Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Balzan and Luqa

For one person, living is cheaper in Luqa: $1,845 a month against $1,939 in Balzan, rent and utilities included – about $1,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Balzan outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

92

Cost of Living Index in Balzan
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Balzan Living Index
88

Cost of Living Index in Luqa
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Luqa Living Index

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Balzan

🇲🇹 Malta

$1,939

/mo nomad

Luqa

🇲🇹 Malta

$1,845

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Balzan and in Luqa

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 Luqa actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,939 per month in Balzan vs $1,845 in Luqa, rent included.

Balzan $1,939
Luqa $1,845

A couple spends around $2,927 per month in Balzan vs $2,902 in Luqa, rent included.

Balzan $2,927
Luqa $2,902

A family of three spends $3,915 per month in Balzan vs $3,960 in Luqa, rent included.

Balzan $3,915
Luqa $3,960

Balzan costs about 5% more than Luqa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Balzan and Luqa sit above the global median – Balzan by 42%, Luqa by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.68 €16.67

$19.96 €17.81

-6.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.1 €81.3

$99.9 €89.1

-8.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.10 €10.79

$10.81 €9.65

11.93%

Cappuccino

$3.09 €2.75

$3.40 €3.03

-9.12%

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

$1.93 €1.73

$2.89 €2.58

-33.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 €0.92

$1.97 €1.76

-47.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.26 €2.90

$4.54 €4.05

-28.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 €2.18

$4.27 €3.81

-42.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 €1.11

$1.14 €1.02

9.65%

White Bread (500g)

$0.97 €0.87

$1.16 €1.03

-16.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.52 €3.14

$3.17 €2.83

11.04%

Eggs

$4.30 €3.83

$3.93 €3.51

9.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.30 €9.19

$13.31 €11.87

-22.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.10 €8.12

$9.92 €8.85

-8.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.40 €11.06

$15.81 €14.10

-21.57%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.36

$2.74 €2.44

-3.65%

Banana (1kg)

$2.04 €1.82

$1.97 €1.76

3.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.68 €1.50

$2.99 €2.66

-43.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.15 €1.03

$3.72 €3.32

-69.09%

Potato (1kg)

$0.86 €0.77

$1.79 €1.60

-51.96%

Onion (1kg)

$0.91 €0.81

$1.97 €1.76

-53.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 €0.76

$1.93 €1.72

-55.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 €0.89

$0.89 €0.80

11.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.09 €5.44

$6.84 €6.10

-10.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.02 €5.37

$7.17 €6.40

-16.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 €0.96

$1.50 €1.34

-28.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.49 €1.33

$2.25 €2.00

-33.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.69

$2.19 €1.95

37.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.44 €12.89

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.23 €1.99

$4.52 €4.03

-50.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.76 €1.57

$1.64 €1.46

7.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.03 €28.58

$39.01 €34.81

-17.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 €1.36

$1.46 €1.30

4.11%

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

$27.5K €24.5K

$24.9K €22.2K

10.24%

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

$32.2K €28.7K

$39.5K €35.2K

-18.36%

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

$154 €138

$74.9 €66.8

105.90%

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

$19.90 €17.75

$35.83 €31.96

-44.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.97 €25.85

$33.44 €29.83

-13.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.6 €65.6

$53.2 €47.49

38.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$55.2 €49.23

Cinema Ticket

$11.40 €10.17

$11.10 €9.91

2.70%

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

$280 €249

$611 €545

-54.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.1K €10.8K

$13.6K €12.1K

-10.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.0 €51.8

$145 €129

-59.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$69.1 €61.7

$55.0 €49.04

25.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 €98.1

$85.1 €76.0

29.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 €116

$135 €121

-3.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,132 €1,010

$811 €724

39.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$950 €848

$819 €731

16.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,804 €1,609

$1,284 €1,146

40.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,522 €1,358

$1,298 €1,158

17.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,057 €3,619

$2,945 €2,627

37.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,876 €2,566

$3,120 €2,784

-7.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,000 €893

$1,456 €1,299

-31.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.05

3.22

25.78%

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

Last update for Balzan: October 26, 2026

Last update for Luqa: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Balzan

$950 49%

Luqa

$819 44.4% 13.8% $131

Eating Out

Balzan

$256 13.2%

Luqa

$284 15.4% 10.8% $28

Groceries & Markets

Balzan

$245 12.6%

Luqa

$299 16.2% 21.8% $53

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Balzan

$203 10.5%

Luqa

$144 7.8% 29% $59

Clothing & Footwear

Balzan

$165 8.5%

Luqa

$189 10.2% 14.4% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Balzan

$96 5%

Luqa

$75 4.1% 21.7% $21

Getting Around

Balzan

$23 * 1.2%

Luqa

$36 2% 55.5% $13

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 $811 in Luqa. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 46% higher in Luqa, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $91 in Balzan versus $100 in Luqa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $245 vs $299 – making Balzan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇹 Balzan

🇲🇹 Luqa

🕒 Local time

20:42 8:42 PM

Same time as Balzan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,700

5,900

💱 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 Luqa 6 km

From you

Balzan
Luqa

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 Luqa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,939 in Balzan, $1,845 in Luqa – Luqa comes out roughly 5% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,908 per month in Balzan and $2,768 in Luqa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Luqa, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $811 there versus $1,132 in Balzan.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $91 in Balzan and $100 in Luqa. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 18% cheaper in Balzan – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

It depends on your priorities. Luqa has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,845 in Luqa to $1,939 in Balzan. 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.