Cost of Living Comparison Between Malta and Italy Cost of Living Comparison Between Malta and Italy

Name: Italy
Address: IT

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,958 in Malta versus $1,718 in Italy.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,952 in Malta versus $2,623 in Italy.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,945 in Malta versus $3,527 in Italy.

Living in Malta is roughly 14% more expensive than Italy on average.

Both countries sit above the global median: Malta 45% above, Italy 28% above.

Malta ($1,572–$3,064) and Italy ($1,158–$2,441) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.26 €14.69

$17.19 €14.63

0.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.2 €69.1

$79.5 €67.7

2.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.62 €9.89

$11.53 €9.81

0.78%

Cappuccino

$2.77 €2.35

$1.95 €1.66

42.05%

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

$2.42 €2.06

$2.97 €2.52

-18.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 €1.42

$1.36 €1.16

22.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.01 €3.41

$5.64 €4.80

-28.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.60 €3.91

$5.18 €4.41

-11.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 €1.13

$1.62 €1.38

-17.90%

White Bread (500g)

$1.28 €1.09

$2.40 €2.04

-46.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.62 €3.08

$2.93 €2.49

23.55%

Eggs

$3.88 €3.30

$3.96 €3.37

-2.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.46 €8.90

$16.71 €14.22

-37.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.61 €8.18

$12.63 €10.75

-23.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.63 €14.15

$20.75 €17.66

-19.86%

Apples (1kg)

$3.12 €2.66

$2.51 €2.13

24.30%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 €1.77

$2.24 €1.91

-7.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.81 €2.39

$2.68 €2.28

4.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.28 €2.79

$3.35 €2.85

-2.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.95 €1.66

$2.03 €1.73

-3.94%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.78

$1.84 €1.56

13.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.87 €1.59

$1.52 €1.29

23.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 €0.82

$0.50 €0.43

92.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.91 €5.88

Wine (Bottle)

$8.29 €7.05

$7.23 €6.15

14.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 €1.50

$1.83 €1.56

-3.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 €2.06

$2.52 €2.14

-3.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.01

$1.93 €1.64

22.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.04 €36.63

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.96 €5.07

$5.63 €4.80

5.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.81

$1.52 €1.30

40.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$43.36 €36.90

$34.84 €29.65

24.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 €1.31

$2.02 €1.72

-24.26%

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

$27.9K €23.7K

$32.9K €28.0K

-15.12%

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

$34.1K €29.0K

$33.6K €28.6K

1.56%

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

$108 €91.5

$221 €188

-51.34%

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

$28.04 €23.86

$13.55 €11.53

106.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.45 €31.02

$31.59 €26.88

15.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.7 €55.9

$57.4 €48.85

14.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.80 €21.11

$25.69 €21.86

-3.46%

Cinema Ticket

$10.56 €8.99

$10.24 €8.72

3.13%

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

$546 €464

$579 €493

-5.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K €9,612

$10.5K €8,951

7.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €86.0

$92.2 €78.5

9.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.77 €39.80

$40.41 €34.39

15.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 €85.3

$101 €86.0

-0.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 €94.1

$133 €113

-16.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,128 €960

$851 €724

32.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$953 €811

$655 €557

45.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,896 €1,613

$1,515 €1,290

25.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,465 €1,247

$1,076 €915

36.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,604 €3,918

$3,967 €3,376

16.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,447 €2,933

$2,426 €2,064

42.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,906 €1,622

$1,938 €1,649

-1.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.73

4.41

7.26%

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

Last update for Malta: April 12, 2026

Last update for Italy: April 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $1,123 in Malta, $743 in Italy. Capital cities: $1,265 in Valletta vs $1,362 in Rome.

National salary averages: $1,867 in Malta, $1,938 in Italy. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 51% higher in Malta.

Public transport is 633% more expensive in Italy.

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 Italy: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $1,800 per month in Italy and $2,318 in Malta, there's a 29% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Italy 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 Italy across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In Italy, $2,500 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. Italy wins on affordability; Malta may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.