Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lija and Valletta

For one person, living is cheaper in Lija: $1,974 a month against $2,243 in Valletta, rent and utilities included – about $3,200 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
109

Cost of Living Index in Valletta
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Valletta Living Index

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Lija

🇲🇹 Malta

$1,974

/mo nomad

Valletta

🇲🇹 Malta

$2,243

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lija and in Valletta

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

A single person spends $1,974 per month in Lija vs $2,243 in Valletta, rent included.

Lija $1,974
Valletta $2,243

A couple spends around $3,101 per month in Lija vs $3,657 in Valletta, rent included.

Lija $3,101
Valletta $3,657

A family of three spends $4,228 per month in Lija vs $5,071 in Valletta, rent included.

Lija $4,228
Valletta $5,071

Lija is about 12% cheaper than Valletta, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Lija and Valletta sit above the global median – Lija by 45%, Valletta by 65%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.47 €20.05

$22.53 €20.10

-0.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.7 €80.9

$91.1 €81.3

-0.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.33 €11.89

$13.37 €11.93

-0.30%

Cappuccino

$3.20 €2.86

$3.08 €2.75

3.90%

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

$2.34 €2.08

$2.35 €2.09

-0.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 €1.71

$2.02 €1.80

-4.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.71 €5.10

$5.67 €5.06

0.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.78 €6.05

$6.88 €6.13

-1.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.18

$1.37 €1.23

-3.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 €1.30

$1.41 €1.26

3.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.42 €3.05

$3.47 €3.09

-1.44%

Eggs

$4.23 €3.78

$4.24 €3.78

-0.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.29 €9.18

$10.39 €9.27

-0.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.83 €10.55

$12.21 €10.89

-3.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.44 €16.46

$17.98 €16.04

2.56%

Apples (1kg)

$3.75 €3.35

$3.88 €3.46

-3.35%

Banana (1kg)

$2.80 €2.50

$2.75 €2.45

1.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.96 €3.54

$3.91 €3.49

1.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.84 €3.42

$3.74 €3.34

2.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 €1.66

$1.90 €1.70

-2.11%

Onion (1kg)

$3.36 €3.00

$3.33 €2.97

0.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.21 €1.97

$2.27 €2.03

-2.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 €1.33

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.18 €5.52

$6.23 €5.56

-0.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.85 €5.22

$6.09 €5.43

-3.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.13

$2.47 €2.20

-3.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 €2.04

$2.35 €2.09

-2.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.45 €2.18

$2.21 €1.97

10.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.98 €3.55

$3.99 €3.56

-0.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.76 €1.57

$1.74 €1.55

1.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.80 €29.26

$32.29 €28.81

1.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 €1.36

$1.49 €1.33

2.01%

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

$28.2K €25.1K

$27.9K €24.9K

0.97%

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

$38.9K €34.8K

$39.0K €34.8K

-0.05%

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

$157 €140

$156 €139

0.69%

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

$31.50 €28.10

$31.08 €27.73

1.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.99 €25.87

$29.31 €26.15

-1.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.7 €50.6

$61.7 €55.0

-8.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.63 €18.41

Cinema Ticket

$11.33 €10.11

$11.18 €9.98

1.34%

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

$272 €243

$275 €245

-0.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K €11.0K

0.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.7 €51.5

$57.4 €51.2

0.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$67.6 €60.3

$68.2 €60.8

-0.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €99.0

0.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 €117

$128 €114

2.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,205 €1,075

$1,389 €1,239

-13.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$830 €741

$1,096 €978

-24.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,528 €1,363

$3,390 €3,025

-54.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,497 €1,336

$2,312 €2,063

-35.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,448 €3,969

$5,400 €4,818

-17.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,958 €2,639

$3,943 €3,518

-25.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,031 €1,812

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 Valletta: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lija

$830 42.1%

Valletta

$1.1K 48.9% 32% $266

Groceries & Markets

Lija

$341 17.3%

Valletta

$344 15.3% 0.6% $2.2

Eating Out

Lija

$317 16.1%

Valletta

$317 14.1% 0.2% $0.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lija

$218 11%

Valletta

$216 9.7% 0.5% $1.2

Clothing & Footwear

Lija

$165 8.4%

Valletta

$164 7.3% 0.8% $1.3

Sport & Entertainment

Lija

$79 4%

Valletta

$84 3.8% 5.9% $4.7

Getting Around

Lija

$23 * 1.1%

Valletta

$22 * 1% 4.6% $1

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 $1,389 in Valletta. 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 Valletta. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $341 vs $344 – making Lija the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇹 Lija

🇲🇹 Valletta

🕒 Local time

19:15 7:15 PM

Same time as Lija

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,200

5,700 Capital

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Lija Valletta 6 km

From you

Lija
Valletta

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 Valletta: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,974 in Lija, $2,243 in Valletta – Lija comes out roughly 12% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,961 per month in Lija and $3,364 in Valletta. 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 $1,389 in Valletta.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,974 in Lija and $2,243 in Valletta. That makes Lija about 12% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $272 per month in Lija and $275 in Valletta. 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 $2,243 in Valletta, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Valletta has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,974 in Lija to $2,243 in Valletta. 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.