Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sliema and Birkirkara

For one person, living is cheaper in Birkirkara: $2,024 a month against $2,396 in Sliema, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

116

Cost of Living Index in Sliema
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Sliema Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Birkirkara
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Birkirkara Living Index

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Sliema

🇲🇹 Malta

$2,396

/mo nomad

Birkirkara

🇲🇹 Malta

$2,024

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sliema and in Birkirkara

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

A single person spends $2,396 per month in Sliema vs $2,024 in Birkirkara, rent included.

Sliema $2,396
Birkirkara $2,024

A couple spends around $3,794 per month in Sliema vs $3,003 in Birkirkara, rent included.

Sliema $3,794
Birkirkara $3,003

A family of three spends $5,191 per month in Sliema vs $3,981 in Birkirkara, rent included.

Sliema $5,191
Birkirkara $3,981

Sliema costs about 18% more than Birkirkara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Sliema and Birkirkara sit above the global median – Sliema by 77%, Birkirkara by 50%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.81 €17.63

$10.96 €9.75

80.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.6 €76.2

$77.7 €69.1

10.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.24 €11.77

$13.64 €12.14

-2.93%

Cappuccino

$2.77 €2.47

$3.07 €2.73

-9.77%

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

$3.02 €2.69

$2.24 €2.00

34.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.16 €1.92

$1.60 €1.42

35.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.09

$3.31 €2.94

38.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.24 €4.66

$3.40 €3.03

54.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 €1.20

$1.28 €1.14

5.47%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 €1.22

$1.28 €1.14

7.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.24 €3.77

$3.60 €3.20

17.78%

Eggs

$4.30 €3.82

$3.38 €3.00

27.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.27 €7.35

$13.26 €11.79

-37.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.25 €9.12

$12.47 €11.09

-17.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.21 €16.20

$18.25 €16.23

-0.22%

Apples (1kg)

$4.24 €3.77

$2.62 €2.33

61.83%

Banana (1kg)

$2.81 €2.50

$2.03 €1.80

38.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.52 €3.13

$2.14 €1.90

64.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.32 €2.95

$2.81 €2.50

18.15%

Potato (1kg)

$2.42 €2.16

$1.38 €1.23

75.36%

Onion (1kg)

$2.05 €1.82

$1.99 €1.77

3.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 €2.08

$1.92 €1.70

21.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 €1.16

$1.07 €0.95

21.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.83 €6.08

$6.38 €5.67

7.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.09 €7.19

$10.01 €8.90

-19.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 €1.50

$2.26 €2.01

-25.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.14

$3.75 €3.33

-36.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.17 €1.93

$2.20 €1.95

-1.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$133 €118

$27.75 €24.68

379.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.64 €5.02

$5.42 €4.82

4.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.20 €1.96

$2.88 €2.56

-23.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.09 €24.10

$70.9 €63.1

-61.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 €1.37

$1.46 €1.30

5.48%

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

$37.9K €33.7K

$32.3K €28.7K

17.53%

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

$39.6K €35.2K

$41.1K €36.5K

-3.59%

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

$103 €91.9

$116 €103

-10.88%

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

$25.61 €22.78

$29.28 €26.05

-12.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.84 €38.10

$31.12 €27.68

37.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.4 €68.0

$65.4 €58.2

16.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.86 €14.11

$28.71 €25.54

-44.76%

Cinema Ticket

$10.20 €9.08

$13.57 €12.07

-24.83%

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

$366 €326

$415 €369

-11.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.1K €9,912

$6,689 €5,950

66.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.5 €76.0

$141 €126

-39.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.84 €36.33

$58.4 €52.0

-30.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €90.0

$106 €94.2

-4.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.7 €68.2

$161 €143

-52.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,775 €1,579

$1,150 €1,023

54.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,085

$959 €853

27.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,913 €2,591

$1,698 €1,511

71.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,385 €2,122

$1,432 €1,274

66.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,353 €4,762

$3,906 €3,474

37.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,578 €3,183

$2,684 €2,388

33.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,815 €1,614

$1,847 €1,643

-1.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.9

4.79

-39.46%

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

Last update for Sliema: October 12, 2026

Last update for Birkirkara: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sliema

$1.2K 50.9%

Birkirkara

$959 47.4% 21.3% $260

Groceries & Markets

Sliema

$326 13.6%

Birkirkara

$326 16.1% 0.2% $0.8

Eating Out

Sliema

$286 11.9%

Birkirkara

$204 10.1% 28.6% $82

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sliema

$172 7.2%

Birkirkara

$176 8.7% 2.7% $4.6

Getting Around

Sliema

$158 6.6%

Birkirkara

$56 2.8% 64.4% $102

Clothing & Footwear

Sliema

$137 5.7%

Birkirkara

$210 10.4% 53.3% $73

Sport & Entertainment

Sliema

$97 4%

Birkirkara

$93 4.6% 4.4% $4.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,775 in Sliema versus $1,150 in Birkirkara. 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 2% higher in Birkirkara, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $86.0 in Sliema versus $78.0 in Birkirkara. Groceries tell a different story – $326 in Sliema vs $326 in Birkirkara – so Sliema wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇹 Sliema

🇲🇹 Birkirkara

🕒 Local time

06:26 6:26 AM

Same time as Sliema

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

16,854

22,247

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Sliema Birkirkara 4 km

From you

Sliema
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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

Sliema vs Birkirkara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sliema costs about 18% more than Birkirkara, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,594 per month in Sliema and $3,037 in Birkirkara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Birkirkara, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 0% 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 mid-range dinner for two costs $86.0 in Sliema and $78.0 in Birkirkara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Birkirkara, where all-in costs run around $2,024, than in Sliema at $2,396. In Birkirkara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sliema it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Birkirkara costs $2,024 versus $2,396 in Sliema. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Birkirkara. 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.