Cost of Living Comparison Between Msida and Balzan Cost of Living Comparison Between Msida and Balzan

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,881 per month in Msida vs $1,829 in Balzan, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,879 per month in Msida vs $2,861 in Balzan, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,877 per month in Msida vs $3,893 in Balzan, rent included.

Msida costs about 3% more than Balzan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Msida and Balzan sit above the global median – Msida by 40%, Balzan by 37%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.67 €9.99

$19.18 €16.42

-39.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €59.7

$70.1 €60.0

-0.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.19 €9.58

$11.63 €9.95

-3.78%

Cappuccino

$2.25 €1.93

$2.75 €2.36

-18.18%

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

$1.69 €1.45

$2.06 €1.76

-17.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.00 €0.86

$1.02 €0.87

-1.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.99 €3.41

$3.51 €3.01

13.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.10 €3.51

$2.64 €2.26

55.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 €1.18

$1.26 €1.08

9.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.24 €1.06

$0.95 €0.82

30.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 €2.88

$3.40 €2.91

-0.88%

Eggs

$3.91 €3.35

$3.69 €3.16

5.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.41 €8.06

$9.96 €8.52

-5.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.11 €7.80

$9.47 €8.11

-3.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.30 €13.10

$12.50 €10.70

22.40%

Apples (1kg)

$4.47 €3.82

$2.72 €2.33

64.34%

Banana (1kg)

$3.18 €2.72

$2.00 €1.71

59.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.32 €2.84

$1.82 €1.56

82.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.77 €3.23

$1.19 €1.02

216.81%

Potato (1kg)

$2.49 €2.14

$0.94 €0.81

164.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 €1.14

$0.92 €0.79

45.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.40 €2.06

$0.84 €0.72

185.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 €1.07

$0.95 €0.82

31.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.34 €5.42

$6.52 €5.58

-2.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.73 €7.47

$6.22 €5.32

40.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.67

$1.09 €0.93

78.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 €1.92

$1.47 €1.26

52.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.07 €1.77

$3.09 €2.64

-33.01%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.55 €26.15

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.91 €5.06

$2.28 €1.95

159.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.07 €3.48

$1.93 €1.66

110.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$49.77 €42.60

$34.82 €29.81

42.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 €1.29

$1.56 €1.34

-3.21%

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

$38.6K €33.0K

$26.4K €22.6K

45.84%

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

$37.6K €32.2K

$34.1K €29.2K

10.52%

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

$85.0 €72.8

$159 €136

-46.54%

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

$28.33 €24.25

$20.77 €17.78

36.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.28 €26.77

$33.14 €28.36

-5.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.27 €34.47

$63.2 €54.1

-36.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.48 €20.10

$23.42 €20.05

0.26%

Cinema Ticket

$10.55 €9.03

$15.49 €13.26

-31.89%

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

$765 €655

$261 €224

192.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.9K €9,289

$12.8K €10.9K

-15.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.5 €80.0

$102 €87.2

-8.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.41 €32.88

$38.71 €33.13

-0.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €89.7

$143 €122

-26.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 €86.5

$103 €87.8

-1.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,084 €928

$873 €747

24.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$942 €807

$784 €671

20.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,729

$1,625 €1,391

24.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,560 €1,335

$1,492 €1,277

4.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,106 €3,514

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,908 €2,490

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,907 €2,489

$1,062 €909

173.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.08

5.43

-6.45%

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

Last update for Msida: April 27, 2026

Last update for Balzan: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,084 in Msida versus $873 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 174% higher in Msida, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $70.0 in Msida versus $70.0 in Balzan. Groceries tell a different story – $315 in Msida vs $244 in Balzan – so Balzan wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

Msida vs Balzan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,881 in Msida, $1,829 in Balzan – roughly 3% apart. Msida costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,821 per month in Msida and $2,743 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $70.0 in Msida and $70.0 in Balzan. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 29% more in Msida, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Balzan, where all-in costs run around $1,829, than in Msida at $1,881. In Balzan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Msida it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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 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.

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