Cost of Living Comparison Between China and Malta Cost of Living Comparison Between China and Malta

Name: Malta
Address: MT

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $720 in China versus $2,057 in Malta.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,148 in China versus $3,112 in Malta.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,576 in China versus $4,166 in Malta.

Living in China costs about 65% less than in Malta on average.

China (48% below) and Malta (49% above) straddle the global median.

Internal cost variation is higher in Malta: monthly costs span $1,684 to $2,939, compared to $468–$1,236 in China. City choice carries more weight in Malta.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.93 ¥19.61

$17.15 €14.75

-82.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.72 ¥152

$85.6 €73.6

-73.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.07 ¥33.96

$12.09 €10.39

-58.06%

Cappuccino

$2.94 ¥19.71

$2.92 €2.51

0.68%

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

$0.48 ¥3.21

$2.68 €2.30

-82.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ¥2.02

$1.74 €1.50

-82.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.06 ¥7.10

$4.58 €3.94

-76.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 ¥15.08

$4.71 €4.05

-52.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 ¥12.00

$1.38 €1.19

29.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.70 ¥11.36

$1.37 €1.18

24.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.96 ¥6.45

$3.88 €3.34

-75.26%

Eggs

$1.61 ¥10.80

$4.00 €3.44

-59.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.60 ¥91.1

$11.17 €9.60

21.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.41 ¥22.84

$10.09 €8.68

-66.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.07 ¥74.2

$17.32 €14.89

-36.09%

Apples (1kg)

$1.81 ¥12.10

$3.23 €2.78

-43.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.30 ¥8.74

$2.29 €1.97

-43.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.48 ¥9.91

$3.00 €2.58

-50.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.30 ¥8.73

$3.27 €2.81

-60.24%

Potato (1kg)

$0.72 ¥4.82

$2.03 €1.74

-64.53%

Onion (1kg)

$0.94 ¥6.31

$2.29 €1.97

-58.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.61 ¥4.09

$1.98 €1.70

-69.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ¥3.74

$1.03 €0.89

-45.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.67 ¥24.58

$6.93 €5.96

-47.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.90 ¥79.7

$8.23 €7.08

44.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 ¥5.56

$1.82 €1.56

-54.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 ¥11.08

$2.47 €2.12

-33.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.92

$2.35 €2.02

-87.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.61 ¥151

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.45 ¥9.72

$5.74 €4.94

-74.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.34 ¥2.31

$2.27 €1.95

-85.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.27 ¥48.73

$33.86 €29.11

-78.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 ¥8.27

$1.52 €1.30

-19.08%

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

$19.5K ¥130.9K

$28.5K €24.5K

-31.44%

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

$17.2K ¥115.5K

$39.5K €34.0K

-56.34%

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

$55.5 ¥372

$108 €92.6

-48.50%

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

$8.51 ¥57.0

$27.51 €23.66

-69.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.81 ¥72.4

$36.00 €30.96

-69.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.02 ¥268

$69.3 €59.6

-42.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.80 ¥99.2

$21.83 €18.77

-32.20%

Cinema Ticket

$6.73 ¥45.11

$11.31 €9.73

-40.50%

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

$454 ¥3,043

$426 €366

6.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.5K ¥130.8K

$11.4K €9,797

71.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.95 ¥301

$101 €87.2

-55.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.81 ¥240

$47.21 €40.59

-24.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.8 ¥514

$108 €93.1

-29.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.3 ¥518

$121 €104

-35.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$385 ¥2,582

$1,216 €1,046

-68.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$242 ¥1,623

$1,009 €867

-75.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$837 ¥5,605

$2,020 €1,737

-58.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 ¥3,178

$1,629 €1,400

-70.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,619 ¥30.9K

$4,506 €3,875

2.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,316 ¥15.5K

$3,446 €2,963

-32.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,062 ¥7,112

$1,815 €1,561

-41.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.47

4.16

-16.59%

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

Last update for China: September 5, 2026

Last update for Malta: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $295 in China, $1,222 in Malta. Capital cities: $957 in Beijing (Pekin) vs $1,485 in Valletta.

National salary averages: $865 in China, $1,853 in Malta. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 314% higher in Malta.

Dining out costs 300% more in Malta.

Public transport is 183% more expensive in China.

Salaries are 114% higher in Malta, and purchasing power comes out stronger in China.

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

China vs Malta: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $852 per month in China and $2,312 in Malta, there's a 171% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in China: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in Malta is consistently higher than in China across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In China, $2,000 covers most cities easily; in Malta it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after: China wins on affordability; Malta may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.