Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Birgu and Valletta

For one person, living is cheaper in Birgu: $1,731 a month against $2,258 in Valletta, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Birgu
🇲🇹 Malta
$1,731
/mo nomad
Valletta
🇲🇹 Malta
$2,258
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Birgu and in Valletta

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,731 in Birgu versus $2,258 in Valletta.

  • Birgu $1,731
  • Valletta $2,258

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,817 in Birgu versus $3,519 in Valletta.

  • Birgu $2,817
  • Valletta $3,519

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,902 in Birgu versus $4,780 in Valletta.

  • Birgu $3,902
  • Valletta $4,780

Living in Birgu costs roughly 23% less than in Valletta, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Birgu 28% above, Valletta 67% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Birgu
Valletta
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$19.77 €17.58
$22.42 €19.95
-11.82%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$87.6 €77.9
$87.6 €78.0
-0.06%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.87 €10.56
$13.23 €11.76
-10.28%
Cappuccino
$2.64 €2.35
$3.20 €2.85
-17.50%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.29 €2.04
$2.42 €2.15
-5.37%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.72 €1.53
$1.91 €1.69
-9.95%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.48 €3.98
$5.65 €5.02
-20.71%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.18 €4.61
$6.59 €5.86
-21.40%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Birgu
Valletta
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.36 €1.21
$1.32 €1.17
3.03%
White Bread (500g)
$1.34 €1.19
$1.45 €1.29
-7.59%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.21 €3.74
$3.44 €3.06
22.38%
Eggs
$4.05 €3.60
$4.28 €3.81
-5.37%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.31 €7.39
$10.20 €9.07
-18.53%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.59 €7.64
$11.86 €10.55
-27.57%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.33 €13.63
$17.94 €15.96
-14.55%
Apples (1kg)
$2.77 €2.46
$3.79 €3.37
-26.91%
Banana (1kg)
$1.26 €1.12
$2.72 €2.42
-53.68%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.82 €2.51
$3.85 €3.42
-26.75%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.77 €2.46
$3.70 €3.29
-25.14%
Potato (1kg)
$2.20 €1.96
$1.86 €1.65
18.28%
Onion (1kg)
$1.69 €1.51
$3.27 €2.91
-48.32%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.30 €2.05
$2.20 €1.95
4.55%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.87 €0.77
$1.57 €1.39
-44.59%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.82 €6.06
$6.22 €5.53
9.65%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.32 €7.40
$5.86 €5.21
41.98%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.59 €1.42
$2.46 €2.19
-35.37%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.44 €2.17
$2.38 €2.12
2.52%
🚌 Getting Around
Birgu
Valletta
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.34 €2.08
$2.78 €2.47
-15.83%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$13.80 €12.27
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.42 €4.82
$3.81 €3.39
42.26%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.09 €0.97
$1.84 €1.63
-40.76%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$27.03 €24.04
$32.08 €28.53
-15.74%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.46 €1.30
$1.54 €1.37
-5.19%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.0K €23.2K
$27.9K €24.8K
-6.69%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$32.7K €29.1K
$39.4K €35.0K
-17.07%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Birgu
Valletta
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$103 €91.3
$155 €138
-33.81%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$25.53 €22.70
$31.40 €27.93
-18.69%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$33.11 €29.45
$28.93 €25.73
14.45%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Birgu
Valletta
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$43.55 €38.74
$58.0 €51.6
-24.87%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$66.5 €59.2
$20.34 €18.09
226.94%
Cinema Ticket
$9.89 €8.80
$11.48 €10.21
-13.85%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Birgu
Valletta
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$371 €330
$278 €248
33.44%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$2,023 €1,799
$12.4K €11.0K
-83.66%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Birgu
Valletta
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$25.33 €22.53
$58.0 €51.6
-56.29%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$33.87 €30.13
$68.9 €61.3
-50.85%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$100 €89.1
$113 €101
-11.64%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$110 €97.4
$130 €116
-16.04%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Birgu
Valletta
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$980 €872
$1,391 €1,238
-29.57%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$798 €709
$1,114 €991
-28.42%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,785 €1,588
$3,250 €2,891
-45.07%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,534 €1,365
$2,043 €1,817
-24.92%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,050 €3,603
$5,247 €4,668
-22.81%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,820 €2,509
$3,999 €3,557
-29.49%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Birgu
Valletta
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,873 €1,666
$2,042 €1,816
-8.26%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
2.9
4.05
-28.40%

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

Last update for Birgu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Valletta: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Birgu
$798
Valletta
$1.1K 39.7% $317
Groceries & Markets
Birgu
$279
Valletta
$340 21.6% $60
Eating Out
Birgu
$274
Valletta
$316 15.3% $42
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Birgu
$161
Valletta
$215 33.6% $54
Clothing & Footwear
Birgu
$121
Valletta
$167 37.8% $46
Sport & Entertainment
Birgu
$63
Valletta
$81 27.8% $18
Getting Around
Birgu
$34
Valletta
$24 * 29.2% $9.9

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $980 in Birgu and $1,391 in Valletta. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Valletta pays 9% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $88.0 in Birgu vs $88.0 in Valletta for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $279 vs $340 per month, with Birgu cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇲🇹 Birgu
🇲🇹 Valletta
🕒 Local time
08:29 8:29 AM
08:29 8:29 AM
Same time as Birgu
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,500
5,700 Capital
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Birgu Valletta 2 km
From you
  • Birgu
  • Valletta

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
Birgu vs Valletta: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Birgu or Valletta?
Birgu wins on cost – living expenses run 30% lower than in Valletta. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Birgu the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Birgu or in Valletta?
On paper, salaries run 9% lower in Valletta. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Birgu compared to Valletta?
Rent for a central apartment: $980 in Birgu versus $1,391 in Valletta. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Are groceries more expensive in Birgu or in Valletta?
Supermarket bills run roughly 22% higher in Valletta. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
How much does it cost to live in Birgu compared to Valletta?
All in, you'll spend $1,731 per month in Birgu versus $2,258 in Valletta – a 30% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Birgu or in Valletta?
At $1,731 in Birgu versus $2,258 in Valletta, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Birgu but tight or insufficient in Valletta. The gap between the two cities makes Birgu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Birgu or Valletta?
Both work as nomad bases, but Birgu delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,731 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Birgu hard to pass up.
How safe is Birgu compared to Valletta?
Safety-wise, Birgu and Valletta are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Birgu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 30% less than in Valletta. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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