Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Gharb and Balzan

For one person, living is cheaper in Balzan: $1,939 a month against $2,217 in Gharb, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

100

Cost of Living Index in Gharb
Learn more

Gharb Living Index
92

Cost of Living Index in Balzan
Learn more

Balzan Living Index

Jump to prices

Gharb

🇲🇹 Malta

$2,217

/mo nomad

Balzan

🇲🇹 Malta

$1,939

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Gharb and in Balzan

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

A single person spends $2,217 per month in Gharb vs $1,939 in Balzan, rent included.

Gharb $2,217
Balzan $1,939

A couple spends around $3,242 per month in Gharb vs $2,927 in Balzan, rent included.

Gharb $3,242
Balzan $2,927

A family of three spends $4,267 per month in Gharb vs $3,915 in Balzan, rent included.

Gharb $4,267
Balzan $3,915

Gharb costs about 14% more than Balzan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Gharb and Balzan sit above the global median – Gharb by 63%, Balzan by 42%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.16 €19.86

$18.68 €16.74

18.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.5 €80.2

$91.1 €81.6

-1.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.17 €11.80

$12.10 €10.84

8.84%

Cappuccino

$3.26 €2.92

$3.09 €2.77

5.50%

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

$2.34 €2.10

$1.93 €1.73

21.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 €1.72

$1.03 €0.92

86.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.55 €4.97

$3.26 €2.92

70.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.59 €5.90

$2.45 €2.19

168.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.18

$1.25 €1.12

5.60%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 €1.26

$0.97 €0.87

45.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.51 €3.15

$3.52 €3.16

-0.28%

Eggs

$4.38 €3.92

$4.30 €3.85

1.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.14 €9.08

$10.30 €9.23

-1.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.11 €10.85

$9.10 €8.15

33.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.36 €16.46

$12.40 €11.11

48.06%

Apples (1kg)

$3.68 €3.30

$2.64 €2.37

39.39%

Banana (1kg)

$2.73 €2.44

$2.04 €1.83

33.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.79 €3.40

$1.68 €1.51

125.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.81 €3.42

$1.15 €1.03

231.30%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 €1.64

$0.86 €0.77

112.79%

Onion (1kg)

$3.33 €2.98

$0.91 €0.81

265.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.28 €2.05

$0.85 €0.76

168.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.48 €1.33

$0.99 €0.89

49.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.29 €5.64

$6.09 €5.46

3.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.05 €5.42

$6.02 €5.40

0.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 €2.17

$1.07 €0.96

127.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 €2.14

$1.49 €1.34

59.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.21 €1.98

$3.01 €2.70

-26.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.82 €3.43

$2.23 €2.00

71.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.81 €1.62

$1.76 €1.58

2.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.93 €29.51

$32.03 €28.70

2.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 €1.36

$1.52 €1.37

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

$27.6K €24.7K

$27.5K €24.6K

0.35%

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

$38.7K €34.7K

$32.2K €28.9K

20.17%

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

$154 €138

-0.22%

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

$30.85 €27.65

$19.90 €17.83

55.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.18 €26.14

$28.97 €25.96

0.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.5 €62.3

$73.6 €65.9

-5.56%

Cinema Ticket

$11.14 €9.98

$11.40 €10.22

-2.28%

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

$283 €253

$280 €251

1.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.4K €11.1K

$12.1K €10.9K

2.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.4 €50.6

$58.0 €52.0

-2.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$69.1 €61.9

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 €100

$110 €98.6

1.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €115

$130 €117

-1.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$975 €874

$1,132 €1,015

-13.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,070 €959

$950 €851

12.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 €1,473

$1,804 €1,616

-8.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,532 €1,373

$1,522 €1,364

0.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,033 €3,614

$4,057 €3,635

-0.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,039 €2,723

$2,876 €2,577

5.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,000 €897

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.05

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

Last update for Gharb: October 25, 2026

Last update for Balzan: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Gharb

$1.1K 48.2%

Balzan

$950 49% 11.2% $120

Groceries & Markets

Gharb

$342 15.4%

Balzan

$245 12.6% 28.3% $97

Eating Out

Gharb

$314 14.2%

Balzan

$256 13.2% 18.5% $58

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Gharb

$214 9.6%

Balzan

$203 10.5% 5.1% $11

Clothing & Footwear

Gharb

$165 7.4%

Balzan

$165 8.5% 0.4% $0.7

Sport & Entertainment

Gharb

$92 4.1%

Balzan

$96 5% 5% $4.6

Getting Around

Gharb

$22 * 1%

Balzan

$23 * 1.2% 6.3% $1.4

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $975 in Gharb versus $1,132 in Balzan. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $90 in Gharb versus $91 in Balzan. Groceries tell a different story – $342 in Gharb vs $245 in Balzan – so Balzan wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇹 Gharb

🇲🇹 Balzan

🕒 Local time

20:02 8:02 PM

Same time as Gharb

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,500

4,700

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Gharb Balzan 28 km

From you

Gharb
Balzan

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

Gharb vs Balzan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,217 in Gharb, $1,939 in Balzan – Balzan comes out roughly 13% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,326 per month in Gharb and $2,908 in Balzan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Gharb, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $975 there versus $1,132 in Balzan.

Kindergarten costs $283 per month in Gharb and $280 in Balzan. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,217 in Gharb and $1,939 in Balzan. That makes Balzan about 13% cheaper.

$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,217 in Gharb and $1,939 in Balzan, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Balzan has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,939 in Balzan to $2,217 in Gharb. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.