Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Luqa and Sliema

For one person, living is cheaper in Luqa: $1,845 a month against $2,416 in Sliema, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

88

Cost of Living Index in Luqa
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Luqa Living Index
115

Cost of Living Index in Sliema
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Sliema Living Index

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Luqa

🇲🇹 Malta

$1,845

/mo nomad

Sliema

🇲🇹 Malta

$2,416

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,845 in Luqa versus $2,416 in Sliema.

Luqa $1,845
Sliema $2,416

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,902 in Luqa versus $3,868 in Sliema.

Luqa $2,902
Sliema $3,868

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,960 in Luqa versus $5,320 in Sliema.

Luqa $3,960
Sliema $5,320

Living in Luqa costs roughly 24% less than in Sliema, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Luqa 36% above, Sliema 78% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.96 €17.81

$19.81 €17.67

0.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.9 €89.1

$85.4 €76.2

16.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.81 €9.65

$13.58 €12.12

-20.40%

Cappuccino

$3.40 €3.03

$2.79 €2.48

21.86%

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

$2.89 €2.58

$3.16 €2.82

-8.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 €1.76

$2.21 €1.97

-10.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.54 €4.05

$4.60 €4.10

-1.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.27 €3.81

$5.29 €4.72

-19.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €1.02

$1.36 €1.21

-16.18%

White Bread (500g)

$1.16 €1.03

$1.34 €1.20

-13.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.17 €2.83

$4.44 €3.96

-28.60%

Eggs

$3.93 €3.51

$4.17 €3.72

-5.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.31 €11.87

$8.08 €7.21

64.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.92 €8.85

$10.35 €9.24

-4.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.81 €14.10

$18.36 €16.38

-13.89%

Apples (1kg)

$2.74 €2.44

$4.28 €3.81

-35.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.97 €1.76

$2.80 €2.49

-29.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.99 €2.66

$3.64 €3.24

-17.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.72 €3.32

$3.41 €3.04

9.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.60

$2.22 €1.98

-19.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.76

$1.92 €1.71

2.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.72

$2.35 €2.10

-17.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.80

$1.29 €1.15

-31.01%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.84 €6.10

$6.78 €6.05

0.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.17 €6.40

$7.97 €7.11

-10.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.34

$1.69 €1.51

-11.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 €2.00

$2.36 €2.11

-4.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.19 €1.95

$2.22 €1.98

-1.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.44 €12.89

$136 €121

-89.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.52 €4.03

$5.46 €4.87

-17.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 €1.46

$2.30 €2.05

-28.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.01 €34.81

$26.69 €23.81

46.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 €1.30

$1.47 €1.32

-0.68%

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

$24.9K €22.2K

$37.4K €33.4K

-33.44%

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

$39.5K €35.2K

$38.4K €34.2K

2.85%

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

$74.9 €66.8

$104 €92.9

-28.10%

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

$35.83 €31.96

$25.37 €22.63

41.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.44 €29.83

$43.68 €38.97

-23.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.2 €47.49

$74.7 €66.7

-28.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$55.2 €49.23

$16.09 €14.36

242.88%

Cinema Ticket

$11.10 €9.91

$10.04 €8.96

10.56%

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

$611 €545

$370 €330

65.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.6K €12.1K

$11.1K €9,902

22.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$145 €129

$88.0 €78.5

64.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.0 €49.04

$40.29 €35.95

36.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 €76.0

$101 €89.9

-15.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 €121

$79.5 €70.9

69.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$811 €724

$1,752 €1,563

-53.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$819 €731

$1,233 €1,100

-33.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,284 €1,146

$3,113 €2,777

-58.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,298 €1,158

$2,504 €2,234

-48.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,945 €2,627

$5,387 €4,806

-45.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,120 €2,784

$3,499 €3,122

-10.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,456 €1,299

$1,841 €1,643

-20.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.22

2.9

11.03%

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

Last update for Luqa: 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

Luqa

$819 44.4%

Sliema

$1.2K 51% 50.6% $414

Groceries & Markets

Luqa

$299 16.2%

Sliema

$327 13.5% 9.5% $28

Eating Out

Luqa

$284 15.4%

Sliema

$288 11.9% 1.5% $4.1

Clothing & Footwear

Luqa

$189 10.2%

Sliema

$139 5.8% 26.6% $50

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Luqa

$144 7.8%

Sliema

$173 7.2% 20.1% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Luqa

$75 4.1%

Sliema

$95 3.9% 25.7% $19

Getting Around

Luqa

$36 2%

Sliema

$162 6.7% 351% $126

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $811 in Luqa and $1,752 in Sliema. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sliema pays 26% 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: $100 in Luqa vs $85 in Sliema. Groceries flip the comparison at $299 vs $327, with Luqa cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇲🇹 Luqa

🇲🇹 Sliema

🕒 Local time

19:15 7:15 PM

Same time as Luqa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,900

16,854

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Luqa Sliema 6 km

From you

Luqa
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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

Luqa vs Sliema: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Luqa wins on cost – living expenses run 24% lower than in Sliema. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Luqa the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 21% lower in Luqa. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $811 in Luqa versus $1,752 in Sliema. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,845 per month in Luqa versus $2,416 in Sliema – Luqa is about 24% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Luqa runs roughly 89% less than in Sliema. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Luqa delivers better value at $1,845 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Luqa hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Luqa and Sliema are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Luqa wins on affordability, Sliema on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.