Cost of Living Comparison Between Qrendi and Balzan Cost of Living Comparison Between Qrendi and Balzan

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,962 per month in Qrendi vs $1,760 in Balzan, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,055 per month in Qrendi vs $2,810 in Balzan, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,147 per month in Qrendi vs $3,861 in Balzan, rent included.

Qrendi costs about 12% more than Balzan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Qrendi and Balzan sit above the global median – Qrendi by 46%, Balzan by 31%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.62 €17.76

$19.32 €16.64

6.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$97.3 €83.8

$68.7 €59.2

41.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.72 €10.09

$11.51 €9.92

1.82%

Cappuccino

$2.99 €2.57

$2.77 €2.39

7.94%

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

$3.03 €2.61

$1.97 €1.70

53.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 €1.87

$1.07 €0.92

102.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.56 €3.93

$3.44 €2.96

32.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 €4.09

$2.66 €2.29

78.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 €1.19

$1.23 €1.06

13.01%

White Bread (500g)

$1.24 €1.07

$0.95 €0.82

30.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.15 €3.58

$3.57 €3.07

16.25%

Eggs

$4.58 €3.94

$3.73 €3.21

22.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.49 €9.03

$9.61 €8.28

9.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.16 €7.89

$9.29 €8.01

-1.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.03 €12.09

$12.85 €11.07

9.18%

Apples (1kg)

$4.48 €3.86

$2.62 €2.25

70.99%

Banana (1kg)

$3.13 €2.70

$1.96 €1.69

59.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.27 €2.82

$1.76 €1.52

85.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.81 €3.28

$1.19 €1.02

220.17%

Potato (1kg)

$2.50 €2.15

$0.90 €0.78

177.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.28 €1.10

$0.95 €0.82

34.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.31 €1.99

$0.85 €0.73

171.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 €1.03

$0.93 €0.80

27.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.63 €5.71

$6.31 €5.43

5.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.64 €7.45

$6.28 €5.41

37.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 €1.63

$1.07 €0.92

76.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 €1.91

$1.53 €1.32

45.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.72 €2.34

$3.11 €2.68

-12.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.65 €4.87

$2.34 €2.02

141.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.11 €3.54

$1.93 €1.66

112.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$49.92 €43.01

$34.19 €29.46

46.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 €1.35

$1.56 €1.35

0.64%

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

$38.1K €32.8K

$25.6K €22.1K

48.46%

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

$38.2K €32.9K

$34.2K €29.5K

11.75%

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

$93.1 €80.2

$161 €139

-42.15%

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

$28.34 €24.42

$20.65 €17.79

37.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.72 €38.53

$33.27 €28.67

34.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.5 €55.6

$64.0 €55.1

0.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.43 €20.19

$23.39 €20.15

0.17%

Cinema Ticket

$10.48 €9.03

$15.20 €13.10

-31.05%

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

$436 €376

$262 €226

66.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.1K €9,586

$12.9K €11.1K

-13.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.7 €79.0

$104 €89.2

-11.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.06 €32.79

$38.17 €32.88

-0.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €90.1

$145 €125

-28.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 €87.8

$101 €87.2

0.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,133 €976

$869 €749

30.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$952 €821

$787 €678

21.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,965 €1,693

$1,597 €1,376

23.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,522 €1,311

$1,479 €1,274

2.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,369 €3,765

$4,003 €3,449

9.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,217 €2,772

$2,839 €2,446

13.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,054 €908

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 Qrendi: June 8, 2026

Last update for Balzan: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,133 in Qrendi versus $869 in Balzan. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $97.0 in Qrendi versus $69.0 in Balzan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $319 vs $243 – making Balzan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Qrendi vs Balzan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,962 in Qrendi, $1,760 in Balzan – roughly 12% apart. Qrendi costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,943 per month in Qrendi and $2,639 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 $97.0 in Qrendi and $69.0 in Balzan. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 31% more in Qrendi, 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 $1,760, than in Qrendi at $1,962. In Balzan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Qrendi 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, Qrendi makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.