Cost of Living Comparison Between Sliema and Birzebbuga Cost of Living Comparison Between Sliema and Birzebbuga

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,186 in Sliema versus $1,797 in Birzebbuga.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,406 in Sliema versus $2,679 in Birzebbuga.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,626 in Sliema versus $3,560 in Birzebbuga.

Living in Sliema is roughly 22% more expensive than Birzebbuga, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sliema 63% above, Birzebbuga 34% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.87 €17.99

$15.81 €13.62

32.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$96.5 €83.1

$62.7 €54.1

53.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.56 €9.96

$11.37 €9.80

1.67%

Cappuccino

$2.89 €2.49

$2.71 €2.33

6.64%

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

$3.08 €2.65

$2.16 €1.86

42.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 €1.94

$2.12 €1.83

6.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.66 €4.02

$3.10 €2.67

50.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.54 €3.91

$3.39 €2.92

33.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 €1.20

$1.35 €1.16

2.96%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 €1.13

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.18 €3.60

$3.19 €2.75

31.03%

Eggs

$4.47 €3.85

$3.67 €3.16

21.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.30 €8.87

$10.45 €9.01

-1.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.13 €7.86

$9.27 €7.98

-1.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.01 €16.38

$14.13 €12.17

34.54%

Apples (1kg)

$4.26 €3.67

$2.87 €2.47

48.43%

Banana (1kg)

$3.20 €2.76

$2.04 €1.75

56.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.38 €2.92

$3.22 €2.77

4.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.82 €3.30

$2.85 €2.46

34.04%

Potato (1kg)

$2.49 €2.15

$1.62 €1.40

53.70%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 €1.16

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.41 €2.08

$1.58 €1.36

52.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 €1.08

$0.76 €0.66

64.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.45 €5.56

$6.27 €5.40

2.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.56 €7.37

$6.76 €5.83

26.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 €1.61

$1.63 €1.40

14.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 €1.93

$2.32 €2.00

-3.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.81 €2.42

$2.08 €1.79

35.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.29 €13.17

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.88 €5.07

$5.85 €5.04

0.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.12 €3.55

$3.91 €3.37

5.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$49.51 €42.66

$45.92 €39.57

7.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 €1.32

$1.59 €1.37

-3.14%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$31.0K €26.7K

26.08%

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

$37.8K €32.5K

$26.8K €23.1K

41.00%

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

$95.1 €81.9

$93.4 €80.5

1.78%

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

$28.79 €24.81

$26.04 €22.44

10.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.03 €39.66

$43.29 €37.30

6.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.1 €59.6

$58.7 €50.6

17.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.85 €19.69

$23.11 €19.91

-1.13%

Cinema Ticket

$10.54 €9.08

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

$765 €659

$436 €376

75.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.2K €9,611

$9,353 €8,058

19.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.1 €77.6

$90.7 €78.2

-0.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.23 €32.94

$38.70 €33.34

-1.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €88.2

$92.9 €80.0

10.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 €87.1

$102 €88.0

-1.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,449 €1,249

$1,031 €888

40.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,109 €956

$846 €729

31.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,438 €2,101

$1,779 €1,533

37.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,000 €1,723

$1,398 €1,205

43.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,495 €4,734

$3,611 €3,111

52.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,744 €3,225

$2,883 €2,484

29.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,840 €1,586

$1,829 €1,576

0.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.08

3.54

43.50%

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

Last update for Sliema: June 9, 2026

Last update for Birzebbuga: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,449 in Sliema and $1,031 in Birzebbuga. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sliema pays 1% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $96.0 in Sliema vs $63.0 in Birzebbuga for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $334 vs $277 per month, with Birzebbuga 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 Birzebbuga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Birzebbuga is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 22% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Sliema pays 1% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,449 in Sliema versus $1,031 in Birzebbuga. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 21% higher in Sliema. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,186 per month in Sliema versus $1,797 in Birzebbuga – a 22% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,797 in Birzebbuga versus $2,186 in Sliema, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Birzebbuga but tight or insufficient in Sliema. The gap between the two cities makes Birzebbuga the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Birzebbuga is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Sliema, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Sliema and Birzebbuga 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 Birzebbuga gentler on the wallet – expenses run 22% less than in Sliema. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.