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: $1,956 in Malta versus $1,646 in Spain.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,955 in Malta versus $2,401 in Spain.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,953 in Malta versus $3,155 in Spain.

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

Both countries sit above the global median: Malta 46% above, Spain 23% above.

Internal cost variation is higher in Spain: monthly costs span $1,133 to $3,262, compared to $1,564–$2,976 in Malta. City choice carries more weight in Spain.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.39 €15.09

$16.17 €14.03

7.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.1 €69.5

$57.3 €49.70

39.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.51 €9.99

$10.62 €9.21

8.38%

Cappuccino

$2.77 €2.40

$2.38 €2.07

16.39%

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

$2.56 €2.22

$2.59 €2.25

-1.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 €1.39

$1.91 €1.66

-16.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.03 €3.49

$3.49 €3.03

15.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 €3.98

$4.03 €3.49

13.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 €1.13

$1.24 €1.08

4.84%

White Bread (500g)

$1.32 €1.15

$1.59 €1.38

-16.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.68 €3.19

$1.59 €1.38

131.45%

Eggs

$3.77 €3.27

$3.05 €2.65

23.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.38 €9.01

$14.55 €12.62

-28.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.51 €8.25

$8.42 €7.30

12.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.19 €14.91

$15.52 €13.47

10.76%

Apples (1kg)

$3.21 €2.79

$2.54 €2.20

26.38%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 €1.81

$2.01 €1.74

3.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.76 €2.39

$2.09 €1.81

32.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.29 €2.85

$2.53 €2.20

30.04%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.70

$1.85 €1.61

5.95%

Onion (1kg)

$2.16 €1.87

$1.89 €1.64

14.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.87 €1.63

$1.35 €1.17

38.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.78

$0.74 €0.64

21.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.87 €5.96

$6.35 €5.51

8.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.10 €7.02

$5.66 €4.91

43.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 €1.61

$1.25 €1.08

48.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 €2.11

$2.06 €1.79

17.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.34 €2.03

$1.69 €1.47

38.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.10 €30.46

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.87 €5.09

$4.42 €3.83

32.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 €1.86

$1.34 €1.16

59.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$43.63 €37.86

$26.32 €22.83

65.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 €1.31

$1.84 €1.59

-17.93%

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

$27.6K €23.9K

$38.8K €33.7K

-28.97%

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

$34.2K €29.6K

$31.6K €27.4K

8.02%

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

$107 €92.4

$150 €131

-29.19%

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

$27.13 €23.54

$20.56 €17.84

31.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.37 €31.55

$34.49 €29.93

5.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.1 €57.4

$47.96 €41.61

37.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.05 €20.86

$16.05 €13.92

49.84%

Cinema Ticket

$10.72 €9.30

$8.99 €7.80

19.24%

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

$558 €484

$509 €441

9.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.2K €9,726

$9,884 €8,575

13.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €87.5

$86.5 €75.1

16.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.83 €40.63

$37.14 €32.23

26.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €87.7

$92.0 €79.8

9.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 €98.7

$109 €94.4

4.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,131 €981

$1,045 €907

8.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$930 €807

$834 €724

11.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,878 €1,629

$1,689 €1,466

11.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,506 €1,306

$1,238 €1,074

21.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,540 €3,939

$4,378 €3,798

3.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,427 €2,974

$2,747 €2,383

24.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,825 €1,584

$2,073 €1,799

-11.96%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Spain: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $1,123 in Malta, $898 in Spain. Capital cities: $1,255 in Valletta vs $1,566 in Madrid.

National salary averages: $1,843 in Malta, $2,030 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 10% higher in Spain, giving Spain 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 Spain: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $2,270 per month in Malta and $2,198 in Spain, there's a 3% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

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