Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Balzan and Lija

For one person, living costs are similar in Balzan and in Lija: $1,939 and $1,974 a month, rent and utilities included.

92

Cost of Living Index in Balzan
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Balzan Living Index
100

Cost of Living Index in Lija
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Lija Living Index

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Balzan

🇲🇹 Malta

$1,939

/mo nomad

Lija

🇲🇹 Malta

$1,974

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Balzan and in Lija

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Balzan and in Lija actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,939 per month in Balzan vs $1,974 in Lija, rent included.

Balzan $1,939
Lija $1,974

A couple spends around $2,927 per month in Balzan vs $3,101 in Lija, rent included.

Balzan $2,927
Lija $3,101

A family of three spends $3,915 per month in Balzan vs $4,228 in Lija, rent included.

Balzan $3,915
Lija $4,228

Balzan and Lija have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Balzan and Lija sit above the global median – Balzan by 42%, Lija by 45%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.68 €16.67

$22.47 €20.05

-16.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.1 €81.3

$90.7 €80.9

0.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.10 €10.79

$13.33 €11.89

-9.23%

Cappuccino

$3.09 €2.75

$3.20 €2.86

-3.44%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 €1.73

$2.34 €2.08

-17.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 €0.92

$1.92 €1.71

-46.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.26 €2.90

$5.71 €5.10

-42.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 €2.18

$6.78 €6.05

-63.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 €1.11

$1.32 €1.18

-5.30%

White Bread (500g)

$0.97 €0.87

$1.46 €1.30

-33.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.52 €3.14

$3.42 €3.05

2.92%

Eggs

$4.30 €3.83

$4.23 €3.78

1.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.30 €9.19

$10.29 €9.18

0.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.10 €8.12

$11.83 €10.55

-23.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.40 €11.06

$18.44 €16.46

-32.75%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.36

$3.75 €3.35

-29.60%

Banana (1kg)

$2.04 €1.82

$2.80 €2.50

-27.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.68 €1.50

$3.96 €3.54

-57.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.15 €1.03

$3.84 €3.42

-70.05%

Potato (1kg)

$0.86 €0.77

$1.86 €1.66

-53.76%

Onion (1kg)

$0.91 €0.81

$3.36 €3.00

-72.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 €0.76

$2.21 €1.97

-61.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 €0.89

$1.49 €1.33

-33.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.09 €5.44

$6.18 €5.52

-1.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.02 €5.37

$5.85 €5.22

2.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 €0.96

$2.39 €2.13

-55.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.49 €1.33

$2.28 €2.04

-34.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.69

$2.45 €2.18

22.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.23 €1.99

$3.98 €3.55

-43.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.76 €1.57

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.03 €28.58

$32.80 €29.26

-2.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 €1.36

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$27.5K €24.5K

$28.2K €25.1K

-2.41%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$32.2K €28.7K

$38.9K €34.8K

-17.28%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$154 €138

$157 €140

-1.89%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$19.90 €17.75

$31.50 €28.10

-36.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.97 €25.85

$28.99 €25.87

-0.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.6 €65.6

$56.7 €50.6

29.78%

Cinema Ticket

$11.40 €10.17

$11.33 €10.11

0.62%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$280 €249

$272 €243

2.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.1K €10.8K

$12.3K €11.0K

-1.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.0 €51.8

$57.7 €51.5

0.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$69.1 €61.7

$67.6 €60.3

2.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 €98.1

$111 €99.0

-0.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 €116

$131 €117

-0.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,132 €1,010

$1,205 €1,075

-6.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$950 €848

$830 €741

14.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,804 €1,609

$1,528 €1,363

18.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,522 €1,358

$1,497 €1,336

1.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,057 €3,619

$4,448 €3,969

-8.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,876 €2,566

$2,958 €2,639

-2.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,000 €893

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.05

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Balzan: October 26, 2026

Last update for Lija: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Balzan

$950 49%

Lija

$830 42.1% 12.6% $120

Eating Out

Balzan

$256 13.2%

Lija

$317 16.1% 24% $61

Groceries & Markets

Balzan

$245 12.6%

Lija

$341 17.3% 39.3% $96

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Balzan

$203 10.5%

Lija

$218 11% 7.2% $15

Clothing & Footwear

Balzan

$165 8.5%

Lija

$165 8.4% 0% $0

Sport & Entertainment

Balzan

$96 5%

Lija

$79 4% 17.7% $17

Getting Around

Balzan

$23 * 1.2%

Lija

$23 * 1.1% 2.3% $0.5

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,132 in Balzan versus $1,205 in Lija. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $91 in Balzan versus $91 in Lija. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $245 vs $341 – making Balzan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇹 Balzan

🇲🇹 Lija

🕒 Local time

21:32 9:32 PM

Same time as Balzan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,700

3,200

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Balzan Lija 1 km

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Balzan
Lija

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

Balzan vs Lija: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,908 per month in Balzan and $2,961 in Lija. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $1,132 in Balzan and $1,205 in Lija. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Groceries cost about 39% more in Lija, though the gap depends on what you buy.

Kindergarten costs $280 per month in Balzan and $272 in Lija. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,939 in Balzan and $1,974 in Lija, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Balzan has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,939 in Balzan to $1,974 in Lija. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.