Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Marsascala and Balzan

For one person, living is cheaper in Marsascala: $1,740 a month against $1,939 in Balzan, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Marsascala, Malta
Balzan, Malta
Marsascala
🇲🇹 Malta
$1,740
/mo nomad
Balzan
🇲🇹 Malta
$1,939
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Marsascala 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 Marsascala and in Balzan actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,740 per month in Marsascala vs $1,939 in Balzan, rent included.

  • Marsascala $1,740
  • Balzan $1,939

A couple spends around $2,641 per month in Marsascala vs $2,927 in Balzan, rent included.

  • Marsascala $2,641
  • Balzan $2,927

A family of three spends $3,542 per month in Marsascala vs $3,915 in Balzan, rent included.

  • Marsascala $3,542
  • Balzan $3,915

Marsascala is about 10% cheaper than Balzan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Marsascala and Balzan sit above the global median – Marsascala by 28%, Balzan by 42%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Marsascala
Balzan
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$19.93 €17.85
$18.68 €16.73
6.69%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$85.0 €76.1
$91.1 €81.6
-6.68%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.58 €12.17
$12.10 €10.84
12.23%
Cappuccino
$2.20 €1.97
$3.09 €2.76
-28.80%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.45 €2.19
$1.93 €1.73
26.94%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.38 €1.23
$1.03 €0.92
33.98%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.94 €3.53
$3.26 €2.92
20.86%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.43 €3.07
$2.45 €2.19
40.00%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Marsascala
Balzan
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.22 €1.09
$1.25 €1.12
-2.40%
White Bread (500g)
$0.86 €0.77
$0.97 €0.87
-11.34%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.38 €3.03
$3.52 €3.16
-3.98%
Eggs
$4.18 €3.75
$4.30 €3.85
-2.79%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$5.71 €5.11
$10.30 €9.23
-44.56%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.22 €5.57
$9.10 €8.15
-31.65%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.87 €12.42
$12.40 €11.10
11.85%
Apples (1kg)
$3.44 €3.08
$2.64 €2.37
30.30%
Banana (1kg)
$2.49 €2.23
$2.04 €1.83
22.06%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.22 €1.98
$1.68 €1.51
32.14%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.86 €2.57
$1.15 €1.03
148.70%
Potato (1kg)
$2.26 €2.02
$0.86 €0.77
162.79%
Onion (1kg)
$1.85 €1.66
$0.91 €0.81
103.30%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.29 €2.05
$0.85 €0.76
169.41%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.85 €0.76
$0.99 €0.89
-14.14%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.60 €5.91
$6.09 €5.46
8.37%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.88 €6.16
$6.02 €5.39
14.29%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.68 €1.51
$1.07 €0.96
57.01%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.39 €2.14
$1.49 €1.34
60.40%
🚌 Getting Around
Marsascala
Balzan
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.20 €1.97
$3.01 €2.70
-26.91%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.10 €4.57
$2.23 €2.00
128.70%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.20 €1.97
$1.76 €1.58
25.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$13.22 €11.84
$32.03 €28.69
-58.73%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.51 €1.35
$1.52 €1.36
-0.66%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$31.3K €28.0K
$27.5K €24.6K
13.78%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$36.0K €32.2K
$32.2K €28.9K
11.69%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Marsascala
Balzan
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$101 €90.5
$154 €138
-34.46%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$20.54 €18.39
$19.90 €17.82
3.22%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$27.61 €24.73
$28.97 €25.95
-4.69%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Marsascala
Balzan
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$54.8 €49.07
$73.6 €65.9
-25.52%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$21.95 €19.66
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$10.24 €9.17
$11.40 €10.21
-10.18%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Marsascala
Balzan
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$225 €202
$280 €250
-19.52%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$4,512 €4,041
$12.1K €10.9K
-62.81%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Marsascala
Balzan
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$88.1 €78.9
$58.0 €52.0
51.72%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$29.49 €26.41
$69.1 €61.9
-57.33%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$88.1 €78.9
$110 €98.5
-19.94%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$79.9 €71.6
$130 €117
-38.61%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Marsascala
Balzan
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,022 €916
$1,132 €1,014
-9.71%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$841 €753
$950 €851
-11.47%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,566 €1,402
$1,804 €1,615
-13.20%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,294 €1,159
$1,522 €1,364
-15.02%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,942 €2,635
$4,057 €3,633
-27.47%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,315 €2,074
$2,876 €2,575
-19.48%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Marsascala
Balzan
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,101 €1,881
$1,000 €896
109.98%
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 Marsascala: 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
Marsascala
$841
Balzan
$950 13% $109
Eating Out
Marsascala
$268
Balzan
$256 4.7% $13
Groceries & Markets
Marsascala
$253
Balzan
$245 3.1% $7.9
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Marsascala
$149
Balzan
$203 36.1% $54
Clothing & Footwear
Marsascala
$128
Balzan
$165 28.6% $37
Sport & Entertainment
Marsascala
$75
Balzan
$96 28% $21
Getting Around
Marsascala
$25 *
Balzan
$23 * 7.3% $1.8

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,022 in Marsascala 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 Marsascala are about 2.1 times higher, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $85 in Marsascala versus $91 in Balzan. Groceries tell a different story – $253 in Marsascala vs $245 in Balzan – so Balzan wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇲🇹 Marsascala
🇲🇹 Balzan
🕒 Local time
10:04 10:04 AM
10:04 10:04 AM
Same time as Marsascala
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
12,134
4,700
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Marsascala Balzan 11 km
From you
  • Marsascala
  • 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
Marsascala vs Balzan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Marsascala and in Balzan compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,740 in Marsascala, $1,939 in Balzan – Marsascala comes out roughly 10% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.
What salary covers living expenses in Marsascala compared to Balzan?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,611 per month in Marsascala and $2,908 in Balzan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Marsascala and Balzan?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Marsascala, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,022 there versus $1,132 in Balzan.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $85 in Marsascala and $91 in Balzan. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Interestingly, groceries are about 3% cheaper in Balzan – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.
How far does $2,500 go in Marsascala compared to Balzan?
$2,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,740 in Marsascala and $1,939 in Balzan, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Where should families live: Marsascala or Balzan?
Families tend to lean toward Marsascala – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Is Marsascala or Balzan safer for residents?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

Marsascala vs other spots: cost of living compared

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