Cost of Living Comparison Between Balzan and Swieqi Cost of Living Comparison Between Balzan and Swieqi

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,792 per month in Balzan vs $2,236 in Swieqi, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,823 per month in Balzan vs $3,398 in Swieqi, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,854 per month in Balzan vs $4,559 in Swieqi, rent included.

Balzan is about 20% cheaper than Swieqi, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Balzan and Swieqi sit above the global median – Balzan by 34%, Swieqi by 67%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.27 €16.86

$17.54 €15.35

9.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.3 €59.7

$70.0 €61.2

-2.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.49 €10.05

$9.79 €8.56

17.36%

Cappuccino

$2.75 €2.40

$2.67 €2.33

3.00%

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

$2.05 €1.79

$2.68 €2.35

-23.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.02 €0.90

$1.72 €1.50

-40.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.57 €3.12

$4.49 €3.93

-20.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 €2.21

$5.23 €4.57

-51.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 €1.09

$1.37 €1.20

-8.76%

White Bread (500g)

$0.97 €0.85

$1.41 €1.23

-31.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.49 €3.06

$3.41 €2.99

2.35%

Eggs

$3.81 €3.33

$3.16 €2.77

20.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.65 €8.45

$9.14 €8.00

5.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.11 €7.97

$10.46 €9.15

-12.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.66 €11.08

$14.17 €12.39

-10.66%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 €2.38

$3.29 €2.88

-17.33%

Banana (1kg)

$2.00 €1.75

$2.06 €1.80

-2.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.78 €1.55

$2.79 €2.44

-36.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.15 €1.00

$3.34 €2.93

-65.57%

Potato (1kg)

$0.97 €0.85

$1.78 €1.56

-45.51%

Onion (1kg)

$0.89 €0.78

$2.86 €2.50

-68.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.91 €0.79

$1.79 €1.56

-49.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 €0.87

$0.79 €0.69

26.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.62 €5.80

$6.35 €5.56

4.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.88 €5.15

$6.10 €5.33

-3.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 €0.94

$2.35 €2.06

-54.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.35

$1.76 €1.54

-12.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.19 €2.79

$2.25 €1.97

41.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.16 €13.26

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.36 €2.07

$4.60 €4.02

-48.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.93 €1.69

$1.95 €1.70

-1.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.41 €30.11

$58.1 €50.8

-40.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 €1.32

$1.53 €1.34

-1.31%

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

$26.5K €23.2K

$25.8K €22.5K

2.96%

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

$34.2K €29.9K

$40.2K €35.2K

-15.04%

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

$161 €141

$158 €138

2.20%

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

$20.87 €18.26

$23.19 €20.29

-10.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.68 €28.59

$33.04 €28.91

-1.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.1 €56.1

$69.2 €60.6

-7.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 €19.89

$22.39 €19.59

1.56%

Cinema Ticket

$15.34 €13.42

$9.32 €8.15

64.59%

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

$260 €228

$524 €459

-50.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.6K €11.0K

$12.5K €11.0K

0.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €91.1

$76.6 €67.0

35.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.23 €33.45

$38.47 €33.66

-0.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$146 €128

$142 €124

3.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 €88.2

$101 €88.4

-0.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$871 €762

$1,180 €1,033

-26.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$782 €684

$1,148 €1,004

-31.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,643 €1,437

$2,915 €2,550

-43.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,533 €1,341

$2,114 €1,850

-27.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,924 €3,433

$3,993 €3,494

-1.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,827 €2,474

$4,308 €3,769

-34.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,008 €882

$1,450 €1,268

-30.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.43

4.34

25.12%

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

Last update for Balzan: July 12, 2026

Last update for Swieqi: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $871 in Balzan versus $1,180 in Swieqi. 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 44% higher in Swieqi, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68.0 in Balzan versus $70.0 in Swieqi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $243 vs $288 – 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 Swieqi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,792 in Balzan, $2,236 in Swieqi – roughly 25% apart. Swieqi costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,688 per month in Balzan and $3,355 in Swieqi. 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68.0 in Balzan and $70.0 in Swieqi. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 19% more in Swieqi, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Balzan, where all-in costs run around $1,792, than in Swieqi at $2,236. In Balzan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Swieqi it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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 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 Balzan. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Swieqi makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.