Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Balzan and Marsa

For one person, living is cheaper in Balzan: $1,939 a month against $2,871 in Marsa, rent and utilities included – about $11,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

92

Cost of Living Index in Balzan
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Balzan Living Index
137

Cost of Living Index in Marsa
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Marsa Living Index

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Balzan

🇲🇹 Malta

$1,939

/mo nomad

Marsa

🇲🇹 Malta

$2,871

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Balzan and in Marsa

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

A single person spends $1,939 per month in Balzan vs $2,871 in Marsa, rent included.

Balzan $1,939
Marsa $2,871

A couple spends around $2,927 per month in Balzan vs $3,976 in Marsa, rent included.

Balzan $2,927
Marsa $3,976

A family of three spends $3,915 per month in Balzan vs $5,081 in Marsa, rent included.

Balzan $3,915
Marsa $5,081

Balzan is about 32% cheaper than Marsa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Balzan and Marsa sit above the global median – Balzan by 42%, Marsa by 111%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.68 €16.67

$19.41 €17.31

-3.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.1 €81.3

$85.2 €76.0

6.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.10 €10.79

$13.67 €12.19

-11.49%

Cappuccino

$3.09 €2.75

$2.69 €2.40

14.87%

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

$1.93 €1.73

$2.28 €2.04

-15.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 €0.92

$2.27 €2.02

-54.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.26 €2.90

$4.58 €4.08

-28.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 €2.18

$2.53 €2.25

-3.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 €1.11

$1.36 €1.21

-8.09%

White Bread (500g)

$0.97 €0.87

$1.29 €1.15

-24.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.52 €3.14

$4.22 €3.76

-16.59%

Eggs

$4.30 €3.83

$4.33 €3.87

-0.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.30 €9.19

$8.43 €7.52

22.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.10 €8.12

$10.25 €9.14

-11.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.40 €11.06

$18.47 €16.48

-32.86%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.36

$4.27 €3.81

-38.17%

Banana (1kg)

$2.04 €1.82

$2.69 €2.40

-24.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.68 €1.50

$3.55 €3.17

-52.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.15 €1.03

$3.27 €2.92

-64.83%

Potato (1kg)

$0.86 €0.77

$2.25 €2.01

-61.78%

Onion (1kg)

$0.91 €0.81

$1.87 €1.67

-51.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 €0.76

$2.27 €2.02

-62.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 €0.89

$1.31 €1.17

-24.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.09 €5.44

$6.85 €6.11

-11.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.02 €5.37

$8.36 €7.46

-27.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 €0.96

$1.63 €1.46

-34.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.49 €1.33

$2.33 €2.08

-36.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.69

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.23 €1.99

$5.75 €5.13

-61.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.76 €1.57

$2.29 €2.04

-23.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.03 €28.58

$26.56 €23.69

20.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 €1.36

$1.47 €1.31

3.40%

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

$27.5K €24.5K

$37.4K €33.3K

-26.49%

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

$32.2K €28.7K

$38.4K €34.2K

-16.00%

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

$154 €138

$103 €92.2

49.10%

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

$19.90 €17.75

$24.97 €22.28

-20.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.97 €25.85

$42.87 €38.25

-32.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.6 €65.6

Cinema Ticket

$11.40 €10.17

$10.19 €9.09

11.87%

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

$280 €249

$372 €332

-24.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.1K €10.8K

$11.2K €9,953

8.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.0 €51.8

$86.1 €76.8

-32.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$69.1 €61.7

$39.89 €35.59

73.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 €98.1

$101 €90.4

8.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 €116

$77.4 €69.1

68.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,132 €1,010

$2,481 €2,213

-54.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$950 €848

$1,925 €1,718

-50.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,804 €1,609

$2,271 €2,026

-20.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,522 €1,358

$2,758 €2,460

-44.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,057 €3,619

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,876 €2,566

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,000 €893

$3,229 €2,881

-69.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.05

2.9

39.66%

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

Last update for Balzan: October 26, 2026

Last update for Marsa: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Balzan

$950 49%

Marsa

$1.9K 67.1% 103% $975

Eating Out

Balzan

$256 13.2%

Marsa

$275 9.6% 7.4% $19

Groceries & Markets

Balzan

$245 12.6%

Marsa

$326 11.3% 32.8% $80

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Balzan

$203 10.5%

Marsa

$171 6% 15.7% $32

Clothing & Footwear

Balzan

$165 8.5%

Marsa

$137 4.8% 17% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Balzan

$96 5%

Marsa

$20 * 0.7% 78.9% $76

Getting Around

Balzan

$23 * 1.2%

Marsa

$17 * 0.6% 25.6% $5.9

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 $2,481 in Marsa. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Marsa are about 3.2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $91 in Balzan versus $85 in Marsa. Groceries tell a different story – $245 in Balzan vs $326 in Marsa – so Balzan wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇹 Balzan

🇲🇹 Marsa

🕒 Local time

20:46 8:46 PM

Same time as Balzan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,700

5,000

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

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Between locations

Balzan Marsa 4 km

From you

Balzan
Marsa

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 Marsa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,939 in Balzan, $2,871 in Marsa – Balzan comes out roughly 32% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,908 per month in Balzan and $4,307 in Marsa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Balzan, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,132 there versus $2,481 in Marsa.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $91 in Balzan and $85 in Marsa. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 33% more in Marsa, though the gap depends on what you buy.

Families tend to lean toward Balzan – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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

If budget matters most, go with Balzan. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Marsa makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.