Cost of Living Comparison Between Balzan and San Pawl Il-bahar Cost of Living Comparison Between Balzan and San Pawl Il-bahar

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,772 per month in Balzan vs $1,734 in San Pawl Il-bahar, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,807 per month in Balzan vs $2,623 in San Pawl Il-bahar, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,841 per month in Balzan vs $3,511 in San Pawl Il-bahar, rent included.

Balzan costs about 2% more than San Pawl Il-bahar, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Balzan and San Pawl Il-bahar sit above the global median – Balzan by 32%, San Pawl Il-bahar by 29%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.37 €16.68

$20.55 €17.69

-5.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.8 €59.2

$78.5 €67.6

-12.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.48 €9.89

$10.80 €9.30

6.30%

Cappuccino

$2.71 €2.34

$2.53 €2.18

7.11%

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

$2.07 €1.78

$3.06 €2.64

-32.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.06 €0.91

$2.28 €1.97

-53.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.43 €2.95

$4.27 €3.67

-19.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 €2.26

$4.48 €3.86

-41.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.06

$1.40 €1.20

-11.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.02 €0.88

$1.24 €1.07

-17.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.44 €2.96

$2.54 €2.19

35.43%

Eggs

$3.73 €3.21

$3.61 €3.11

3.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.69 €8.35

$9.96 €8.58

-2.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.30 €8.01

$8.12 €6.99

14.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.55 €10.81

$9.88 €8.51

27.02%

Apples (1kg)

$2.59 €2.23

$3.04 €2.62

-14.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 €1.70

$2.10 €1.81

-5.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.82 €1.57

$3.09 €2.66

-41.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.15 €0.99

$2.97 €2.55

-61.28%

Potato (1kg)

$0.94 €0.81

$1.58 €1.36

-40.51%

Onion (1kg)

$0.88 €0.76

$1.35 €1.17

-34.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 €0.77

$1.25 €1.08

-28.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 €0.86

$1.23 €1.06

-18.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.35 €5.47

$6.62 €5.70

-4.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.03 €5.19

$8.30 €7.15

-27.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 €0.92

$1.57 €1.35

-31.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.47 €1.27

$1.99 €1.71

-26.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.10 €2.67

$2.93 €2.53

5.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.28 €1.96

$5.95 €5.13

-61.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.87 €1.61

$2.62 €2.26

-28.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.38 €30.47

$48.29 €41.59

-26.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 €1.36

$1.52 €1.31

3.95%

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

$25.9K €22.3K

$39.5K €34.0K

-34.34%

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

$33.0K €28.4K

$38.4K €33.1K

-14.09%

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

$165 €142

$67.3 €58.0

145.17%

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

$21.16 €18.22

$20.07 €17.28

5.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.57 €28.04

$43.02 €37.05

-24.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.9 €55.1

$63.2 €54.5

1.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.04 €19.84

$22.75 €19.59

1.27%

Cinema Ticket

$15.23 €13.12

$10.36 €8.92

47.01%

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

$262 €226

$422 €363

-37.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.7K €10.9K

$11.1K €9,553

14.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €87.0

$70.0 €60.3

44.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.17 €33.73

$28.11 €24.21

39.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$143 €123

$93.5 €80.5

52.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 €88.3

$93.4 €80.5

9.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$860 €740

$960 €826

-10.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$783 €674

$807 €695

-2.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,619 €1,394

$1,532 €1,319

5.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,532 €1,319

$1,292 €1,112

18.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,054 €3,490

$3,608 €3,106

12.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,893 €2,491

$3,058 €2,633

-5.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,061 €914

$1,750 €1,507

-39.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.43

3.28

65.55%

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

Last update for Balzan: June 1, 2026

Last update for San Pawl Il-bahar: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $860 in Balzan versus $960 in San Pawl Il-bahar. 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 65% higher in San Pawl Il-bahar, 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 $69.0 in Balzan versus $79.0 in San Pawl Il-bahar. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $243 vs $262 – making Balzan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 San Pawl Il-bahar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,772 in Balzan, $1,734 in San Pawl Il-bahar – roughly 2% apart. Balzan costs more across the board, with Clothing & Footwear showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,658 per month in Balzan and $2,602 in San Pawl Il-bahar. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in San Pawl Il-bahar, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $69.0 in Balzan and $79.0 in San Pawl Il-bahar. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 8% cheaper in Balzan – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in San Pawl Il-bahar, where all-in costs run around $1,734, than in Balzan at $1,772. In San Pawl Il-bahar it covers expenses comfortably, while in Balzan it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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