For one person, living is cheaper in Malta: $1,970 a month against $2,626 in Australia, rent and utilities included – about $7,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.
Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Australia and in Malta actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
A single person spends $2,626 per month in Australia vs $1,970 in Malta, rent included.
Australia $2,626
Malta $1,970
A couple spends around $3,810 per month in Australia vs $3,036 in Malta, rent included.
Australia $3,810
Malta $3,036
A family of three spends $4,994 per month in Australia vs $4,102 in Malta, rent included.
Australia $4,994
Malta $4,102
📏
The regional cost range is wider in Australia ($1,068–$3,303) than in Malta ($1,657–$2,871), so city choice matters more there.
🌍
The cost of living in Australia is about 33% higher than in Malta on average.
📊
Both Australia and Malta are pricier than the global median – Australia by 93%, Malta by 45%.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Australia
Malta
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.65A$25.10
$16.44€14.70
7.36%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$85.2A$121
$82.7€73.9
3.05%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$11.09A$15.78
$11.69€10.46
-5.13%
Cappuccino
$3.90A$5.54
$2.75€2.46
41.82%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.85A$4.05
$2.57€2.30
10.89%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.31A$3.29
$1.68€1.50
37.50%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$7.53A$10.71
$4.48€4.01
68.08%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$8.59A$12.22
$4.43€3.96
93.91%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Australia
Malta
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.76A$2.50
$1.30€1.16
35.38%
White Bread(500g)
$2.81A$3.99
$1.30€1.16
116.15%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$2.24A$3.19
$3.71€3.32
-39.62%
Eggs
$5.02A$7.15
$3.90€3.49
28.72%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$9.87A$14.04
$10.47€9.36
-5.73%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$9.32A$13.25
$10.15€9.08
-8.18%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$14.86A$21.14
$16.73€14.95
-11.18%
Apples(1kg)
$3.82A$5.43
$3.08€2.75
24.03%
Banana(1kg)
$2.92A$4.16
$2.20€1.97
32.73%
Oranges(1kg)
$3.13A$4.46
$2.93€2.62
6.83%
Tomato(1kg)
$4.81A$6.84
$3.24€2.89
48.46%
Potato(1kg)
$2.80A$3.98
$1.94€1.73
44.33%
Onion(1kg)
$2.38A$3.38
$2.09€1.86
13.88%
Lettuce(1 head)
$2.37A$3.37
$1.90€1.70
24.74%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$1.65A$2.35
$0.93€0.83
77.42%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$39.13A$55.7
$6.91€6.18
466.28%
Wine(Bottle)
$13.93A$19.81
$8.18€7.31
70.29%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$4.96A$7.05
$1.72€1.53
188.37%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$5.17A$7.36
$2.33€2.08
121.89%
🚌 Getting Around
Australia
Malta
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$2.42A$3.44
$2.25€2.02
7.56%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$94.6A$135
-
-
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$3.49A$4.97
$5.72€5.11
-38.99%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$1.60A$2.27
$2.23€1.99
-28.25%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$39.84A$56.7
$33.06€29.55
20.51%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.39A$1.98
$1.48€1.32
-6.08%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$30.0KA$42.7K
$27.4K€24.5K
9.53%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.8KA$36.6K
$39.5K€35.4K
-34.87%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Australia
Malta
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$205A$292
$103€91.9
99.36%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$28.33A$40.31
$26.16€23.38
8.30%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$58.8A$83.6
$34.75€31.06
69.12%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Australia
Malta
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$55.7A$79.2
$67.0€59.9
-16.97%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.57A$27.85
$22.27€19.91
-12.12%
Cinema Ticket
$15.38A$21.88
$11.01€9.84
39.69%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Australia
Malta
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$2,145A$3,052
$436€390
392.10%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$18.3KA$26.1K
$11.2K€10.0K
63.53%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Australia
Malta
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$78.3A$111
$99.7€89.1
-21.45%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$56.3A$80.1
$46.43€41.51
21.19%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$115A$164
$105€93.6
9.96%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$123A$175
$119€106
3.55%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Australia
Malta
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,591A$2,264
$1,230€1,099
29.37%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,293A$1,839
$974€870
32.77%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$2,524A$3,592
$2,093€1,871
20.62%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$2,005A$2,853
$1,660€1,484
20.80%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$8,751A$12.5K
$4,503€4,026
94.32%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$6,260A$8,906
$3,344€2,989
87.22%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Australia
Malta
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$3,984A$5,668
$1,766€1,579
125.60%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
5.93
4.06
46.06%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Australia: October 27, 2026
Last update for Malta: October 26, 2026
Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Australia
$1.3K 49.2%
Malta
$974 49.4% ↓ 24.7%$319
🛒Groceries & Markets
Australia
$374 14.3%
Malta
$304 15.4% ↓ 18.8%$71
🍽Eating Out
Australia
$297 11.3%
Malta
$248 12.6% ↓ 16.4%$49
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Australia
$292 11.1%
Malta
$164 8.3% ↓ 43.9%$128
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Australia
$168 6.4%
Malta
$166 8.4% ↓ 0.8%$1.4
🚌Getting Around
Australia
$116 4.4%
Malta
$26 * 1.3% ↓ 77.7%$90
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Australia
$86 3.3%
Malta
$89 4.5% ↑ 3%$2.6
Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Australia
$2K 40.2%
Malta
$1.7K 40.5% ↓ 17.2%$345
🛒Groceries & Markets
Australia
$848 17%
Malta
$712 17.4% ↓ 16%$136
🍽Eating Out
Australia
$1K 20.4%
Malta
$913 22.3% ↓ 10.3%$105
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Australia
$320 6.4%
Malta
$190 4.6% ↓ 40.7%$131
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Australia
$373 7.5%
Malta
$370 9% ↓ 0.8%$3.1
🚌Getting Around
Australia
$236 4.7%
Malta
$56 * 1.4% ↓ 76.2%$180
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Australia
$192 3.9%
Malta
$200 4.9% ↑ 4.1%$7.9
Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.
Cost Breakdown
🏠Average rent: $1,383 in Australia vs $1,180 in Malta. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,749 in Canberra and $1,389 in Valletta.
💰Average salary: $3,874 in Australia vs $1,801 in Malta. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.
Cost Highlights
⭐Rent is 17% higher in Australia.
⭐Public transport is 180% more expensive in Australia.
⭐Salaries are about 2.2 times higher in Australia, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Australia.
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
Australia vs Malta: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Australia more expensive than Malta?
Malta is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 25% lower on average.
Which country has higher housing costs?
Housing costs more in Australia: a central one-bedroom averages $1,383 versus $1,180 in Malta.
Which country is cheaper for everyday spending?
Groceries, public transport, and eating out all cost less in Malta – part of why living there is about 25% cheaper overall.
Should I move to Australia or to Malta?
Malta is the budget-friendly choice for expats. But cost isn’t everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.