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Last update: Oct 2026
Cost of Living Comparison Between Germany and Malta
For one person, living is cheaper in Malta: $1,970 a month against $2,080 in Germany, rent and utilities included – about $1,300 less a year. The total is higher in Germany despite lower rent and utilities.
Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Germany and in Malta actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,080 in Germany versus $1,970 in Malta.
Germany $2,080
Malta $1,970
Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,130 in Germany versus $3,036 in Malta.
Germany $3,130
Malta $3,036
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,180 in Germany versus $4,102 in Malta.
Germany $4,180
Malta $4,102
📏
Germany ($1,337–$2,681) and Malta ($1,657–$2,871) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.
🌍
Living in Germany is roughly 6% more expensive than in Malta on average.
📊
Both countries sit above the global median: Germany 53% above, Malta 45% above.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Germany
Malta
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.60€14.84
$16.44€14.70
0.97%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$71.8€64.2
$82.7€73.9
-13.15%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$12.12€10.84
$11.69€10.46
3.68%
Cappuccino
$3.96€3.54
$2.75€2.46
44.00%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.36€3.00
$2.57€2.30
30.74%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.89€2.59
$1.68€1.50
72.02%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$5.07€4.53
$4.48€4.01
13.17%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$4.50€4.03
$4.43€3.96
1.58%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Germany
Malta
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.26€1.13
$1.30€1.16
-3.08%
White Bread(500g)
$2.20€1.96
$1.30€1.16
69.23%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$3.54€3.16
$3.71€3.32
-4.58%
Eggs
$3.88€3.47
$3.90€3.49
-0.51%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$14.24€12.73
$10.47€9.36
36.01%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$11.90€10.64
$10.15€9.08
17.24%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$20.68€18.48
$16.73€14.95
23.61%
Apples(1kg)
$3.28€2.93
$3.08€2.75
6.49%
Banana(1kg)
$2.05€1.83
$2.20€1.97
-6.82%
Oranges(1kg)
$2.31€2.07
$2.93€2.62
-21.16%
Tomato(1kg)
$4.29€3.83
$3.24€2.89
32.41%
Potato(1kg)
$1.53€1.37
$1.94€1.73
-21.13%
Onion(1kg)
$1.50€1.34
$2.09€1.86
-28.23%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.64€1.46
$1.90€1.70
-13.68%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$1.02€0.91
$0.93€0.83
9.68%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$9.69€8.66
$6.91€6.18
40.23%
Wine(Bottle)
$6.01€5.37
$8.18€7.31
-26.53%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.12€1.00
$1.72€1.53
-34.88%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.56€1.40
$2.33€2.08
-33.05%
🚌 Getting Around
Germany
Malta
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$3.85€3.44
$2.25€2.02
71.11%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$69.7€62.3
-
-
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$5.34€4.77
$5.72€5.11
-6.64%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$2.81€2.51
$2.23€1.99
26.01%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$38.83€34.72
$33.06€29.55
17.45%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$2.13€1.90
$1.48€1.32
43.92%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$32.6K€29.1K
$27.4K€24.5K
18.85%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$37.7K€33.7K
$39.5K€35.4K
-4.56%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Germany
Malta
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$342€306
$103€91.9
232.60%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$24.87€22.23
$26.16€23.38
-4.93%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$48.49€43.35
$34.75€31.06
39.54%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Germany
Malta
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$39.42€35.24
$67.0€59.9
-41.18%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$27.47€24.56
$22.27€19.91
23.35%
Cinema Ticket
$14.65€13.10
$11.01€9.84
33.06%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Germany
Malta
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$611€546
$436€390
40.06%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$17.3K€15.4K
$11.2K€10.0K
53.95%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Germany
Malta
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$89.1€79.6
$99.7€89.1
-10.66%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.07€37.61
$46.43€41.51
-9.39%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$98.3€87.9
$105€93.6
-6.09%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$131€117
$119€106
9.87%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Germany
Malta
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$934€835
$1,230€1,099
-24.04%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$718€642
$974€870
-26.21%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,704€1,523
$2,093€1,871
-18.60%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,294€1,157
$1,660€1,484
-22.07%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$5,944€5,314
$4,503€4,026
31.99%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$3,958€3,538
$3,344€2,989
18.37%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Germany
Malta
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$3,290€2,941
$1,766€1,579
86.30%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
3.96
4.06
-2.46%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Germany: October 25, 2026
Last update for Malta: October 26, 2026
Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Germany
$718 34.6%
Malta
$974 49.4% ↑ 35.5%$255
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Germany
$415 20%
Malta
$164 8.3% ↓ 60.6%$252
🛒Groceries & Markets
Germany
$335 16.1%
Malta
$304 15.4% ↓ 9.3%$31
🍽Eating Out
Germany
$276 13.3%
Malta
$248 12.6% ↓ 10.2%$28
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Germany
$162 7.8%
Malta
$166 8.4% ↑ 2.7%$4.3
🚌Getting Around
Germany
$104 5%
Malta
$26 * 1.3% ↓ 75.2%$79
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Germany
$69 3.3%
Malta
$89 4.5% ↑ 29.6%$20
Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Germany
$1.3K 31%
Malta
$1.7K 40.5% ↑ 28.3%$366
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Germany
$440 10.5%
Malta
$190 4.6% ↓ 56.9%$250
🛒Groceries & Markets
Germany
$795 19%
Malta
$712 17.4% ↓ 10.4%$83
🍽Eating Out
Germany
$910 21.8%
Malta
$913 22.3% ↑ 0.4%$3.4
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Germany
$360 8.6%
Malta
$370 9% ↑ 2.7%$9.6
🚌Getting Around
Germany
$217 5.2%
Malta
$56 * 1.4% ↓ 74%$160
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Germany
$165 4%
Malta
$200 4.9% ↑ 21.5%$35
Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.
Cost Breakdown
🏠National rent averages: $812 in Germany, $1,180 in Malta. Capital cities: $1,407 in Berlin vs $1,389 in Valletta.
💰National salary averages: $3,107 in Germany, $1,801 in Malta. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.
Cost Highlights
⭐Rent is 45% higher in Malta.
⭐Dining out costs 15% more in Malta.
⭐Public transport is 127% more expensive in Germany.
⭐Salaries are 73% higher in Germany, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Germany.
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
Germany vs Malta: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which country is more expensive to live in: Germany or Malta?
At $2,080 per month in Germany and $1,970 in Malta, Malta comes out about 5% cheaper. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.
Does the cost gap hold in every spending category?
Overall, Malta is the cheaper option, but not in every category: rent, groceries, transport, and eating out each follow their own pattern. Check the categories you spend the most on before deciding.
How do I choose between living in Germany and in Malta?
It depends on what you’re after: Malta wins on affordability, while salaries, visas, language, and lifestyle can tip the balance either way.