Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lija and Sliema

For one person, living is cheaper in Lija: $1,974 a month against $2,416 in Sliema, rent and utilities included – about $5,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

100

Cost of Living Index in Lija
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Lija Living Index
115

Cost of Living Index in Sliema
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Sliema Living Index

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Lija

🇲🇹 Malta

$1,974

/mo nomad

Sliema

🇲🇹 Malta

$2,416

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lija and in Sliema

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 Sliema actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,974 per month in Lija vs $2,416 in Sliema, rent included.

Lija $1,974
Sliema $2,416

A couple spends around $3,101 per month in Lija vs $3,868 in Sliema, rent included.

Lija $3,101
Sliema $3,868

A family of three spends $4,228 per month in Lija vs $5,320 in Sliema, rent included.

Lija $4,228
Sliema $5,320

Lija is about 18% cheaper than Sliema, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Lija and Sliema sit above the global median – Lija by 45%, Sliema by 78%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.47 €20.14

$19.81 €17.75

13.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.7 €81.3

$85.4 €76.5

6.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.33 €11.94

$13.58 €12.17

-1.84%

Cappuccino

$3.20 €2.87

$2.79 €2.50

14.70%

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

$2.34 €2.09

$3.16 €2.84

-25.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 €1.72

$2.21 €1.98

-13.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.71 €5.12

$4.60 €4.12

24.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.78 €6.07

$5.29 €4.74

28.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.18

$1.36 €1.21

-2.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 €1.30

$1.34 €1.20

8.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.42 €3.06

$4.44 €3.98

-22.97%

Eggs

$4.23 €3.79

$4.17 €3.74

1.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.29 €9.22

$8.08 €7.24

27.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.83 €10.60

$10.35 €9.28

14.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.44 €16.53

$18.36 €16.45

0.44%

Apples (1kg)

$3.75 €3.36

$4.28 €3.83

-12.38%

Banana (1kg)

$2.80 €2.51

Oranges (1kg)

$3.96 €3.55

$3.64 €3.26

8.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.84 €3.44

$3.41 €3.06

12.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 €1.66

$2.22 €1.99

-16.22%

Onion (1kg)

$3.36 €3.01

$1.92 €1.72

75.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.21 €1.98

$2.35 €2.11

-5.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 €1.33

$1.29 €1.16

15.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.18 €5.54

$6.78 €6.08

-8.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.85 €5.24

$7.97 €7.14

-26.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.14

$1.69 €1.52

41.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 €2.05

$2.36 €2.12

-3.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.45 €2.19

$2.22 €1.99

10.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$136 €122

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.98 €3.56

$5.46 €4.89

-27.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.76 €1.58

$2.30 €2.06

-23.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.80 €29.39

$26.69 €23.92

22.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 €1.36

$1.47 €1.32

3.40%

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

$28.2K €25.2K

$37.4K €33.6K

-24.82%

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

$38.9K €34.9K

$38.4K €34.4K

1.52%

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

$157 €141

$104 €93.3

50.91%

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

$31.50 €28.23

$25.37 €22.73

24.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.99 €25.98

$43.68 €39.14

-33.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.7 €50.8

$74.7 €67.0

-24.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.09 €14.42

Cinema Ticket

$11.33 €10.15

$10.04 €9.00

12.85%

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

$272 €244

$370 €331

-26.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K €11.0K

$11.1K €9,945

10.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.7 €51.7

$88.0 €78.9

-34.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$67.6 €60.6

$40.29 €36.10

67.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €99.4

$101 €90.3

10.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 €118

$79.5 €71.2

64.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,205 €1,080

$1,752 €1,570

-31.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$830 €744

$1,233 €1,105

-32.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,528 €1,369

$3,113 €2,789

-50.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,497 €1,342

$2,504 €2,244

-40.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,448 €3,986

$5,387 €4,827

-17.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,958 €2,650

$3,499 €3,135

-15.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,841 €1,650

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.05

2.9

39.66%

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

Last update for Lija: October 24, 2026

Last update for Sliema: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lija

$830 42.1%

Sliema

$1.2K 51% 48.5% $403

Groceries & Markets

Lija

$341 17.3%

Sliema

$327 13.5% 4.3% $15

Eating Out

Lija

$317 16.1%

Sliema

$288 11.9% 9.3% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lija

$218 11%

Sliema

$173 7.2% 20.4% $44

Clothing & Footwear

Lija

$165 8.4%

Sliema

$139 5.8% 16% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Lija

$79 4%

Sliema

$95 3.9% 19.5% $15

Getting Around

Lija

$23 * 1.1%

Sliema

$162 6.7% 618% $139

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 $1,752 in Sliema. 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 $85 in Sliema. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $341 vs $327 – making Sliema the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇹 Lija

🇲🇹 Sliema

🕒 Local time

08:30 8:30 AM

Same time as Lija

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,200

16,854

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

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Between locations

Lija Sliema 5 km

From you

Lija
Sliema

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 Sliema: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,974 in Lija, $2,416 in Sliema – Lija comes out roughly 18% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,961 per month in Lija and $3,624 in Sliema. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Lija, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,205 there versus $1,752 in Sliema.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,974 in Lija and $2,416 in Sliema. That makes Lija about 18% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $272 per month in Lija and $370 in Sliema. 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 $2,416 in Sliema, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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

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