Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Pawl Il-bahar and Sliema

For one person, living is cheaper in San Pawl Il-bahar: $1,697 a month against $2,396 in Sliema, rent and utilities included – about $8,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

83

Cost of Living Index in San Pawl Il-bahar
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San Pawl Il-bahar Living Index
116

Cost of Living Index in Sliema
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Sliema Living Index

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San Pawl Il-bahar

🇲🇹 Malta

$1,697

/mo nomad

Sliema

🇲🇹 Malta

$2,396

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Pawl Il-bahar 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 San Pawl Il-bahar and in Sliema actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,697 per month in San Pawl Il-bahar vs $2,396 in Sliema, rent included.

San Pawl Il-bahar $1,697
Sliema $2,396

A couple spends around $2,593 per month in San Pawl Il-bahar vs $3,794 in Sliema, rent included.

San Pawl Il-bahar $2,593
Sliema $3,794

A family of three spends $3,489 per month in San Pawl Il-bahar vs $5,191 in Sliema, rent included.

San Pawl Il-bahar $3,489
Sliema $5,191

San Pawl Il-bahar is about 29% cheaper than Sliema, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both San Pawl Il-bahar and Sliema sit above the global median – San Pawl Il-bahar by 26%, Sliema by 77%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.75 €17.57

$19.81 €17.63

-0.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$82.2 €73.1

$85.6 €76.2

-4.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.28 €10.03

$13.24 €11.77

-14.80%

Cappuccino

$2.58 €2.30

$2.77 €2.47

-6.86%

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

$2.47 €2.20

$3.02 €2.69

-18.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.74

$2.16 €1.92

-9.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.50 €4.00

$4.60 €4.09

-2.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.18 €4.60

$5.24 €4.66

-1.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 €1.17

$1.35 €1.20

-2.96%

White Bread (500g)

$1.16 €1.03

$1.37 €1.22

-15.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.82 €3.40

$4.24 €3.77

-9.91%

Eggs

$3.62 €3.22

$4.30 €3.82

-15.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.44 €7.50

$8.27 €7.35

2.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.75 €6.89

$10.25 €9.12

-24.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.41 €8.37

$18.21 €16.20

-48.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 €2.65

$4.24 €3.77

-29.72%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 €1.82

$2.81 €2.50

-27.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.93 €2.60

$3.52 €3.13

-16.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.86 €2.54

$3.32 €2.95

-13.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.57 €1.40

$2.42 €2.16

-35.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.84 €1.64

$2.05 €1.82

-10.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 €1.06

$2.34 €2.08

-49.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 €1.07

$1.30 €1.16

-7.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.33 €5.63

$6.83 €6.08

-7.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.30 €7.38

$8.09 €7.19

2.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 €1.32

$1.68 €1.50

-11.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 €1.78

$2.40 €2.14

-16.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.76 €2.46

$2.17 €1.93

27.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$133 €118

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.72 €5.09

$5.64 €5.02

1.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 €1.93

$2.20 €1.96

-1.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.51 €23.58

$27.09 €24.10

-2.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 €1.30

$1.54 €1.37

-4.55%

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

$38.3K €34.1K

$37.9K €33.7K

1.00%

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

$39.6K €35.2K

-0.10%

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

$58.9 €52.4

$103 €91.9

-43.04%

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

$20.63 €18.35

$25.61 €22.78

-19.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.96 €35.54

$42.84 €38.10

-6.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €44.17

$76.4 €68.0

-35.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.51 €12.02

$15.86 €14.11

-14.82%

Cinema Ticket

$9.96 €8.86

$10.20 €9.08

-2.35%

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

$371 €330

$366 €326

1.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.1K €9,915

$11.1K €9,912

0.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$22.55 €20.06

$85.5 €76.0

-73.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.53 €29.83

$40.84 €36.33

-17.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.5 €85.8

$101 €90.0

-4.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.4 €67.1

$76.7 €68.2

-1.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$981 €872

$1,775 €1,579

-44.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$848 €755

$1,220 €1,085

-30.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,640 €1,459

$2,913 €2,591

-43.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,348 €1,199

$2,385 €2,122

-43.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,441 €3,061

$5,353 €4,762

-35.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,867 €2,550

$3,578 €3,183

-19.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,670 €1,485

$1,815 €1,614

-7.97%

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 San Pawl Il-bahar: October 12, 2026

Last update for Sliema: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Pawl Il-bahar

$848 50%

Sliema

$1.2K 50.9% 43.8% $371

Eating Out

San Pawl Il-bahar

$273 16.1%

Sliema

$286 11.9% 4.5% $12

Groceries & Markets

San Pawl Il-bahar

$256 15.1%

Sliema

$326 13.6% 27.7% $71

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Pawl Il-bahar

$119 7%

Sliema

$172 7.2% 43.8% $52

Clothing & Footwear

San Pawl Il-bahar

$103 6.1%

Sliema

$137 5.7% 33.5% $34

Sport & Entertainment

San Pawl Il-bahar

$70 4.1%

Sliema

$97 4% 39.2% $27

Getting Around

San Pawl Il-bahar

$28 * 1.6%

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 $981 in San Pawl Il-bahar 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 9% 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 $82.0 in San Pawl Il-bahar versus $86.0 in Sliema. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $256 vs $326 – making San Pawl Il-bahar the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇹 San Pawl Il-bahar

🇲🇹 Sliema

🕒 Local time

17:53 5:53 PM

Same time as San Pawl Il-bahar

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,046

16,854

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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San Pawl Il-bahar Sliema 10 km

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San Pawl Il-bahar
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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

San Pawl Il-bahar vs Sliema: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Sliema is pricier by about 41%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,545 per month in San Pawl Il-bahar 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 San Pawl Il-bahar, 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 $82.0 in San Pawl Il-bahar 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 28% 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 San Pawl Il-bahar, where all-in costs run around $1,697, than in Sliema at $2,396. In San Pawl Il-bahar it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sliema it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward San Pawl Il-bahar – 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 San Pawl Il-bahar. 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.