Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rabat and Valletta

For one person, living is cheaper in Rabat: $1,928 a month against $2,258 in Valletta, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 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
110

Cost of Living Index in Valletta
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Valletta Living Index

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Rabat

🇲🇹 Malta

$1,928

/mo nomad

Valletta

🇲🇹 Malta

$2,258

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rabat and in Valletta

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 Valletta actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,928 per month in Rabat vs $2,258 in Valletta, rent included.

Rabat $1,928
Valletta $2,258

A couple spends around $2,701 per month in Rabat vs $3,519 in Valletta, rent included.

Rabat $2,701
Valletta $3,519

A family of three spends $3,474 per month in Rabat vs $4,780 in Valletta, rent included.

Rabat $3,474
Valletta $4,780

Rabat is about 15% cheaper than Valletta, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Rabat and Valletta sit above the global median – Rabat by 43%, Valletta by 67%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.55 €14.72

$22.42 €19.95

-26.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.4 €44.82

$87.6 €78.0

-42.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.19 €9.96

$13.23 €11.76

-15.42%

Cappuccino

$2.25 €2.00

$3.20 €2.85

-29.69%

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

$2.48 €2.20

$2.42 €2.15

2.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 €1.51

$1.91 €1.69

-11.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.33 €2.97

$5.65 €5.02

-41.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.43 €3.05

$6.59 €5.86

-47.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 €0.99

$1.32 €1.17

-15.91%

White Bread (500g)

$1.34 €1.19

$1.45 €1.29

-7.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.26 €2.01

$3.44 €3.06

-34.30%

Eggs

$3.50 €3.11

$4.28 €3.81

-18.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.97 €7.09

$10.20 €9.07

-21.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.87 €7.00

$11.86 €10.55

-33.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.51 €11.13

$17.94 €15.96

-30.27%

Apples (1kg)

$4.12 €3.67

$3.79 €3.37

8.71%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 €1.94

$2.72 €2.42

-19.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.55 €3.16

$3.85 €3.42

-7.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.97

$3.70 €3.29

-40.27%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 €1.02

$1.86 €1.65

-38.17%

Onion (1kg)

$1.14 €1.01

$3.27 €2.91

-65.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 €0.97

$2.20 €1.95

-50.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 €0.97

$1.57 €1.39

-30.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.80 €6.05

$6.22 €5.53

9.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.23 €7.32

$5.86 €5.21

40.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 €1.57

$2.46 €2.19

-28.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 €2.17

$2.38 €2.12

2.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.71 €2.41

$2.78 €2.47

-2.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.73 €5.09

$3.81 €3.39

50.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.21 €1.96

$1.84 €1.63

20.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.77 €23.81

$32.08 €28.53

-16.55%

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

$27.9K €24.8K

35.28%

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

$38.6K €34.3K

$39.4K €35.0K

-1.97%

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

$101 €90.2

$155 €138

-34.63%

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

$12.17 €10.82

$31.40 €27.93

-61.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.85 €38.12

$28.93 €25.73

48.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.1 €55.3

$58.0 €51.6

7.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.18 €19.73

$20.34 €18.09

9.05%

Cinema Ticket

$10.09 €8.98

$11.48 €10.21

-12.11%

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

$369 €328

$278 €248

32.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K €10.0K

$12.4K €11.0K

-8.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €76.7

$58.0 €51.6

48.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.60 €24.55

$68.9 €61.3

-59.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.7 €65.6

$113 €101

-34.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.8 €68.3

$130 €116

-41.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,051 €934

$1,391 €1,238

-24.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,049 €933

$1,114 €991

-5.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,735 €1,543

$3,250 €2,891

-46.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,460 €1,299

$2,043 €1,817

-28.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,396 €3,910

$5,247 €4,668

-16.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,149 €2,801

$3,999 €3,557

-21.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,318 €1,173

$2,042 €1,816

-35.43%

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 Rabat: October 10, 2026

Last update for Valletta: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rabat

$1K 54.4%

Valletta

$1.1K 49.3% 6.2% $65

Groceries & Markets

Rabat

$261 13.5%

Valletta

$340 15.1% 30.4% $79

Eating Out

Rabat

$233 12.1%

Valletta

$316 14% 35.6% $83

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rabat

$156 8.1%

Valletta

$215 9.5% 37.7% $59

Clothing & Footwear

Rabat

$119 6.2%

Valletta

$167 7.4% 40.2% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Rabat

$82 4.3%

Valletta

$81 3.6% 1.7% $1.4

Getting Around

Rabat

$28 * 1.4%

Valletta

$24 * 1.1% 12.6% $3.5

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 $1,391 in Valletta. 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 55% higher in Valletta, 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 $88.0 in Valletta. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $261 vs $340 – making Rabat the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇹 Rabat

🇲🇹 Valletta

🕒 Local time

16:04 4:04 PM

Same time as Rabat

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,497

5,700 Capital

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Rabat Valletta 11 km

From you

Rabat
Valletta

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 Valletta: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Valletta is pricier by about 17%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,892 per month in Rabat and $3,386 in Valletta. 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 $88.0 in Valletta. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 30% more in Valletta, 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 Valletta at $2,258. In Rabat it covers expenses comfortably, while in Valletta 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, Valletta makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.