Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rabat and Sliema

For one person, living is cheaper in Rabat: $1,928 a month against $2,396 in Sliema, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

88

Cost of Living Index in Rabat
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Rabat Living Index
116

Cost of Living Index in Sliema
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Sliema Living Index

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Rabat

🇲🇹 Malta

$1,928

/mo nomad

Sliema

🇲🇹 Malta

$2,396

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rabat and in Sliema

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Rabat and in Sliema actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,928 per month in Rabat vs $2,396 in Sliema, rent included.

Rabat $1,928
Sliema $2,396

A couple spends around $2,701 per month in Rabat vs $3,794 in Sliema, rent included.

Rabat $2,701
Sliema $3,794

A family of three spends $3,474 per month in Rabat vs $5,191 in Sliema, rent included.

Rabat $3,474
Sliema $5,191

Rabat is about 20% cheaper than Sliema, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Rabat and Sliema sit above the global median – Rabat by 43%, Sliema by 77%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.55 €14.72

$19.81 €17.63

-16.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.4 €44.82

$85.6 €76.2

-41.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.19 €9.96

$13.24 €11.77

-15.48%

Cappuccino

$2.25 €2.00

$2.77 €2.47

-18.77%

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

$2.48 €2.20

$3.02 €2.69

-17.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 €1.51

$2.16 €1.92

-21.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.33 €2.97

$4.60 €4.09

-27.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.43 €3.05

$5.24 €4.66

-34.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 €0.99

$1.35 €1.20

-17.78%

White Bread (500g)

$1.34 €1.19

$1.37 €1.22

-2.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.26 €2.01

$4.24 €3.77

-46.70%

Eggs

$3.50 €3.11

$4.30 €3.82

-18.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.97 €7.09

$8.27 €7.35

-3.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.87 €7.00

$10.25 €9.12

-23.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.51 €11.13

$18.21 €16.20

-31.30%

Apples (1kg)

$4.12 €3.67

$4.24 €3.77

-2.83%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 €1.94

$2.81 €2.50

-22.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.55 €3.16

$3.52 €3.13

0.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.97

$3.32 €2.95

-33.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 €1.02

$2.42 €2.16

-52.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.14 €1.01

$2.05 €1.82

-44.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 €0.97

$2.34 €2.08

-53.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 €0.97

$1.30 €1.16

-16.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.80 €6.05

$6.83 €6.08

-0.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.23 €7.32

$8.09 €7.19

1.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 €1.57

$1.68 €1.50

4.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 €2.17

$2.40 €2.14

1.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.71 €2.41

$2.17 €1.93

24.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$133 €118

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.73 €5.09

$5.64 €5.02

1.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.21 €1.96

$2.20 €1.96

0.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.77 €23.81

$27.09 €24.10

-1.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 €1.34

$1.54 €1.37

-1.95%

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

$37.7K €33.6K

$37.9K €33.7K

-0.46%

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

$38.6K €34.3K

$39.6K €35.2K

-2.51%

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

$101 €90.2

$103 €91.9

-1.88%

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

$12.17 €10.82

$25.61 €22.78

-52.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.85 €38.12

$42.84 €38.10

0.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.1 €55.3

$76.4 €68.0

-18.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.18 €19.73

$15.86 €14.11

39.85%

Cinema Ticket

$10.09 €8.98

$10.20 €9.08

-1.08%

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

$369 €328

$366 €326

0.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K €10.0K

$11.1K €9,912

1.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €76.7

$85.5 €76.0

0.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.60 €24.55

$40.84 €36.33

-32.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.7 €65.6

$101 €90.0

-27.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.8 €68.3

$76.7 €68.2

0.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,051 €934

$1,775 €1,579

-40.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,049 €933

$1,220 €1,085

-14.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,735 €1,543

$2,913 €2,591

-40.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,460 €1,299

$2,385 €2,122

-38.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,396 €3,910

$5,353 €4,762

-17.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,149 €2,801

$3,578 €3,183

-11.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,318 €1,173

$1,815 €1,614

-27.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.9

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

Last update for Rabat: October 10, 2026

Last update for Sliema: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Rabat

$1K 54.4%

Sliema

$1.2K 50.9% 16.3% $171

Groceries & Markets

Rabat

$261 13.5%

Sliema

$326 13.6% 25.2% $66

Eating Out

Rabat

$233 12.1%

Sliema

$286 11.9% 22.5% $53

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rabat

$156 8.1%

Sliema

$172 7.2% 9.8% $15

Clothing & Footwear

Rabat

$119 6.2%

Sliema

$137 5.7% 15.1% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Rabat

$82 4.3%

Sliema

$97 4% 17.6% $15

Getting Around

Rabat

$28 * 1.4%

Sliema

$158 6.6% 474% $131

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,051 in Rabat versus $1,775 in Sliema. 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 38% higher in Sliema, 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 $50.0 in Rabat versus $86.0 in Sliema. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $261 vs $326 – making Rabat the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇹 Rabat

🇲🇹 Sliema

🕒 Local time

16:04 4:04 PM

Same time as Rabat

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,497

16,854

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Rabat Sliema 10 km

From you

Rabat
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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

Rabat vs Sliema: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Sliema is pricier by about 24%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,892 per month in Rabat and $3,594 in Sliema. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Rabat, 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 $50.0 in Rabat and $86.0 in Sliema. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 25% more in Sliema, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Rabat, where all-in costs run around $1,928, than in Sliema at $2,396. In Rabat it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sliema it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Rabat – 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 Rabat. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Sliema makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.