Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Msida and Balzan

For one person, living is cheaper in Msida: $1,805 a month against $1,939 in Balzan, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Msida, Malta
Balzan, Malta
Msida
🇲🇹 Malta
$1,805
/mo nomad
Balzan
🇲🇹 Malta
$1,939
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,805 per month in Msida vs $1,939 in Balzan, rent included.

  • Msida $1,805
  • Balzan $1,939

A couple spends around $2,670 per month in Msida vs $2,927 in Balzan, rent included.

  • Msida $2,670
  • Balzan $2,927

A family of three spends $3,536 per month in Msida vs $3,915 in Balzan, rent included.

  • Msida $3,536
  • Balzan $3,915

Msida is about 7% cheaper than Balzan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Msida and Balzan sit above the global median – Msida by 33%, Balzan by 42%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Msida
Balzan
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$11.29 €10.08
$18.68 €16.67
-39.56%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$50.1 €44.69
$91.1 €81.3
-45.03%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.72 €9.57
$12.10 €10.79
-11.40%
Cappuccino
$2.26 €2.02
$3.09 €2.75
-26.86%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.26 €2.01
$1.93 €1.73
17.10%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.10 €0.99
$1.03 €0.92
6.80%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.60 €4.11
$3.26 €2.90
41.10%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.45 €3.08
$2.45 €2.18
40.82%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Msida
Balzan
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.12 €1.00
$1.25 €1.11
-10.40%
White Bread (500g)
$1.35 €1.21
$0.97 €0.87
39.18%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.46 €3.98
$3.52 €3.14
26.70%
Eggs
$2.65 €2.36
$4.30 €3.83
-38.37%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.48 €7.57
$10.30 €9.19
-17.67%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.44 €9.31
$9.10 €8.12
14.73%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$18.08 €16.13
$12.40 €11.06
45.81%
Apples (1kg)
$4.27 €3.81
$2.64 €2.36
61.74%
Banana (1kg)
$2.84 €2.53
$2.04 €1.82
39.22%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.69 €3.29
$1.68 €1.50
119.64%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.32 €2.96
$1.15 €1.03
188.70%
Potato (1kg)
$2.21 €1.97
$0.86 €0.77
156.98%
Onion (1kg)
$1.90 €1.69
$0.91 €0.81
108.79%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.35 €2.10
$0.85 €0.76
176.47%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.29 €1.15
$0.99 €0.89
30.30%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.58 €5.87
$6.09 €5.44
8.05%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.08 €7.21
$6.02 €5.37
34.22%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.71 €1.53
$1.07 €0.96
59.81%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.40 €2.14
$1.49 €1.33
61.07%
🚌 Getting Around
Msida
Balzan
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.18 €1.95
$3.01 €2.69
-27.57%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.45 €4.86
$2.23 €1.99
144.39%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.17 €1.94
$1.76 €1.57
23.30%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$26.80 €23.91
$32.03 €28.58
-16.33%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.49 €1.33
$1.52 €1.36
-1.97%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$37.1K €33.1K
$27.5K €24.5K
35.05%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$39.7K €35.4K
$32.2K €28.7K
23.16%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Msida
Balzan
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$84.8 €75.6
$154 €138
-45.00%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$25.53 €22.78
$19.90 €17.75
28.29%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$27.62 €24.64
$28.97 €25.85
-4.66%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Msida
Balzan
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$56.3 €50.3
$73.6 €65.6
-23.42%
Cinema Ticket
$9.96 €8.89
$11.40 €10.17
-12.63%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Msida
Balzan
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$363 €324
$280 €249
29.75%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.0K €9,770
$12.1K €10.8K
-9.75%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Msida
Balzan
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$86.0 €76.7
$58.0 €51.8
48.14%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$39.84 €35.55
$69.1 €61.7
-42.35%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$98.3 €87.7
$110 €98.1
-10.62%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$78.6 €70.1
$130 €116
-39.63%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Msida
Balzan
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,048 €935
$1,132 €1,010
-7.46%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$917 €818
$950 €848
-3.51%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,823 €1,627
$1,804 €1,609
1.08%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,485 €1,325
$1,522 €1,358
-2.48%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$4,057 €3,619
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$2,876 €2,566
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Msida
Balzan
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,734 €2,440
$1,000 €893
173.31%
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 Msida: October 26, 2026

Last update for Balzan: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Msida
$917
Balzan
$950 3.6% $33
Groceries & Markets
Msida
$320
Balzan
$245 23.3% $74
Eating Out
Msida
$193
Balzan
$256 32.5% $63
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Msida
$138
Balzan
$203 47.2% $65
Clothing & Footwear
Msida
$136
Balzan
$165 21.3% $29
Sport & Entertainment
Msida
$76
Balzan
$96 26.4% $20
Getting Around
Msida
$25 *
Balzan
$23 * 7.8% $2

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,048 in Msida 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 Msida are about 2.7 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 $50 in Msida versus $91 in Balzan. Groceries tell a different story – $320 in Msida vs $245 in Balzan – so Balzan wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇲🇹 Msida
🇲🇹 Balzan
🕒 Local time
20:42 8:42 PM
20:42 8:42 PM
Same time as Msida
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
8,000
4,700
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Msida Balzan 3 km
From you
  • Msida
  • 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
Msida vs Balzan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Msida and in Balzan compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,805 in Msida, $1,939 in Balzan – Msida comes out roughly 7% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Msida compared to Balzan?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,707 per month in Msida and $2,908 in Balzan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do apartment prices compare in Msida and in Balzan?
A central 1-bedroom goes for about $1,048 in Msida and $1,132 in Balzan. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $50 in Msida 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 23% cheaper in Balzan – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.
How far does $2,500 go in Msida compared to Balzan?
$2,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,805 in Msida and $1,939 in Balzan, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
How does quality of life compare between Msida and Balzan?
It depends on your priorities. Balzan has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,805 in Msida to $1,939 in Balzan. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Msida 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.

Msida vs other spots: cost of living compared

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