Cost of Living Comparison Between Sliema and Birgu Cost of Living Comparison Between Sliema and Birgu

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,477 in Sliema versus $1,810 in Birgu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,930 in Sliema versus $2,898 in Birgu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,384 in Sliema versus $3,985 in Birgu.

Living in Sliema is roughly 37% more expensive than in Birgu, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sliema 80% above, Birgu 32% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.96 €17.22

$20.41 €17.60

-2.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.6 €77.2

$88.9 €76.7

0.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.89 €11.98

$12.12 €10.45

14.60%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.38

$2.85 €2.46

-3.16%

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

$3.22 €2.78

$2.34 €2.02

37.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 €1.98

$1.73 €1.49

32.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.65 €4.01

$4.62 €3.99

0.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.29 €4.56

$5.18 €4.47

2.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 €1.23

$1.41 €1.21

1.42%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 €1.17

$1.37 €1.18

-0.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.54 €3.91

$4.42 €3.81

2.71%

Eggs

$4.36 €3.76

$4.09 €3.52

6.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.74 €7.54

$8.41 €7.26

3.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.95 €9.44

$8.90 €7.67

23.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.77 €16.19

$16.18 €13.96

16.01%

Apples (1kg)

$4.37 €3.77

$2.82 €2.43

54.96%

Banana (1kg)

$2.88 €2.49

$1.26 €1.09

128.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.78 €3.26

$2.83 €2.44

33.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.44 €2.97

$2.92 €2.52

17.81%

Potato (1kg)

$2.52 €2.17

$2.35 €2.03

7.23%

Onion (1kg)

$2.13 €1.84

$1.69 €1.46

26.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.36 €2.04

$2.38 €2.05

-0.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.17

$0.89 €0.76

52.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.15 €6.17

$6.94 €5.98

3.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.58 €7.40

$8.33 €7.18

3.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 €1.58

$1.61 €1.38

13.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 €2.09

$2.41 €2.08

0.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.29 €1.97

$2.41 €2.08

-4.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$140 €121

$14.60 €12.60

857.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.87 €5.06

$5.67 €4.89

3.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.37 €2.05

$1.18 €1.02

100.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.49 €23.71

$28.06 €24.20

-2.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 €1.31

$1.59 €1.38

-4.40%

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

$39.5K €34.1K

$27.9K €24.1K

41.56%

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

$39.9K €34.4K

$34.7K €30.0K

14.84%

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

$108 €92.9

$106 €91.8

1.24%

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

$26.58 €22.93

$26.25 €22.64

1.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.33 €38.24

$34.63 €29.87

28.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 €66.5

$45.62 €39.34

69.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.55 €14.28

$69.7 €60.1

-76.27%

Cinema Ticket

$10.43 €8.99

$10.53 €9.08

-0.95%

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

$374 €322

$388 €335

-3.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K €9,841

$2,133 €1,839

435.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.1 €77.7

$26.58 €22.92

238.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.70 €36.83

$35.03 €30.21

21.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €88.0

$102 €87.7

0.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.9 €70.7

$114 €98.6

-28.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,783 €1,538

$1,040 €897

71.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,287 €1,110

$854 €736

50.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,086 €2,661

$1,827 €1,576

68.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,460 €2,122

$1,571 €1,355

56.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,642 €4,866

$4,024 €3,471

40.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,730 €3,217

$2,864 €2,470

30.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,902 €1,640

$1,996 €1,722

-4.72%

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 Sliema: August 30, 2026

Last update for Birgu: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,783 in Sliema and $1,040 in Birgu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Birgu pays 5% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $90.0 in Sliema vs $89.0 in Birgu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $341 vs $288 per month, with Birgu cheaper across the board.

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

Sliema vs Birgu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Birgu wins on cost – living expenses run 37% lower than in Sliema. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Birgu the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 5% lower in Birgu. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,783 in Sliema versus $1,040 in Birgu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Birgu runs roughly 858% less than in Sliema. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $374 in Sliema versus $388 in Birgu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,810 in Birgu versus $2,477 in Sliema, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Birgu but tight or insufficient in Sliema. The gap between the two cities makes Birgu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Birgu delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,810 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Birgu hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Sliema and Birgu are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Birgu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 37% less than in Sliema. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.