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: $1,958 in Malta versus $711 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,952 in Malta versus $1,131 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,945 in Malta versus $1,551 in China.

Living in Malta is roughly 175% more expensive than China on average.

Malta (45% above) and China (47% below) straddle the global median.

Internal cost variation is higher in Malta: monthly costs span $1,572 to $3,064, compared to $523–$1,194 in China. City choice carries more weight in Malta.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.26 €14.69

$2.86 ¥19.51

503.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.2 €69.1

$23.89 ¥163

239.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.62 €9.89

$4.77 ¥32.61

143.61%

Cappuccino

$2.77 €2.35

$3.08 ¥21.02

-10.06%

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

$2.42 €2.06

$0.44 ¥2.99

450.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 €1.42

$0.27 ¥1.84

514.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.01 €3.41

$0.93 ¥6.36

331.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.60 €3.91

$2.04 ¥13.96

125.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 €1.13

$1.78 ¥12.16

-25.28%

White Bread (500g)

$1.28 €1.09

$1.60 ¥10.94

-20.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.62 €3.08

$0.98 ¥6.70

269.39%

Eggs

$3.88 €3.30

$1.55 ¥10.60

150.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.46 €8.90

$13.22 ¥90.3

-20.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.61 €8.18

$3.39 ¥23.13

183.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.63 €14.15

$10.52 ¥71.9

58.08%

Apples (1kg)

$3.12 €2.66

$1.84 ¥12.59

69.57%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 €1.77

$1.30 ¥8.89

60.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.81 €2.39

$1.47 ¥10.03

91.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.28 €2.79

$1.15 ¥7.83

185.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.95 €1.66

$0.72 ¥4.94

170.83%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.78

$0.94 ¥6.40

122.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.87 €1.59

$0.61 ¥4.16

206.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 €0.82

$0.53 ¥3.61

81.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.91 €5.88

$3.54 ¥24.15

95.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.29 €7.05

$11.89 ¥81.2

-30.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 €1.50

$0.79 ¥5.39

122.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 €2.06

$1.69 ¥11.51

43.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.01

$0.44 ¥2.98

438.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.98 ¥143

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.96 €5.07

$1.38 ¥9.39

331.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.81

$0.35 ¥2.40

508.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$43.36 €36.90

$6.75 ¥46.13

542.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 €1.31

$1.16 ¥7.93

31.90%

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

$27.9K €23.7K

$19.7K ¥134.8K

41.30%

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

$34.1K €29.0K

$16.9K ¥115.8K

101.29%

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

$108 €91.5

$50.3 ¥344

113.72%

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

$28.04 €23.86

$10.04 ¥68.5

179.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.45 €31.02

$11.39 ¥77.8

220.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.7 €55.9

$40.16 ¥274

63.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.80 €21.11

$14.68 ¥100

68.94%

Cinema Ticket

$10.56 €8.99

$6.21 ¥42.39

70.05%

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

$546 €464

$402 ¥2,746

35.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K €9,612

$17.4K ¥119.1K

-35.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €86.0

$46.39 ¥317

117.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.77 €39.80

$32.60 ¥223

43.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 €85.3

$71.3 ¥487

40.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 €94.1

$74.8 ¥511

47.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,128 €960

$429 ¥2,931

162.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$953 €811

$261 ¥1,783

265.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,896 €1,613

$915 ¥6,253

107.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,465 €1,247

$545 ¥3,725

168.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,604 €3,918

$5,127 ¥35.0K

-10.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,447 €2,933

$2,614 ¥17.9K

31.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,906 €1,622

$1,061 ¥7,244

79.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.73

4.06

16.50%

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

Last update for Malta: April 12, 2026

Last update for China: April 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $1,123 in Malta, $287 in China. Capital cities: $1,265 in Valletta vs $914 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $1,867 in Malta, $833 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 291% higher in Malta.

Dining out costs 267% more in Malta.

Public transport is 200% more expensive in China.

Salaries are 124% higher in Malta, giving China stronger purchasing power.

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 $859 per month in China and $2,318 in Malta, there's a 170% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

China is simply cheaper day-to-day: 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 beats 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 works in regional areas but 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.