Cost of Living Comparison Between Rabat and Balzan Cost of Living Comparison Between Rabat and Balzan

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,883 per month in Rabat vs $1,772 in Balzan, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,839 per month in Rabat vs $2,807 in Balzan, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,796 per month in Rabat vs $3,841 in Balzan, rent included.

Rabat costs about 6% more than Balzan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Rabat and Balzan sit above the global median – Rabat by 41%, Balzan by 32%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.07 €14.69

$19.37 €16.68

-11.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.7 €60.9

$68.8 €59.2

2.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.36 €9.78

$11.48 €9.89

-1.05%

Cappuccino

$2.45 €2.11

$2.71 €2.34

-9.59%

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

$2.66 €2.29

$2.07 €1.78

28.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 €1.45

$1.06 €0.91

59.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.51 €3.02

$3.43 €2.95

2.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 €2.92

$2.63 €2.26

28.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €0.99

$1.24 €1.06

-7.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.28 €1.11

$1.02 €0.88

25.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.36 €2.03

$3.44 €2.96

-31.40%

Eggs

$3.68 €3.17

$3.73 €3.21

-1.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.22 €8.80

$9.69 €8.35

5.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.32 €7.17

$9.30 €8.01

-10.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.92 €16.29

$12.55 €10.81

50.76%

Apples (1kg)

$4.31 €3.71

$2.59 €2.23

66.41%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.02

$1.98 €1.70

18.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.27 €2.82

$1.82 €1.57

79.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 €1.95

$1.15 €0.99

96.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.19 €1.02

$0.94 €0.81

26.60%

Onion (1kg)

$1.19 €1.03

$0.88 €0.76

35.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 €1.02

$0.90 €0.77

31.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 €1.02

$1.00 €0.86

19.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.53 €5.62

$6.35 €5.47

2.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.44 €7.27

$6.03 €5.19

39.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.62

$1.07 €0.92

75.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 €1.98

$1.47 €1.27

56.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.81 €2.42

$3.10 €2.67

-9.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.67 €4.89

$2.28 €1.96

148.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.19 €3.61

$1.87 €1.61

124.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$49.43 €42.57

$35.38 €30.47

39.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 €1.31

$1.58 €1.36

-3.80%

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

$38.2K €32.9K

$25.9K €22.3K

47.17%

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

$37.4K €32.2K

$33.0K €28.4K

13.34%

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

$94.2 €81.1

$165 €142

-42.93%

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

$12.60 €10.85

$21.16 €18.22

-40.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.84 €39.47

$32.57 €28.04

40.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.3 €59.7

$63.9 €55.1

8.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.35 €29.58

$23.04 €19.84

49.09%

Cinema Ticket

$10.56 €9.09

$15.23 €13.12

-30.66%

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

$435 €375

$262 €226

66.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.1K €9,574

$12.7K €10.9K

-12.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.1 €77.6

$101 €87.0

-10.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.48 €24.53

$39.17 €33.73

-27.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.0 €63.7

$143 €123

-48.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 €88.4

$103 €88.3

0.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,129 €972

$860 €740

31.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$956 €823

$783 €674

22.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,011 €1,732

$1,619 €1,394

24.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 €1,299

$1,532 €1,319

-1.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,371 €3,764

$4,054 €3,490

7.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,116 €2,683

$2,893 €2,491

7.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,387 €1,194

$1,061 €914

30.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.2

5.43

-41.07%

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

Last update for Rabat: May 31, 2026

Last update for Balzan: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,129 in Rabat versus $860 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 31% higher in Rabat, 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 $71.0 in Rabat versus $69.0 in Balzan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $293 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

Rabat vs Balzan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,883 in Rabat, $1,772 in Balzan – roughly 6% apart. Rabat costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,824 per month in Rabat and $2,658 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 $71.0 in Rabat 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 21% more in Rabat, 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 $1,772, than in Rabat at $1,883. In Balzan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Rabat 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, Rabat makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.