For one person, living is cheaper in India: $399 a month against $1,970 in Malta, rent and utilities included – about $18,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.
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 India actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,970 in Malta versus $399 in India.
Malta $1,970
India $399
Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,036 in Malta versus $639 in India.
Malta $3,036
India $639
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,102 in Malta versus $879 in India.
Malta $4,102
India $879
📏
Internal cost variation is higher in Malta: monthly costs span $1,657 to $2,871, compared to $230–$813 in India. City choice carries more weight in Malta.
🌍
Living in Malta is roughly 393% more expensive than in India on average.
📊
Malta (45% above) and India (71% below) straddle the global median.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Malta
India
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.44€14.76
$2.14₹204
668.22%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$82.7€74.2
$10.46₹996
690.54%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$11.69€10.49
$3.80₹362
207.63%
Cappuccino
$2.75€2.47
$1.68₹160
63.69%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.57€2.30
$0.38₹36.05
576.32%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.68€1.51
$0.15₹14.63
1020.00%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$4.48€4.02
$1.87₹178
139.57%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$4.43€3.98
$3.18₹303
39.31%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Malta
India
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.30€1.17
$0.62₹59.3
109.68%
White Bread(500g)
$1.30€1.17
$0.50₹47.84
160.00%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$3.71€3.33
$0.63₹60.4
488.89%
Eggs
$3.90€3.50
$0.96₹91.4
306.25%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$10.47€9.39
$4.85₹462
115.88%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$10.15€9.11
$2.84₹271
257.39%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$16.73€15.01
-
-
Apples(1kg)
$3.08€2.76
$2.00₹191
54.00%
Banana(1kg)
$2.20€1.98
$0.65₹61.5
238.46%
Oranges(1kg)
$2.93€2.63
$0.97₹92.4
202.06%
Tomato(1kg)
$3.24€2.90
$0.47₹44.37
589.36%
Potato(1kg)
$1.94€1.74
$0.34₹31.92
470.59%
Onion(1kg)
$2.09€1.87
$0.42₹39.79
397.62%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.90€1.70
$0.47₹44.46
304.26%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.93€0.83
$0.31₹29.72
200.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$6.91€6.20
$5.08₹484
36.02%
Wine(Bottle)
$8.18€7.34
$7.31₹696
11.90%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.72€1.54
$1.63₹155
5.52%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.33€2.09
$2.76₹263
-15.58%
Buffalo Round(or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat)(1kg)
-
$5.11₹487
-
🚌 Getting Around
Malta
India
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$2.25€2.02
$0.26₹24.89
765.38%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
-
$8.58₹817
-
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$5.72€5.13
$1.00₹94.8
472.00%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$2.23€2.00
$0.27₹25.78
725.93%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$33.06€29.66
$1.54₹146
2046.75%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.48€1.33
$1.07₹102
38.32%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.4K€24.6K
$11.2K₹1.1M
144.28%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$39.5K€35.5K
$20.1K₹1.9M
97.21%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Malta
India
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$103€92.3
$37.08₹3,532
177.37%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$26.16€23.47
$3.58₹341
630.73%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$34.75€31.18
$7.15₹681
386.01%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Malta
India
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$67.0€60.1
$15.00₹1,429
346.80%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$22.27€19.98
$7.17₹683
210.60%
Cinema Ticket
$11.01€9.87
$3.20₹304
244.06%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Malta
India
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$436€391
$58.8₹5,601
641.41%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$11.2K€10.1K
$1,667₹158.7K
573.29%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Malta
India
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$99.7€89.5
$23.03₹2,194
332.91%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$46.43€41.66
$24.17₹2,302
92.10%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$105€93.9
$41.20₹3,924
154.05%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$119€107
$29.62₹2,821
301.52%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Malta
India
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,230€1,104
$146₹14.0K
739.66%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$974€874
$96.4₹9,178
910.38%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$2,093€1,878
$343₹32.7K
510.33%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,660€1,490
$234₹22.3K
609.93%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$4,503€4,041
$1,177₹112.1K
282.66%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$3,344€3,000
$633₹60.3K
428.03%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Malta
India
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$1,766€1,585
$409₹38.9K
331.89%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
4.06
8.93
-54.54%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Malta: October 26, 2026
Last update for India: 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%
India
$96 24.1% ↓ 90.1%$877
🛒Groceries & Markets
Malta
$304 15.4%
India
$102 25.6% ↓ 66.3%$201
🍽Eating Out
Malta
$248 12.6%
India
$67 16.7% ↓ 73.2%$181
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Malta
$166 8.4%
India
$53 13.3% ↓ 68.1%$113
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Malta
$164 8.3%
India
$48 12% ↓ 70.8%$116
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Malta
$89 4.5%
India
$21 5.4% ↓ 76%$68
🚌Getting Around
Malta
$26 * 1.3%
India
$12 3% ↓ 53.7%$14
Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Malta
$1.7K 40.5%
India
$234 26.6% ↓ 85.9%$1.4K
🛒Groceries & Markets
Malta
$712 17.4%
India
$220 25.1% ↓ 69.1%$492
🍽Eating Out
Malta
$913 22.3%
India
$181 20.6% ↓ 80.2%$732
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Malta
$370 9%
India
$118 13.4% ↓ 68.1%$252
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Malta
$190 4.6%
India
$51 5.9% ↓ 72.9%$139
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Malta
$200 4.9%
India
$50 5.7% ↓ 75.1%$150
🚌Getting Around
Malta
$56 * 1.4%
India
$24 2.8% ↓ 56.5%$32
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, $120 in India. Capital cities: $1,389 in Valletta vs $277 in Delhi.
💰National salary averages: $1,801 in Malta, $412 in India. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.
Cost Highlights
⭐Rent is 883% higher in Malta.
⭐Dining out costs 645% more in Malta.
⭐Public transport is 275% more expensive in Malta.
⭐Salaries are about 4.4 times higher in Malta, and purchasing power comes out stronger in India.
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 India: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the cost difference between India and Malta?
At $399 per month in India and $1,970 in Malta, India comes out about 80% cheaper. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.
Which country is cheaper for everyday spending?
Day-to-day life is cheaper in India: lower grocery prices, cheaper commutes, and more affordable meals out. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.
Which country has higher housing costs?
Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $1,180 in Malta and $120 in India. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.
Should I move to India or to Malta?
It depends on what you’re after: India wins on affordability, while salaries, visas, language, and lifestyle can tip the balance either way.