Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Birzebbuga and Sliema

For one person, living is cheaper in Birzebbuga: $1,662 a month against $2,416 in Sliema, rent and utilities included – about $9,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Birzebbuga
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Birzebbuga Living Index
115

Cost of Living Index in Sliema
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Sliema Living Index

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Birzebbuga

🇲🇹 Malta

$1,662

/mo nomad

Sliema

🇲🇹 Malta

$2,416

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Birzebbuga 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 Birzebbuga and in Sliema actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,662 in Birzebbuga versus $2,416 in Sliema.

Birzebbuga $1,662
Sliema $2,416

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,653 in Birzebbuga versus $3,868 in Sliema.

Birzebbuga $2,653
Sliema $3,868

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,643 in Birzebbuga versus $5,320 in Sliema.

Birzebbuga $3,643
Sliema $5,320

Living in Birzebbuga costs roughly 31% less than in Sliema, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Birzebbuga 22% above, Sliema 78% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.24 €13.65

$19.81 €17.75

-23.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$86.1 €77.1

$85.4 €76.5

0.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.76 €10.54

$13.58 €12.17

-13.40%

Cappuccino

$2.61 €2.34

$2.79 €2.50

-6.45%

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

$2.06 €1.85

$3.16 €2.84

-34.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.76

$2.21 €1.98

-11.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.26 €2.03

$4.60 €4.12

-50.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 €2.99

$5.29 €4.74

-37.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.14

$1.36 €1.21

-6.62%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 €1.17

$1.34 €1.20

-2.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.12 €2.80

$4.44 €3.98

-29.73%

Eggs

$3.60 €3.23

$4.17 €3.74

-13.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.29 €7.43

$8.08 €7.24

2.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.61 €8.61

$10.35 €9.28

-7.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.35 €16.44

$18.36 €16.45

-0.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 €2.33

$4.28 €3.83

-39.25%

Banana (1kg)

$2.07 €1.85

$2.80 €2.51

-26.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.03 €2.71

$3.64 €3.26

-16.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.97 €2.66

$3.41 €3.06

-12.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.62 €1.45

$2.22 €1.99

-27.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.66

$1.92 €1.72

-3.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 €1.37

$2.35 €2.11

-34.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 €0.68

$1.29 €1.16

-41.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.02 €5.40

$6.78 €6.08

-11.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.68 €5.99

$7.97 €7.14

-16.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.56 €1.40

$1.69 €1.52

-7.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.15

$2.36 €2.12

1.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 €2.02

$2.22 €1.99

1.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.81 €13.27

$136 €122

-89.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.57 €4.99

$5.46 €4.89

2.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.18 €1.96

$2.30 €2.06

-5.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.14 €24.32

$26.69 €23.92

1.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 €1.32

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

$30.0K €26.9K

$37.4K €33.6K

-19.77%

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

$33.0K €29.6K

$38.4K €34.4K

-13.88%

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

$94.3 €84.5

$104 €93.3

-9.43%

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

$25.00 €22.40

$25.37 €22.73

-1.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.58 €38.16

$43.68 €39.14

-2.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.7 €49.95

$74.7 €67.0

-25.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.94 €19.66

$16.09 €14.42

36.36%

Cinema Ticket

$10.14 €9.09

$10.04 €9.00

1.00%

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

$367 €329

$370 €331

-0.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,991 €8,057

$11.1K €9,945

-18.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.7 €77.7

$88.0 €78.9

-1.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.77 €33.85

$40.29 €36.10

-6.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 €82.0

$101 €90.3

-9.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.1 €70.9

$79.5 €71.2

-0.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,174 €1,052

$1,752 €1,570

-33.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$746 €669

$1,233 €1,105

-39.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,688 €1,513

$3,113 €2,789

-45.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,351 €1,211

$2,504 €2,244

-46.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,912 €3,506

$5,387 €4,827

-27.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,876 €2,577

$3,499 €3,135

-17.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,758 €1,575

$1,841 €1,650

-4.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.9

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

Last update for Birzebbuga: October 27, 2026

Last update for Sliema: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Birzebbuga

$746 44.9%

Sliema

$1.2K 51% 65.3% $487

Groceries & Markets

Birzebbuga

$283 17%

Sliema

$327 13.5% 15.6% $44

Eating Out

Birzebbuga

$223 13.4%

Sliema

$288 11.9% 29.3% $65

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Birzebbuga

$162 9.7%

Sliema

$173 7.2% 7% $11

Clothing & Footwear

Birzebbuga

$133 8%

Sliema

$139 5.8% 4.6% $6.1

Sport & Entertainment

Birzebbuga

$76 4.6%

Sliema

$95 3.9% 24.7% $19

Getting Around

Birzebbuga

$40 2.4%

Sliema

$162 6.7% 301% $122

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,174 in Birzebbuga and $1,752 in Sliema. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sliema pays 5% 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: $86 in Birzebbuga vs $85 in Sliema. Groceries flip the comparison at $283 vs $327, with Birzebbuga cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇲🇹 Birzebbuga

🇲🇹 Sliema

🕒 Local time

13:12 1:12 PM

Same time as Birzebbuga

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

10,000

16,854

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Birzebbuga Sliema 10 km

From you

Birzebbuga
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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

Birzebbuga vs Sliema: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Birzebbuga is about 31% cheaper overall, especially in transport, eating out, and groceries. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 5% lower in Birzebbuga. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,174 in Birzebbuga versus $1,752 in Sliema. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 16% higher in Sliema. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $1,662 per month in Birzebbuga versus $2,416 in Sliema – Birzebbuga is about 31% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

It comes down to priorities – Birzebbuga wins on affordability, Sliema on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.