Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mellieha and Balzan

For one person, living costs are similar in Mellieha and in Balzan: $1,868 and $1,909 a month, rent and utilities included.

Mellieha
🇲🇹 Malta
$1,868
/mo nomad
Balzan
🇲🇹 Malta
$1,909
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,868 per month in Mellieha vs $1,909 in Balzan, rent included.

  • Mellieha $1,868
  • Balzan $1,909

A couple spends around $2,814 per month in Mellieha vs $2,866 in Balzan, rent included.

  • Mellieha $2,814
  • Balzan $2,866

A family of three spends $3,761 per month in Mellieha vs $3,822 in Balzan, rent included.

  • Mellieha $3,761
  • Balzan $3,822

Mellieha is about 2% cheaper than Balzan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Mellieha and Balzan sit above the global median – Mellieha by 38%, Balzan by 41%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Mellieha
Balzan
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.84 €14.98
$18.28 €16.26
-7.88%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$64.6 €57.4
$89.1 €79.2
-27.50%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.74 €9.55
$12.05 €10.72
-10.87%
Cappuccino
$2.65 €2.36
$3.22 €2.86
-17.70%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.43 €2.16
$1.99 €1.77
22.11%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.98 €1.76
$1.02 €0.90
94.12%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.92 €3.49
$3.39 €3.02
15.63%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.84 €6.08
$2.56 €2.27
167.19%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Mellieha
Balzan
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.37 €1.22
$1.21 €1.08
13.22%
White Bread (500g)
$1.37 €1.22
$0.92 €0.82
48.91%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.44 €3.06
$3.52 €3.13
-2.27%
Eggs
$4.43 €3.94
$4.28 €3.81
3.50%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.15 €9.03
$10.12 €9.00
0.30%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.90 €8.80
$8.68 €7.72
14.06%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$18.22 €16.21
$12.44 €11.07
46.46%
Apples (1kg)
$3.69 €3.28
$2.52 €2.24
46.43%
Banana (1kg)
$2.81 €2.50
$1.96 €1.74
43.37%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.99 €3.55
$1.78 €1.58
124.16%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.78 €3.36
$1.09 €0.97
246.79%
Potato (1kg)
$1.90 €1.69
$0.91 €0.81
108.79%
Onion (1kg)
$3.39 €3.02
$0.92 €0.82
268.48%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.70 €1.51
$0.87 €0.78
95.40%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.15 €1.02
$0.99 €0.88
16.16%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.43 €5.72
$6.18 €5.50
4.05%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.01 €5.35
$6.10 €5.43
-1.48%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.42 €2.15
$1.05 €0.93
130.48%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.36 €2.10
$1.47 €1.31
60.54%
🚌 Getting Around
Mellieha
Balzan
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.74 €2.43
$3.11 €2.76
-11.90%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.96 €3.52
$2.18 €1.94
81.65%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.84 €1.64
$1.82 €1.62
1.10%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$33.19 €29.52
$32.50 €28.91
2.12%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.46 €1.30
$1.48 €1.32
-1.35%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.1K €25.0K
$27.3K €24.3K
2.85%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$39.0K €34.7K
$32.6K €29.0K
19.41%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mellieha
Balzan
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$104 €92.3
$155 €138
-33.15%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$30.81 €27.40
$19.91 €17.71
54.75%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.75 €25.57
$29.16 €25.94
-1.41%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Mellieha
Balzan
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$59.9 €53.3
$55.9 €49.75
7.08%
Cinema Ticket
$8.44 €7.51
$11.14 €9.91
-24.24%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Mellieha
Balzan
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$282 €250
$273 €243
2.96%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.3K €11.0K
$12.4K €11.0K
-0.60%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Mellieha
Balzan
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$57.2 €50.9
$56.3 €50.1
1.53%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$39.17 €34.85
$68.8 €61.2
-43.06%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$82.3 €73.2
$111 €99.1
-26.17%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$72.7 €64.7
$128 €114
-43.17%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Mellieha
Balzan
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,131 €1,006
$1,108 €985
2.11%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$915 €814
$943 €839
-2.96%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,789 €1,591
$1,773 €1,577
0.87%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,508 €1,341
$1,488 €1,324
1.31%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,935 €3,500
$4,056 €3,608
-2.98%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,756 €2,451
$2,866 €2,550
-3.86%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Mellieha
Balzan
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,350 €1,201
$1,014 €902
33.09%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.05
4.05
-

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

Last update for Mellieha: October 11, 2026

Last update for Balzan: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Mellieha
$915
Balzan
$943 3.1% $28
Groceries & Markets
Mellieha
$326
Balzan
$241 26% $85
Eating Out
Mellieha
$250
Balzan
$255 2.2% $5.4
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mellieha
$163
Balzan
$204 25.1% $41
Clothing & Footwear
Mellieha
$113
Balzan
$164 45% $51
Sport & Entertainment
Mellieha
$77
Balzan
$78 1.9% $1.4
Getting Around
Mellieha
$24 *
Balzan
$24 * 1.6% $0.4

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,131 in Mellieha versus $1,108 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 run about 33% higher in Mellieha, 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 $65.0 in Mellieha versus $89.0 in Balzan. Groceries tell a different story – $326 in Mellieha vs $241 in Balzan – so Balzan wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇲🇹 Mellieha
🇲🇹 Balzan
🕒 Local time
17:22 5:22 PM
17:22 5:22 PM
Same time as Mellieha
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
10,087
4,700
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Mellieha Balzan 10 km
From you
  • Mellieha
  • 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
Mellieha vs Balzan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Mellieha and in Balzan compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,868 in Mellieha, $1,909 in Balzan – roughly 2% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Mellieha compared to Balzan?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,802 per month in Mellieha and $2,864 in Balzan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Mellieha and Balzan?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Mellieha, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $65.0 in Mellieha and $89.0 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 35% cheaper in Balzan – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.
Which city is more doable on $2,500 per month?
A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Mellieha, where all-in costs run around $1,868, than in Balzan at $1,909. In Mellieha it covers expenses comfortably, while in Balzan it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Where should families live: Mellieha or Balzan?
Families tend to lean toward Mellieha – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Is Mellieha or Balzan safer for residents?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.
How do I decide between Mellieha and Balzan?
If budget matters most, go with Mellieha. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Balzan makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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