Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Marsa and Balzan

For one person, living is cheaper in Balzan: $1,939 a month against $2,871 in Marsa, rent and utilities included – about $11,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

137

Cost of Living Index in Marsa
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Marsa Living Index
92

Cost of Living Index in Balzan
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Balzan Living Index

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Marsa

🇲🇹 Malta

$2,871

/mo nomad

Balzan

🇲🇹 Malta

$1,939

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Marsa and in Balzan

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Marsa and in Balzan actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,871 per month in Marsa vs $1,939 in Balzan, rent included.

Marsa $2,871
Balzan $1,939

A couple spends around $3,976 per month in Marsa vs $2,927 in Balzan, rent included.

Marsa $3,976
Balzan $2,927

A family of three spends $5,081 per month in Marsa vs $3,915 in Balzan, rent included.

Marsa $5,081
Balzan $3,915

Marsa costs about 48% more than Balzan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Marsa and Balzan sit above the global median – Marsa by 111%, Balzan by 42%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.41 €17.31

$18.68 €16.67

3.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.2 €76.0

$91.1 €81.3

-6.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.67 €12.19

$12.10 €10.79

12.98%

Cappuccino

$2.69 €2.40

$3.09 €2.75

-12.94%

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

$2.28 €2.04

$1.93 €1.73

18.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 €2.02

$1.03 €0.92

120.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.58 €4.08

$3.26 €2.90

40.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 €2.25

$2.45 €2.18

3.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 €1.21

$1.25 €1.11

8.80%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 €1.15

$0.97 €0.87

32.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.22 €3.76

$3.52 €3.14

19.89%

Eggs

$4.33 €3.87

$4.30 €3.83

0.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.43 €7.52

$10.30 €9.19

-18.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.25 €9.14

$9.10 €8.12

12.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.47 €16.48

$12.40 €11.06

48.95%

Apples (1kg)

$4.27 €3.81

$2.64 €2.36

61.74%

Banana (1kg)

$2.69 €2.40

$2.04 €1.82

31.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.55 €3.17

$1.68 €1.50

111.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.27 €2.92

$1.15 €1.03

184.35%

Potato (1kg)

$2.25 €2.01

$0.86 €0.77

161.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 €1.67

$0.91 €0.81

105.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.27 €2.02

$0.85 €0.76

167.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.17

$0.99 €0.89

32.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.85 €6.11

$6.09 €5.44

12.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.36 €7.46

$6.02 €5.37

38.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 €1.46

$1.07 €0.96

52.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 €2.08

$1.49 €1.33

56.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.69

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.75 €5.13

$2.23 €1.99

157.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.29 €2.04

$1.76 €1.57

30.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.56 €23.69

$32.03 €28.58

-17.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 €1.31

$1.52 €1.36

-3.29%

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

$37.4K €33.3K

$27.5K €24.5K

36.03%

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

$38.4K €34.2K

$32.2K €28.7K

19.05%

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

$103 €92.2

$154 €138

-32.93%

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

$24.97 €22.28

$19.90 €17.75

25.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.87 €38.25

$28.97 €25.85

47.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.6 €65.6

Cinema Ticket

$10.19 €9.09

$11.40 €10.17

-10.61%

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

$372 €332

$280 €249

33.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.2K €9,953

$12.1K €10.8K

-8.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.1 €76.8

$58.0 €51.8

48.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 €35.59

$69.1 €61.7

-42.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €90.4

$110 €98.1

-7.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.4 €69.1

$130 €116

-40.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,481 €2,213

$1,132 €1,010

119.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 €1,718

$950 €848

102.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,271 €2,026

$1,804 €1,609

25.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,758 €2,460

$1,522 €1,358

81.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,057 €3,619

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,876 €2,566

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,229 €2,881

$1,000 €893

222.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.9

4.05

-28.40%

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

Last update for Marsa: October 25, 2026

Last update for Balzan: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Marsa

$1.9K 67.1%

Balzan

$950 49% 50.7% $975

Groceries & Markets

Marsa

$326 11.3%

Balzan

$245 12.6% 24.7% $80

Eating Out

Marsa

$275 9.6%

Balzan

$256 13.2% 6.9% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Marsa

$171 6%

Balzan

$203 10.5% 18.6% $32

Clothing & Footwear

Marsa

$137 4.8%

Balzan

$165 8.5% 20.5% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Marsa

$20 * 0.7%

Balzan

$96 5% 373% $76

Getting Around

Marsa

$17 * 0.6%

Balzan

$23 * 1.2% 34.3% $5.9

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,481 in Marsa versus $1,132 in Balzan. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Marsa are about 3.2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $85 in Marsa versus $91 in Balzan. Groceries tell a different story – $326 in Marsa vs $245 in Balzan – so Balzan wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇹 Marsa

🇲🇹 Balzan

🕒 Local time

20:02 8:02 PM

Same time as Marsa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,000

4,700

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Marsa Balzan 4 km

From you

Marsa
Balzan

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

Marsa vs Balzan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,871 in Marsa, $1,939 in Balzan – Balzan comes out roughly 32% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,307 per month in Marsa and $2,908 in Balzan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Balzan, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,132 there versus $2,481 in Marsa.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $85 in Marsa and $91 in Balzan. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 33% more in Marsa, though the gap depends on what you buy.

Families tend to lean toward Balzan – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Balzan. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Marsa makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.