Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lija and Balzan

For one person, living costs are similar in Lija and in Balzan: $1,974 and $1,939 a month, rent and utilities included.

100

Cost of Living Index in Lija
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Lija Living Index
92

Cost of Living Index in Balzan
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Balzan Living Index

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Lija

🇲🇹 Malta

$1,974

/mo nomad

Balzan

🇲🇹 Malta

$1,939

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,974 per month in Lija vs $1,939 in Balzan, rent included.

Lija $1,974
Balzan $1,939

A couple spends around $3,101 per month in Lija vs $2,927 in Balzan, rent included.

Lija $3,101
Balzan $2,927

A family of three spends $4,228 per month in Lija vs $3,915 in Balzan, rent included.

Lija $4,228
Balzan $3,915

Lija and Balzan have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Lija and Balzan sit above the global median – Lija by 45%, Balzan by 42%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.47 €20.05

$18.68 €16.67

20.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.7 €80.9

$91.1 €81.3

-0.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.33 €11.89

$12.10 €10.79

10.17%

Cappuccino

$3.20 €2.86

$3.09 €2.75

3.56%

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

$2.34 €2.08

$1.93 €1.73

21.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 €1.71

$1.03 €0.92

86.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.71 €5.10

$3.26 €2.90

75.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.78 €6.05

$2.45 €2.18

176.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.18

$1.25 €1.11

5.60%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 €1.30

$0.97 €0.87

50.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.42 €3.05

$3.52 €3.14

-2.84%

Eggs

$4.23 €3.78

$4.30 €3.83

-1.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.29 €9.18

$10.30 €9.19

-0.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.83 €10.55

$9.10 €8.12

30.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.44 €16.46

$12.40 €11.06

48.71%

Apples (1kg)

$3.75 €3.35

$2.64 €2.36

42.05%

Banana (1kg)

$2.80 €2.50

$2.04 €1.82

37.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.96 €3.54

$1.68 €1.50

135.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.84 €3.42

$1.15 €1.03

233.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 €1.66

$0.86 €0.77

116.28%

Onion (1kg)

$3.36 €3.00

$0.91 €0.81

269.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.21 €1.97

$0.85 €0.76

160.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 €1.33

$0.99 €0.89

50.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.18 €5.52

$6.09 €5.44

1.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.85 €5.22

$6.02 €5.37

-2.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.13

$1.07 €0.96

123.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 €2.04

$1.49 €1.33

53.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.45 €2.18

$3.01 €2.69

-18.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.98 €3.55

$2.23 €1.99

78.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.76 €1.57

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.80 €29.26

$32.03 €28.58

2.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 €1.36

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

$28.2K €25.1K

$27.5K €24.5K

2.46%

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

$38.9K €34.8K

$32.2K €28.7K

20.90%

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

$157 €140

$154 €138

1.93%

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

$31.50 €28.10

$19.90 €17.75

58.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.99 €25.87

$28.97 €25.85

0.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.7 €50.6

$73.6 €65.6

-22.95%

Cinema Ticket

$11.33 €10.11

$11.40 €10.17

-0.61%

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

$272 €243

$280 €249

-2.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K €11.0K

$12.1K €10.8K

1.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.7 €51.5

$58.0 €51.8

-0.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$67.6 €60.3

$69.1 €61.7

-2.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €99.0

$110 €98.1

0.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 €117

$130 €116

0.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,205 €1,075

$1,132 €1,010

6.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$830 €741

$950 €848

-12.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,528 €1,363

$1,804 €1,609

-15.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,497 €1,336

$1,522 €1,358

-1.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,448 €3,969

$4,057 €3,619

9.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,958 €2,639

$2,876 €2,566

2.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,000 €893

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 Lija: October 24, 2026

Last update for Balzan: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lija

$830 42.1%

Balzan

$950 49% 14.4% $120

Groceries & Markets

Lija

$341 17.3%

Balzan

$245 12.6% 28.2% $96

Eating Out

Lija

$317 16.1%

Balzan

$256 13.2% 19.4% $61

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lija

$218 11%

Balzan

$203 10.5% 6.7% $15

Clothing & Footwear

Lija

$165 8.4%

Balzan

$165 8.5% 0% $0

Sport & Entertainment

Lija

$79 4%

Balzan

$96 5% 21.5% $17

Getting Around

Lija

$23 * 1.1%

Balzan

$23 * 1.2% 2.3% $0.5

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,205 in Lija 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 $91 in Lija versus $91 in Balzan. Groceries tell a different story – $341 in Lija vs $245 in Balzan – so Balzan wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇹 Lija

🇲🇹 Balzan

🕒 Local time

20:47 8:47 PM

Same time as Lija

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,200

4,700

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Lija Balzan 1 km

From you

Lija
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

Lija vs Balzan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,961 per month in Lija and $2,908 in Balzan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $1,205 in Lija and $1,132 in Balzan. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Groceries cost about 39% more in Lija, though the gap depends on what you buy.

Kindergarten costs $272 per month in Lija and $280 in Balzan. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,974 in Lija 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 $1,974 in Lija. 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.