). Across the facets we measure the two are closely matched — it's a genuine toss-up, so let the categories that matter most to you decide.

Dublin 4 (Ballsbridge) vs Dublin 6 (Ranelagh/Rathmines): common questions

Is Dublin 4 (Ballsbridge) cheaper than Dublin 6 (Ranelagh/Rathmines)?
Yes. The median sale price in Dublin 4 (Ballsbridge) over the last 12 months was €668,000, against €775,000 in Dublin 6 (Ranelagh/Rathmines) (Property Price Register).

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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 (D04 and D06).