Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Birkirkara and Sliema

For one person, living is cheaper in Birkirkara: $2,024 a month against $2,396 in Sliema, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

99

Cost of Living Index in Birkirkara
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Birkirkara Living Index
116

Cost of Living Index in Sliema
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Sliema Living Index

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Birkirkara

🇲🇹 Malta

$2,024

/mo nomad

Sliema

🇲🇹 Malta

$2,396

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Birkirkara and in Sliema

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

A single person spends $2,024 per month in Birkirkara vs $2,396 in Sliema, rent included.

Birkirkara $2,024
Sliema $2,396

A couple spends around $3,003 per month in Birkirkara vs $3,794 in Sliema, rent included.

Birkirkara $3,003
Sliema $3,794

A family of three spends $3,981 per month in Birkirkara vs $5,191 in Sliema, rent included.

Birkirkara $3,981
Sliema $5,191

Birkirkara is about 16% cheaper than Sliema, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Birkirkara and Sliema sit above the global median – Birkirkara by 50%, Sliema by 77%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.96 €9.75

$19.81 €17.63

-44.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.7 €69.1

$85.6 €76.2

-9.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.64 €12.14

$13.24 €11.77

3.02%

Cappuccino

$3.07 €2.73

$2.77 €2.47

10.83%

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

$2.24 €2.00

$3.02 €2.69

-25.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 €1.42

$2.16 €1.92

-25.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.31 €2.94

$4.60 €4.09

-28.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.40 €3.03

$5.24 €4.66

-35.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.14

$1.35 €1.20

-5.19%

White Bread (500g)

$1.28 €1.14

$1.37 €1.22

-6.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.60 €3.20

$4.24 €3.77

-15.09%

Eggs

$3.38 €3.00

$4.30 €3.82

-21.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.26 €11.79

$8.27 €7.35

60.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.47 €11.09

$10.25 €9.12

21.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.25 €16.23

$18.21 €16.20

0.22%

Apples (1kg)

$2.62 €2.33

$4.24 €3.77

-38.21%

Banana (1kg)

$2.03 €1.80

$2.81 €2.50

-27.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.14 €1.90

$3.52 €3.13

-39.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.81 €2.50

$3.32 €2.95

-15.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 €1.23

$2.42 €2.16

-42.98%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 €1.77

$2.05 €1.82

-2.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.70

$2.34 €2.08

-17.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 €0.95

$1.30 €1.16

-17.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.38 €5.67

$6.83 €6.08

-6.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.01 €8.90

$8.09 €7.19

23.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 €2.01

$1.68 €1.50

34.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 €3.33

$2.40 €2.14

56.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.20 €1.95

$2.17 €1.93

1.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.75 €24.68

$133 €118

-79.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 €4.82

$5.64 €5.02

-3.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.88 €2.56

$2.20 €1.96

30.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$70.9 €63.1

$27.09 €24.10

161.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 €1.30

$1.54 €1.37

-5.19%

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

$32.3K €28.7K

$37.9K €33.7K

-14.91%

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

$41.1K €36.5K

$39.6K €35.2K

3.72%

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

$116 €103

$103 €91.9

12.20%

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

$29.28 €26.05

$25.61 €22.78

14.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.12 €27.68

$42.84 €38.10

-27.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.4 €58.2

$76.4 €68.0

-14.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.71 €25.54

$15.86 €14.11

81.02%

Cinema Ticket

$13.57 €12.07

$10.20 €9.08

33.04%

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

$415 €369

$366 €326

13.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,689 €5,950

$11.1K €9,912

-39.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$141 €126

$85.5 €76.0

65.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.4 €52.0

$40.84 €36.33

43.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 €94.2

$101 €90.0

4.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$161 €143

$76.7 €68.2

109.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,150 €1,023

$1,775 €1,579

-35.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$959 €853

$1,220 €1,085

-21.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,698 €1,511

$2,913 €2,591

-41.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,432 €1,274

$2,385 €2,122

-39.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,906 €3,474

$5,353 €4,762

-27.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,684 €2,388

$3,578 €3,183

-24.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,847 €1,643

$1,815 €1,614

1.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.79

2.9

65.17%

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

Last update for Birkirkara: October 10, 2026

Last update for Sliema: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Birkirkara

$959 47.4%

Sliema

$1.2K 50.9% 27.1% $260

Groceries & Markets

Birkirkara

$326 16.1%

Sliema

$326 13.6% 0.2% $0.8

Clothing & Footwear

Birkirkara

$210 10.4%

Sliema

$137 5.7% 34.8% $73

Eating Out

Birkirkara

$204 10.1%

Sliema

$286 11.9% 40% $82

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Birkirkara

$176 8.7%

Sliema

$172 7.2% 2.6% $4.6

Sport & Entertainment

Birkirkara

$93 4.6%

Sliema

$97 4% 4.6% $4.3

Getting Around

Birkirkara

$56 2.8%

Sliema

$158 6.6% 181% $102

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,150 in Birkirkara versus $1,775 in Sliema. 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 2% higher in Birkirkara, 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 $78.0 in Birkirkara versus $86.0 in Sliema. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $326 vs $326 – making Birkirkara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇹 Birkirkara

🇲🇹 Sliema

🕒 Local time

05:43 5:43 AM

Same time as Birkirkara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

22,247

16,854

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Birkirkara Sliema 4 km

From you

Birkirkara
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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

Birkirkara vs Sliema: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sliema costs about 18% more than Birkirkara, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,037 per month in Birkirkara and $3,594 in Sliema. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 0% more in Sliema, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $78.0 in Birkirkara and $86.0 in Sliema. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Birkirkara, where all-in costs run around $2,024, than in Sliema at $2,396. In Birkirkara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sliema it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Birkirkara costs $2,024 versus $2,396 in Sliema. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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