Dublin's rents fall quickly as you move away from the centre, but only some of the cheaper suburbs have a fast, reliable way in. The trick is to pick a place on the DART, the Luas or one of the commuter rail lines, and then check the door-to-door time rather than the distance. This guide lists the suburbs and towns that commuters rate most highly, with typical journey times, the Leap Card fare zone and what rent you should expect. Rents are from the Daft.ie Rental Report for Q2 2026 (published August 2026); journey times are typical scheduled times and vary by service.
How Dublin's commuter network fits together
Fares depend on zone. Inside Zone 1 (Dublin city and the DART area) the TFI 90-minute Leap fare is €2 with a daily cap of €6 and a weekly cap of €24. Leap rail singles to the city are €3.90 from Zone 2 (for example Skerries, Greystones, Naas), €6 from Zone 3 (Drogheda, Newbridge, Wicklow town) and €7.50 from Zone 4 (Kildare town, Navan). These are 2026 fares; the NTA has confirmed increases averaging 15% for adults from January 2027.
Commuter suburbs compared
| Suburb or town | Mode | Typical time to city centre | Leap zone | Daft.ie region, Q2 2026 avg. 3-bed house |
| Malahide | DART to Connolly | about 25 min | 1 | North County €2,803 |
| Howth / Sutton | DART to Connolly | about 26 min | 1 | North County €2,803 |
| Dún Laoghaire | DART to Pearse | about 20 min | 1 | South County €3,525 |
| Bray | DART to Pearse | about 45 min | 1 | Co. Wicklow €1,838 (all types) |
| Greystones | DART to Connolly | about 60 min | 2 | Co. Wicklow €1,838 (all types) |
| Dundrum | Luas Green to St Stephen's Green | about 15 min | 1 | South County €3,525 |
| Sandyford | Luas Green to St Stephen's Green | about 22 min | 1 | South County €3,525 |
| Cherrywood / Brides Glen | Luas Green to St Stephen's Green | about 40 min | 1 | South County €3,525 |
| Tallaght | Luas Red to Abbey Street | about 40 min | 1 | West Dublin €2,889 |
| Castleknock / Blanchardstown | Rail to Connolly (Maynooth line) | about 20 to 25 min | 1 | West Dublin €2,889 |
| Maynooth | Rail to Connolly | about 30 to 42 min | 2 | Co. Kildare €2,155 (all types) |
| Balbriggan | Rail to Connolly | about 38 to 45 min | 2 | North County €2,803 |
| Sallins and Naas | Rail to Heuston | about 39 to 49 min | 2 | Co. Kildare €2,155 (all types) |
| Newbridge | Rail to Heuston | about 42 to 54 min | 3 | Co. Kildare €2,155 (all types) |
| Drogheda | Rail to Connolly | about 56 to 59 min | 3 | Co. Louth €1,816 (all types) |
The county figures for Kildare, Wicklow and Louth are Daft.ie's overall average rent for the county across all property types, so a three-bed house there will usually cost more than the number shown, while an apartment will cost less.
Coastal DART suburbs
The DART is the most pleasant commute in Dublin: frequent, electric, and with a sea view for most of the route. Malahide, Portmarnock, Sutton and Howth on the north side and Blackrock, Dún Laoghaire, Dalkey and Killiney on the south side are all within half an hour of the centre. The catch is price. South County Dublin is the most expensive part of the country to rent in, and the north coast is not far behind. Bray in County Wicklow is the affordable end of the DART, with a long promenade, a busy main street and a 45-minute run into Pearse.
Luas suburbs
Along the Green Line, Dundrum, Stillorgan, Sandyford and Leopardstown give you tram access and large employers on your doorstep, while Cherrywood at the southern end is a new-build district with apartments priced a little below the older suburbs. On the Red Line, Tallaght, Citywest and Saggart are the cheapest tram-connected areas in the county, and Kilmainham and Inchicore are popular older choices closer in. Remember that trams are packed between 8am and 9am; if you board near a terminus you will get a seat.
Rail commuter towns
If you want a house with a garden for the price of a city apartment, look at the rail towns. Maynooth is a university town with a train every 30 minutes, Sallins and Naas and Newbridge have fast services into Heuston, and Balbriggan, Skerries and Drogheda serve the north. Drogheda is the standout value option: a Zone 3 Leap fare of €6 and Louth's average rent of €1,816 buy you a 56-minute train into Connolly. Check whether your employer is near Heuston or Connolly, because switching between the two adds 20 minutes by Luas.
Before you sign
- Do the journey once at 8am on a weekday before you commit. Timetables and reality differ.
- Check car parking at the station if you will drive to the train; many stations fill by 7.30am.
- Ask if your employer offers the TaxSaver commuter ticket scheme, which takes the cost of an annual ticket out of your gross pay.
- Consider the Bike to Work scheme for the last mile from the station.
