Cost of Living Comparison Between Malta and China Cost of Living Comparison Between Malta and China

Name: China
Address: CN

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,057 in Malta versus $720 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,112 in Malta versus $1,148 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,166 in Malta versus $1,576 in China.

Living in Malta is roughly 186% more expensive than in China on average.

Malta (49% above) and China (48% below) straddle the global median.

Internal cost variation is higher in Malta: monthly costs span $1,684 to $2,939, compared to $468–$1,236 in China. City choice carries more weight in Malta.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 €14.75

$2.93 ¥19.61

485.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.6 €73.6

$22.72 ¥152

276.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.09 €10.39

$5.07 ¥33.96

138.46%

Cappuccino

$2.92 €2.51

$2.94 ¥19.71

-0.68%

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

$2.68 €2.30

$0.48 ¥3.21

458.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.50

$0.30 ¥2.02

480.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.58 €3.94

$1.06 ¥7.10

332.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.71 €4.05

$2.25 ¥15.08

109.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.79 ¥12.00

-22.91%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 €1.18

$1.70 ¥11.36

-19.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.88 €3.34

$0.96 ¥6.45

304.17%

Eggs

$4.00 €3.44

$1.61 ¥10.80

148.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.17 €9.60

$13.60 ¥91.1

-17.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.09 €8.68

$3.41 ¥22.84

195.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.32 €14.89

$11.07 ¥74.2

56.46%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 €2.78

$1.81 ¥12.10

78.45%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 €1.97

$1.30 ¥8.74

76.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 €2.58

$1.48 ¥9.91

102.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.27 €2.81

$1.30 ¥8.73

151.54%

Potato (1kg)

$2.03 €1.74

$0.72 ¥4.82

181.94%

Onion (1kg)

$2.29 €1.97

$0.94 ¥6.31

143.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 €1.70

$0.61 ¥4.09

224.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 €0.89

$0.56 ¥3.74

83.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.93 €5.96

$3.67 ¥24.58

88.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.23 €7.08

$11.90 ¥79.7

-30.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 €1.56

$0.83 ¥5.56

119.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 €2.12

$1.65 ¥11.08

49.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.35 €2.02

$0.29 ¥1.92

710.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.61 ¥151

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.74 €4.94

$1.45 ¥9.72

295.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.27 €1.95

$0.34 ¥2.31

567.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.86 €29.11

$7.27 ¥48.73

365.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 €1.30

$1.23 ¥8.27

23.58%

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

$28.5K €24.5K

$19.5K ¥130.9K

45.85%

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

$39.5K €34.0K

$17.2K ¥115.5K

129.03%

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

$108 €92.6

$55.5 ¥372

94.18%

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

$27.51 €23.66

$8.51 ¥57.0

223.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.00 €30.96

$10.81 ¥72.4

233.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.3 €59.6

$40.02 ¥268

73.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.83 €18.77

$14.80 ¥99.2

47.50%

Cinema Ticket

$11.31 €9.73

$6.73 ¥45.11

68.05%

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

$426 €366

$454 ¥3,043

-6.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K €9,797

$19.5K ¥130.8K

-41.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €87.2

$44.95 ¥301

125.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.21 €40.59

$35.81 ¥240

31.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 €93.1

$76.8 ¥514

41.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 €104

$77.3 ¥518

55.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,216 €1,046

$385 ¥2,582

215.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,009 €867

$242 ¥1,623

316.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,737

$837 ¥5,605

141.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,629 €1,400

$474 ¥3,178

243.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,506 €3,875

$4,619 ¥30.9K

-2.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,446 €2,963

$2,316 ¥15.5K

48.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,815 €1,561

$1,062 ¥7,112

71.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.16

3.47

19.88%

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

Last update for Malta: September 8, 2026

Last update for China: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $1,222 in Malta, $295 in China. Capital cities: $1,485 in Valletta vs $957 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $1,853 in Malta, $865 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 314% higher in Malta.

Dining out costs 300% more in Malta.

Public transport is 183% more expensive in China.

Salaries are 114% higher in Malta, and purchasing power comes out stronger in China.

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

Malta vs China: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $852 per month in China and $2,312 in Malta, there's a 171% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in China: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in Malta is consistently higher than in China across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In China, $2,000 covers most cities easily; in Malta it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after: China wins on affordability; Malta may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.