Cost of Living Comparison Between Malta and Spain Cost of Living Comparison Between Malta and Spain

Name: Spain
Address: ES

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,958 in Malta versus $1,645 in Spain.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,960 in Malta versus $2,395 in Spain.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,961 in Malta versus $3,145 in Spain.

Living in Malta is roughly 19% more expensive than in Spain on average.

Both countries sit above the global median: Malta 47% above, Spain 23% above.

Internal cost variation is higher in Spain: monthly costs span $1,121 to $3,224, compared to $1,578–$2,994 in Malta. City choice carries more weight in Spain.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.07 €15.01

$16.33 €14.35

4.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.1 €70.5

$58.1 €51.1

37.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.35 €9.98

$10.52 €9.25

7.89%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.52

$2.39 €2.10

20.08%

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

$2.47 €2.17

$2.58 €2.27

-4.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 €1.41

$1.90 €1.67

-15.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.93 €3.46

$3.54 €3.11

11.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.37 €3.84

$3.97 €3.49

10.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 €1.18

$1.17 €1.03

15.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.35 €1.18

$1.51 €1.33

-10.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.69 €3.24

$1.66 €1.46

122.29%

Eggs

$3.71 €3.26

$2.96 €2.60

25.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.48 €9.21

$14.07 €12.37

-25.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.61 €8.44

$8.40 €7.39

14.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.59 €14.58

$15.60 €13.71

6.35%

Apples (1kg)

$3.07 €2.70

$2.51 €2.20

22.31%

Banana (1kg)

$2.16 €1.90

$1.99 €1.75

8.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.80 €2.47

$2.01 €1.77

39.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.33 €2.92

$2.61 €2.29

27.59%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 €1.75

$1.79 €1.57

11.73%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.86

$1.98 €1.74

6.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.87 €1.64

$1.36 €1.19

37.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 €0.82

$0.80 €0.71

17.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.60 €5.81

$6.32 €5.56

4.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.25 €7.25

$5.60 €4.93

47.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 €1.56

$1.24 €1.09

42.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 €2.05

$2.07 €1.82

12.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.99

$1.71 €1.50

32.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.24 €30.98

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.81 €5.10

$4.62 €4.06

25.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.06 €1.81

$1.30 €1.14

58.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$44.20 €38.85

$26.85 €23.60

64.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 €1.33

$1.84 €1.62

-17.93%

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

$28.0K €24.6K

$38.3K €33.6K

-26.76%

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

$34.1K €30.0K

$30.9K €27.1K

10.53%

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

$107 €93.7

$150 €132

-29.17%

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

$27.89 €24.52

$20.37 €17.90

36.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.62 €32.19

$34.06 €29.94

7.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 €59.1

$47.30 €41.58

42.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.31 €21.37

$15.65 €13.76

55.34%

Cinema Ticket

$10.79 €9.49

$9.42 €8.28

14.54%

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

$559 €491

$515 €453

8.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.0K €9,665

$10.2K €9,002

7.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €88.4

$86.2 €75.8

16.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.21 €40.63

$36.67 €32.23

26.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.2 €87.2

$90.6 €79.6

9.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 €99.0

$109 €96.1

3.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,150 €1,011

$1,057 €929

8.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$960 €844

$813 €715

18.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,881 €1,654

$1,721 €1,513

9.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,508 €1,326

$1,231 €1,082

22.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,327 €3,804

$4,295 €3,775

0.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,294 €2,896

$2,610 €2,294

26.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,818 €1,598

$2,014 €1,771

-9.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.73

3.51

34.76%

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

Last update for Malta: July 22, 2026

Last update for Spain: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $1,125 in Malta, $897 in Spain. Capital cities: $1,268 in Valletta vs $1,566 in Madrid.

National salary averages: $1,781 in Malta, $1,998 in Spain. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 25% higher in Malta.

Dining out costs 45% more in Malta.

Public transport is 450% more expensive in Spain.

Salaries are 12% higher in Spain, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Spain.

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 Spain: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $2,286 per month in Malta and $2,173 in Spain, there's a 5% 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 Spain: 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 Spain across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In Spain, $3,000 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: Spain wins on affordability; Malta may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.