Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between London and Birgu

For one person, living is cheaper in Birgu: $1,731 a month against $3,986 in London, rent and utilities included – about $27,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

London
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$3,986
/mo nomad
Birgu
🇲🇹 Malta
$1,731
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in London and in Birgu

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,986 in London versus $1,731 in Birgu.

  • London $3,986
  • Birgu $1,731

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,791 in London versus $2,817 in Birgu.

  • London $5,791
  • Birgu $2,817

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,595 in London versus $3,902 in Birgu.

  • London $7,595
  • Birgu $3,902

Living in London is roughly 130% more expensive than in Birgu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: London 195% above, Birgu 28% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
London
Birgu
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$25.93 £19.45
$19.77 €17.58
31.16%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$107 £79.9
$87.6 €77.9
21.59%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.71 £8.03
$11.87 €10.56
-9.77%
Cappuccino
$5.47 £4.11
$2.64 €2.35
107.20%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.97 £2.23
$2.29 €2.04
29.69%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.20 £1.65
$1.72 €1.53
27.91%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$9.13 £6.85
$4.48 €3.98
103.79%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.94 £5.96
$5.18 €4.61
53.28%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
London
Birgu
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.86 £1.40
$1.36 €1.21
36.76%
White Bread (500g)
$2.07 £1.55
$1.34 €1.19
54.48%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.42 £1.81
$4.21 €3.74
-42.52%
Eggs
$5.09 £3.82
$4.05 €3.60
25.68%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.87 £9.66
$8.31 €7.39
54.87%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.43 £7.82
$8.59 €7.64
21.42%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.87 £12.66
$15.33 €13.63
10.05%
Apples (1kg)
$3.11 £2.33
$2.77 €2.46
12.27%
Banana (1kg)
$1.40 £1.05
$1.26 €1.12
11.11%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.08 £2.31
$2.82 €2.51
9.22%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.27 £2.45
$2.77 €2.46
18.05%
Potato (1kg)
$1.58 £1.19
$2.20 €1.96
-28.18%
Onion (1kg)
$1.74 £1.31
$1.69 €1.51
2.96%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.40 £1.05
$2.30 €2.05
-39.13%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.80 £1.35
$0.87 €0.77
106.90%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$23.28 £17.46
$6.82 €6.06
241.35%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.03 £9.77
$8.32 €7.40
56.61%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.17 £2.38
$1.59 €1.42
99.37%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.42 £3.32
$2.44 €2.17
81.15%
🚌 Getting Around
London
Birgu
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$4.07 £3.05
$2.34 €2.08
73.93%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$247 £185
$13.80 €12.27
1688.12%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.58 £4.18
$5.42 €4.82
2.95%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.36 £2.52
$1.09 €0.97
208.26%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$56.8 £42.58
$27.03 €24.04
109.95%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.13 £1.60
$1.46 €1.30
45.89%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.2K £28.6K
$26.0K €23.2K
46.66%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$40.9K £30.7K
$32.7K €29.1K
25.21%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
London
Birgu
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$372 £279
$103 €91.3
262.45%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$17.82 £13.37
$25.53 €22.70
-30.20%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$40.37 £30.29
$33.11 €29.45
21.93%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
London
Birgu
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$60.0 £44.99
$43.55 €38.74
37.70%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$21.29 £15.97
$66.5 €59.2
-67.98%
Cinema Ticket
$17.74 £13.31
$9.89 €8.80
79.37%
🧸 Childcare & Education
London
Birgu
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,864 £2,149
$371 €330
671.13%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$35.3K £26.5K
$2,023 €1,799
1646.53%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
London
Birgu
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$114 £85.5
$25.33 €22.53
350.14%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$54.3 £40.71
$33.87 €30.13
60.23%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$124 £93.2
$100 €89.1
24.04%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$163 £122
$110 €97.4
48.86%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
London
Birgu
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,869 £2,152
$980 €872
192.77%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,233 £1,675
$798 €709
180.00%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$5,266 £3,951
$1,785 €1,588
194.93%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$3,778 £2,835
$1,534 €1,365
146.31%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$18.3K £13.8K
$4,050 €3,603
352.62%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$8,024 £6,020
$2,820 €2,509
184.52%
💵 Salaries & Financials
London
Birgu
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$5,037 £3,779
$1,873 €1,666
168.90%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.74
2.9
63.45%

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

Last update for London: October 10, 2026

Last update for Birgu: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
London
$2.2K
Birgu
$798 64.3% $1.4K
Monthly Utilities & Internet
London
$430
Birgu
$161 62.5% $269
Eating Out
London
$388
Birgu
$274 29.2% $113
Groceries & Markets
London
$349
Birgu
$279 20% $70
Getting Around
London
$285
Birgu
$34 88.1% $251
Clothing & Footwear
London
$205
Birgu
$121 41% $84
Sport & Entertainment
London
$95
Birgu
$63 33.6% $32

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,869 in London and $980 in Birgu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

London pays 169% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $107 in London vs $88.0 in Birgu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $349 vs $279 per month, with Birgu cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇬🇧 London
🇲🇹 Birgu
🕒 Local time
12:46 12:46 PM
13:46 1:46 PM
1 h ahead of London
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
8,908,083 Capital
2,500
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to GBP – British Pound Converter

British Pound exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • London Birgu 2,090 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight
From you
  • London
  • Birgu

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
London vs Birgu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, London or Birgu?
Birgu wins on cost – living expenses run 130% lower than in London. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Birgu the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in London or in Birgu?
Average pay runs 169% higher in London, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in London compared to Birgu?
Rent for a central apartment: $2,869 in London versus $980 in Birgu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How expensive is transport in London compared to Birgu?
A monthly transit pass in Birgu runs roughly 1688% less than in London. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
How do childcare costs compare in London and in Birgu?
Childcare runs $2,864 in London versus $371 in Birgu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Can you live on $2,000/month in London or in Birgu?
At $1,731 in Birgu versus $3,986 in London, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Birgu but tight or insufficient in London. The gap between the two cities makes Birgu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, London or Birgu?
Both work as nomad bases, but Birgu delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,731 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Birgu hard to pass up.
How safe is London compared to Birgu?
Safety-wise, London and Birgu are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Birgu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 130% less than in London. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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