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Last update: Oct 2026
Cost of Living Comparison Between Malta and Germany
For one person, living is cheaper in Malta: $1,970 a month against $2,080 in Germany, rent and utilities included – about $1,300 less a year. The total is higher in Germany despite lower rent and utilities.
Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Malta and in Germany actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,970 in Malta versus $2,080 in Germany.
Malta $1,970
Germany $2,080
Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,036 in Malta versus $3,130 in Germany.
Malta $3,036
Germany $3,130
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,102 in Malta versus $4,180 in Germany.
Malta $4,102
Germany $4,180
📏
Malta ($1,657–$2,871) and Germany ($1,337–$2,681) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.
🌍
Living in Malta costs about 5% less than in Germany on average.
📊
Both countries sit above the global median: Malta 45% above, Germany 53% above.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Malta
Germany
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.44€14.76
$16.60€14.90
-0.96%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$82.7€74.2
$71.8€64.4
15.14%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$11.69€10.49
$12.12€10.88
-3.55%
Cappuccino
$2.75€2.47
$3.96€3.55
-30.56%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.57€2.30
$3.36€3.02
-23.51%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.68€1.51
$2.89€2.60
-41.87%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$4.48€4.02
$5.07€4.55
-11.64%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$4.43€3.98
$4.50€4.04
-1.56%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Malta
Germany
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.30€1.17
$1.26€1.13
3.17%
White Bread(500g)
$1.30€1.17
$2.20€1.97
-40.91%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$3.71€3.33
$3.54€3.17
4.80%
Eggs
$3.90€3.50
$3.88€3.48
0.52%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$10.47€9.39
$14.24€12.78
-26.47%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$10.15€9.11
$11.90€10.68
-14.71%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$16.73€15.01
$20.68€18.55
-19.10%
Apples(1kg)
$3.08€2.76
$3.28€2.94
-6.10%
Banana(1kg)
$2.20€1.98
$2.05€1.84
7.32%
Oranges(1kg)
$2.93€2.63
$2.31€2.08
26.84%
Tomato(1kg)
$3.24€2.90
$4.29€3.85
-24.48%
Potato(1kg)
$1.94€1.74
$1.53€1.37
26.80%
Onion(1kg)
$2.09€1.87
$1.50€1.34
39.33%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.90€1.70
$1.64€1.47
15.85%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.93€0.83
$1.02€0.91
-8.82%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$6.91€6.20
$9.69€8.69
-28.69%
Wine(Bottle)
$8.18€7.34
$6.01€5.39
36.11%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.72€1.54
$1.12€1.01
53.57%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.33€2.09
$1.56€1.40
49.36%
🚌 Getting Around
Malta
Germany
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$2.25€2.02
$3.85€3.45
-41.56%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
-
$69.7€62.6
-
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$5.72€5.13
$5.34€4.79
7.12%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$2.23€2.00
$2.81€2.52
-20.64%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$33.06€29.66
$38.83€34.84
-14.86%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.48€1.33
$2.13€1.91
-30.52%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.4K€24.6K
$32.6K€29.2K
-15.86%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$39.5K€35.5K
$37.7K€33.9K
4.78%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Malta
Germany
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$103€92.3
$342€307
-69.93%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$26.16€23.47
$24.87€22.32
5.19%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$34.75€31.18
$48.49€43.51
-28.34%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Malta
Germany
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$67.0€60.1
$39.42€35.37
70.02%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$22.27€19.98
$27.47€24.65
-18.93%
Cinema Ticket
$11.01€9.87
$14.65€13.15
-24.85%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Malta
Germany
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$436€391
$611€548
-28.60%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$11.2K€10.1K
$17.3K€15.5K
-35.04%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Malta
Germany
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$99.7€89.5
$89.1€79.9
11.93%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$46.43€41.66
$42.07€37.75
10.36%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$105€93.9
$98.3€88.2
6.48%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$119€107
$131€117
-8.98%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Malta
Germany
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,230€1,104
$934€838
31.65%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$974€874
$718€645
35.52%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$2,093€1,878
$1,704€1,529
22.85%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,660€1,490
$1,294€1,161
28.32%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$4,503€4,041
$5,944€5,333
-24.23%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$3,344€3,000
$3,958€3,551
-15.52%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Malta
Germany
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$1,766€1,585
$3,290€2,952
-46.32%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
4.06
3.96
2.53%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Malta: October 26, 2026
Last update for Germany: October 25, 2026
Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Malta
$974 49.4%
Germany
$718 34.6% ↓ 26.2%$255
🛒Groceries & Markets
Malta
$304 15.4%
Germany
$335 16.1% ↑ 10.3%$31
🍽Eating Out
Malta
$248 12.6%
Germany
$276 13.3% ↑ 11.4%$28
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Malta
$166 8.4%
Germany
$162 7.8% ↓ 2.6%$4.3
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Malta
$164 8.3%
Germany
$415 20% ↑ 154%$252
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Malta
$89 4.5%
Germany
$69 3.3% ↓ 22.8%$20
🚌Getting Around
Malta
$26 * 1.3%
Germany
$104 5% ↑ 304%$79
Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Malta
$1.7K 40.5%
Germany
$1.3K 31% ↓ 22.1%$366
🛒Groceries & Markets
Malta
$712 17.4%
Germany
$795 19% ↑ 11.6%$83
🍽Eating Out
Malta
$913 22.3%
Germany
$910 21.8% ↓ 0.4%$3.4
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Malta
$370 9%
Germany
$360 8.6% ↓ 2.6%$9.6
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Malta
$190 4.6%
Germany
$440 10.5% ↑ 132%$250
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Malta
$200 4.9%
Germany
$165 4% ↓ 17.7%$35
🚌Getting Around
Malta
$56 * 1.4%
Germany
$217 5.2% ↑ 285%$160
Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.
Cost Breakdown
🏠National rent averages: $1,180 in Malta, $812 in Germany. Capital cities: $1,389 in Valletta vs $1,407 in Berlin.
💰National salary averages: $1,801 in Malta, $3,107 in Germany. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.
Cost Highlights
⭐Rent is 45% higher in Malta.
⭐Dining out costs 15% more in Malta.
⭐Public transport is 127% more expensive in Germany.
⭐Salaries are 73% higher in Germany, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Germany.
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
Malta vs Germany: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which country is more expensive to live in: Germany or Malta?
At $2,080 per month in Germany and $1,970 in Malta, Malta comes out about 5% cheaper. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.
Does the cost gap hold in every spending category?
Overall, Malta is the cheaper option, but not in every category: rent, groceries, transport, and eating out each follow their own pattern. Check the categories you spend the most on before deciding.
How do I choose between living in Germany and in Malta?
It depends on what you’re after: Malta wins on affordability, while salaries, visas, language, and lifestyle can tip the balance either way.