Cost of Living Comparison Between Mdina and Valletta Cost of Living Comparison Between Mdina and Valletta

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,996 in Mdina versus $2,241 in Valletta.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,018 in Mdina versus $3,380 in Valletta.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,040 in Mdina versus $4,519 in Valletta.

Living in Mdina costs roughly 11% less than in Valletta, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mdina 49% above, Valletta 67% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.98 €18.06

$20.08 €17.29

4.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$94.1 €81.0

$69.9 €60.2

34.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.40 €9.82

$11.35 €9.77

0.44%

Cappuccino

$2.95 €2.54

$2.63 €2.26

12.17%

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

$3.05 €2.63

$2.70 €2.33

12.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 €1.88

$1.97 €1.70

10.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.54 €3.91

$4.81 €4.14

-5.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.64 €4.00

$4.88 €4.20

-4.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 €1.21

$1.36 €1.17

3.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 €1.08

$1.53 €1.32

-17.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.24 €3.65

$3.53 €3.04

20.11%

Eggs

$4.58 €3.94

$3.72 €3.20

23.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.30 €8.87

$9.77 €8.41

5.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.20 €7.92

$10.73 €9.24

-14.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 €12.22

$13.81 €11.89

2.82%

Apples (1kg)

$4.31 €3.71

$3.29 €2.83

31.00%

Banana (1kg)

$3.06 €2.64

$2.05 €1.77

49.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.23 €2.78

$2.78 €2.39

16.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.61 €3.11

$3.25 €2.80

11.08%

Potato (1kg)

$2.60 €2.24

$1.84 €1.59

41.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.35 €1.16

$2.96 €2.55

-54.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.36 €2.03

$1.92 €1.65

22.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 €1.03

$1.25 €1.08

-4.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.55 €5.64

Wine (Bottle)

$8.40 €7.23

$6.28 €5.40

33.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.68

$2.29 €1.98

-14.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 €1.92

$1.78 €1.53

25.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.81 €2.42

$2.88 €2.48

-2.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 €4.96

$8.28 €7.13

-30.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.06 €3.49

$1.87 €1.61

117.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$48.81 €42.03

$34.34 €29.57

42.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 €1.32

$1.51 €1.30

1.32%

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

$39.2K €33.7K

$26.5K €22.8K

47.77%

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

$37.4K €32.2K

$41.7K €35.9K

-10.47%

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

$93.2 €80.3

$166 €143

-43.95%

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

$28.63 €24.65

$30.23 €26.03

-5.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.95 €39.57

$32.97 €28.39

39.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.9 €55.9

$59.9 €51.6

8.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.88 €19.70

$31.18 €26.85

-26.62%

Cinema Ticket

$10.23 €8.81

$15.18 €13.07

-32.61%

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

$428 €368

$260 €224

64.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.9K €9,371

$12.9K €11.1K

-15.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.2 €78.5

$103 €88.4

-11.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.33 €33.00

$72.3 €62.3

-47.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €89.5

$147 €126

-29.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 €88.8

$166 €143

-37.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,150 €991

$1,255 €1,081

-8.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$949 €818

$1,062 €914

-10.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,018 €1,738

$2,785 €2,398

-27.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,531 €1,319

$1,833 €1,579

-16.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,554 €3,921

$5,622 €4,841

-19.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,826 €2,434

$4,105 €3,535

-31.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,539 €1,325

$2,169 €1,868

-29.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.43

-44.75%

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

Last update for Mdina: May 30, 2026

Last update for Valletta: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,150 in Mdina and $1,255 in Valletta. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Valletta pays 41% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $94.0 in Mdina vs $70.0 in Valletta for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $300 per month, with Valletta cheaper across the board.

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

Mdina vs Valletta: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mdina and Valletta differ by about 12% in total monthly costs ($1,996 vs $2,241 including rent). Mdina is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Valletta earns 41% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,150 in Mdina versus $1,255 in Valletta. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Valletta pay roughly 6% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $1,996 per month in Mdina versus $2,241 in Valletta – a 12% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,996 in Mdina versus $2,241 in Valletta, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Mdina but tight or insufficient in Valletta. The gap between the two cities makes Mdina the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Mdina and Valletta are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Mdina gentler on the wallet – expenses run 12% less than in Valletta. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.