Cost of Living Comparison Between Hamrun and Balzan Cost of Living Comparison Between Hamrun and Balzan

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,610 per month in Hamrun vs $1,772 in Balzan, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,696 per month in Hamrun vs $2,807 in Balzan, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,781 per month in Hamrun vs $3,841 in Balzan, rent included.

Hamrun is about 9% cheaper than Balzan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Hamrun and Balzan sit above the global median – Hamrun by 20%, Balzan by 32%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.48 €15.05

$19.37 €16.68

-9.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.0 €64.6

$68.8 €59.2

9.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.99 €7.74

$11.48 €9.89

-21.69%

Cappuccino

$1.86 €1.60

$2.71 €2.34

-31.37%

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

$2.22 €1.91

$2.07 €1.78

7.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 €1.38

$1.06 €0.91

50.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.83 €2.43

$3.43 €2.95

-17.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.77

$2.63 €2.26

-22.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 €1.17

$1.24 €1.06

9.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 €1.12

$1.02 €0.88

28.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.32 €3.72

$3.44 €2.96

25.58%

Eggs

$4.49 €3.87

$3.73 €3.21

20.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.23 €8.81

$9.69 €8.35

5.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.27 €7.98

$9.30 €8.01

-0.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.77 €11.86

$12.55 €10.81

9.72%

Apples (1kg)

$4.32 €3.72

$2.59 €2.23

66.80%

Banana (1kg)

$3.06 €2.63

$1.98 €1.70

54.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.25 €2.80

$1.82 €1.57

78.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.70 €3.19

$1.15 €0.99

221.74%

Potato (1kg)

$2.48 €2.13

$0.94 €0.81

163.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.29 €1.11

$0.88 €0.76

46.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.37 €2.04

$0.90 €0.77

163.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 €1.02

$1.00 €0.86

19.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.65 €5.72

$6.35 €5.47

4.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.40 €7.24

$6.03 €5.19

39.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 €1.60

$1.07 €0.92

73.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 €1.93

$1.47 €1.27

52.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.05

$3.10 €2.67

-23.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.82 €5.01

$2.28 €1.96

155.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 €0.91

$1.87 €1.61

-43.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$49.78 €42.86

$35.38 €30.47

40.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 €1.35

$1.58 €1.36

-0.63%

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

$38.9K €33.5K

$25.9K €22.3K

49.77%

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

$37.3K €32.1K

$33.0K €28.4K

13.00%

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

$95.2 €82.0

$165 €142

-42.30%

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

$28.05 €24.15

$21.16 €18.22

32.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.75 €24.76

$32.57 €28.04

-11.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.1 €54.3

$63.9 €55.1

-1.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.25 €20.02

$23.04 €19.84

0.91%

Cinema Ticket

$10.49 €9.04

$15.23 €13.12

-31.12%

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

$429 €369

$262 €226

63.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.0K €9,504

$12.7K €10.9K

-12.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.4 €78.7

$101 €87.0

-9.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.65 €33.29

$39.17 €33.73

-1.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €87.3

$143 €123

-29.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$100 €86.4

$103 €88.3

-2.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$705 €607

$860 €740

-17.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$643 €554

$783 €674

-17.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 €1,413

$1,619 €1,394

1.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,414 €1,218

$1,532 €1,319

-7.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,938 €2,530

$4,054 €3,490

-27.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,333 €2,009

$2,893 €2,491

-19.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,061 €914

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.7

5.43

-50.28%

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

Last update for Hamrun: June 2, 2026

Last update for Balzan: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $705 in Hamrun versus $860 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 $75.0 in Hamrun versus $69.0 in Balzan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $316 vs $243 – making Balzan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Hamrun vs Balzan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,610 in Hamrun, $1,772 in Balzan – roughly 10% apart. Balzan costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,415 per month in Hamrun and $2,658 in Balzan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Hamrun, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $75.0 in Hamrun and $69.0 in Balzan. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 30% cheaper in Balzan – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Hamrun, where all-in costs run around $1,610, than in Balzan at $1,772. In Hamrun it covers expenses comfortably, while in Balzan it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Hamrun – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Hamrun. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Balzan makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.