Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bugibba and Sliema

For one person, living is cheaper in Bugibba: $1,739 a month against $2,416 in Sliema, rent and utilities included – about $8,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Bugibba, Malta
Sliema, Malta
Bugibba
🇲🇹 Malta
$1,739
/mo nomad
Sliema
🇲🇹 Malta
$2,416
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,739 per month in Bugibba vs $2,416 in Sliema, rent included.

  • Bugibba $1,739
  • Sliema $2,416

A couple spends around $2,712 per month in Bugibba vs $3,868 in Sliema, rent included.

  • Bugibba $2,712
  • Sliema $3,868

A family of three spends $3,686 per month in Bugibba vs $5,320 in Sliema, rent included.

  • Bugibba $3,686
  • Sliema $5,320

Bugibba is about 28% cheaper than Sliema, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Bugibba and Sliema sit above the global median – Bugibba by 28%, Sliema by 78%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Bugibba
Sliema
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.04 €15.27
$19.81 €17.74
-13.98%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$79.1 €70.8
$85.4 €76.5
-7.36%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.25 €10.08
$13.58 €12.16
-17.16%
Cappuccino
$3.04 €2.73
$2.79 €2.49
8.96%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.32 €2.08
$3.16 €2.83
-26.58%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.98 €1.78
$2.21 €1.98
-10.41%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.60 €4.12
$4.60 €4.12
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.26 €2.92
$5.29 €4.74
-38.37%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Bugibba
Sliema
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.35 €1.21
$1.36 €1.21
-0.74%
White Bread (500g)
$1.42 €1.27
$1.34 €1.20
5.97%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.27 €2.03
$4.44 €3.97
-48.87%
Eggs
$3.26 €2.92
$4.17 €3.74
-21.82%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.17 €9.11
$8.08 €7.24
25.87%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.61 €8.61
$10.35 €9.27
-7.15%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.89 €10.65
$18.36 €16.44
-35.24%
Apples (1kg)
$2.29 €2.05
$4.28 €3.83
-46.50%
Banana (1kg)
$2.09 €1.87
$2.80 €2.50
-25.36%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.47 €2.21
$3.64 €3.26
-32.14%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.83 €1.64
$3.41 €3.05
-46.33%
Potato (1kg)
$1.91 €1.71
$2.22 €1.99
-13.96%
Onion (1kg)
$1.35 €1.21
$1.92 €1.72
-29.69%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.68 €1.51
$2.35 €2.10
-28.51%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.62 €0.55
$1.29 €1.15
-51.94%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.12 €5.48
$6.78 €6.07
-9.73%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.66 €5.07
$7.97 €7.13
-28.98%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.65 €1.48
$1.69 €1.51
-2.37%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.48 €1.32
$2.36 €2.12
-37.29%
🚌 Getting Around
Bugibba
Sliema
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.48 €2.22
$2.22 €1.99
11.71%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$136 €122
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.45 €3.09
$5.46 €4.89
-36.81%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.82 €1.63
$2.30 €2.06
-20.87%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$32.57 €29.17
$26.69 €23.90
22.03%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.52 €1.36
$1.47 €1.32
3.40%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$24.4K €21.9K
$37.4K €33.5K
-34.76%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$30.2K €27.1K
$38.4K €34.4K
-21.27%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bugibba
Sliema
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$75.6 €67.7
$104 €93.2
-27.43%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$17.46 €15.64
$25.37 €22.72
-31.18%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.90 €25.88
$43.68 €39.12
-33.84%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Bugibba
Sliema
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$71.7 €64.2
$74.7 €66.9
-4.10%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$32.96 €29.52
$16.09 €14.41
104.85%
Cinema Ticket
$11.32 €10.14
$10.04 €9.00
12.75%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Bugibba
Sliema
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$273 €245
$370 €331
-26.05%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.5K €11.2K
$11.1K €9,939
12.50%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Bugibba
Sliema
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$57.7 €51.6
$88.0 €78.8
-34.48%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$68.9 €61.7
$40.29 €36.08
71.08%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$113 €101
$101 €90.2
12.13%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$132 €118
$79.5 €71.2
66.31%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Bugibba
Sliema
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,089 €975
$1,752 €1,569
-37.88%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$827 €741
$1,233 €1,104
-32.89%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,643 €1,471
$3,113 €2,788
-47.22%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,404 €1,257
$2,504 €2,243
-43.95%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$5,387 €4,825
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$3,499 €3,134
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Bugibba
Sliema
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,100 €1,881
$1,841 €1,649
14.07%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.05
2.9
39.66%

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

Last update for Bugibba: October 25, 2026

Last update for Sliema: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Bugibba
$827
Sliema
$1.2K 49% $406
Eating Out
Bugibba
$253
Sliema
$288 13.6% $34
Groceries & Markets
Bugibba
$252
Sliema
$327 29.6% $75
Clothing & Footwear
Bugibba
$167
Sliema
$139 17% $28
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bugibba
$122
Sliema
$173 42% $51
Sport & Entertainment
Bugibba
$94
Sliema
$95 0.5% $0.5
Getting Around
Bugibba
$22 *
Sliema
$162 620% $139

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,089 in Bugibba versus $1,752 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 14% higher in Bugibba, 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 $79 in Bugibba versus $85 in Sliema. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $252 vs $327 – making Bugibba the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇲🇹 Bugibba
🇲🇹 Sliema
🕒 Local time
02:40 2:40 AM
02:40 2:40 AM
Same time as Bugibba
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
32,042
16,854
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Bugibba Sliema 9 km
From you
  • Bugibba
  • Sliema

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
Bugibba vs Sliema: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Bugibba and in Sliema compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,739 in Bugibba, $2,416 in Sliema – Bugibba comes out roughly 28% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.
What salary covers living expenses in Bugibba compared to Sliema?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,608 per month in Bugibba and $3,624 in Sliema. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Bugibba and Sliema?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Bugibba, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,089 there versus $1,752 in Sliema.
Which city is more expensive overall: Bugibba or Sliema?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,739 in Bugibba and $2,416 in Sliema. That makes Bugibba about 28% cheaper.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Bugibba and Sliema?
Kindergarten costs $273 per month in Bugibba and $370 in Sliema. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
How far does $3,000 go in Bugibba compared to Sliema?
$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,739 in Bugibba and $2,416 in Sliema, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Where should digital nomads live: Bugibba or Sliema?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Bugibba costs $1,739 versus $2,416 in Sliema. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
Is Bugibba or Sliema safer for residents?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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