Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sliema and Birzebbuga

For one person, living is cheaper in Birzebbuga: $1,662 a month against $2,416 in Sliema, rent and utilities included – about $9,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

115

Cost of Living Index in Sliema
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Sliema Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Birzebbuga
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Birzebbuga Living Index

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Sliema

🇲🇹 Malta

$2,416

/mo nomad

Birzebbuga

🇲🇹 Malta

$1,662

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sliema and in Birzebbuga

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,416 in Sliema versus $1,662 in Birzebbuga.

Sliema $2,416
Birzebbuga $1,662

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,868 in Sliema versus $2,653 in Birzebbuga.

Sliema $3,868
Birzebbuga $2,653

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,320 in Sliema versus $3,643 in Birzebbuga.

Sliema $5,320
Birzebbuga $3,643

Living in Sliema is roughly 45% more expensive than in Birzebbuga, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sliema 78% above, Birzebbuga 22% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.81 €17.67

$15.24 €13.59

29.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.4 €76.2

$86.1 €76.8

-0.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.58 €12.12

$11.76 €10.49

15.48%

Cappuccino

$2.79 €2.48

$2.61 €2.33

6.90%

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

$3.16 €2.82

$2.06 €1.84

53.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 €1.97

$1.96 €1.75

12.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.10

$2.26 €2.02

103.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.29 €4.72

$3.33 €2.97

58.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 €1.21

$1.27 €1.13

7.09%

White Bread (500g)

$1.34 €1.20

$1.31 €1.17

2.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.44 €3.96

$3.12 €2.78

42.31%

Eggs

$4.17 €3.72

$3.60 €3.21

15.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.08 €7.21

$8.29 €7.40

-2.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.35 €9.24

$9.61 €8.57

7.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.36 €16.38

$18.35 €16.37

0.05%

Apples (1kg)

$4.28 €3.81

$2.60 €2.32

64.62%

Banana (1kg)

$2.80 €2.49

$2.07 €1.84

35.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.64 €3.24

$3.03 €2.70

20.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.41 €3.04

$2.97 €2.65

14.81%

Potato (1kg)

$2.22 €1.98

$1.62 €1.44

37.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.92 €1.71

$1.85 €1.65

3.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.35 €2.10

$1.53 €1.36

53.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 €1.15

$0.76 €0.68

69.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €6.05

$6.02 €5.37

12.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.97 €7.11

$6.68 €5.96

19.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 €1.51

$1.56 €1.39

8.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 €2.11

$2.40 €2.14

-1.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 €1.98

$2.25 €2.01

-1.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$136 €121

$14.81 €13.21

818.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.46 €4.87

$5.57 €4.97

-1.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.30 €2.05

$2.18 €1.95

5.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.69 €23.81

$27.14 €24.21

-1.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 €1.32

$1.47 €1.31

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

$37.4K €33.4K

$30.0K €26.8K

24.64%

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

$38.4K €34.2K

$33.0K €29.5K

16.11%

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

$104 €92.9

$94.3 €84.1

10.41%

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

$25.37 €22.63

$25.00 €22.31

1.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.68 €38.97

$42.58 €37.99

2.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.7 €66.7

$55.7 €49.73

34.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.09 €14.36

$21.94 €19.58

-26.66%

Cinema Ticket

$10.04 €8.96

$10.14 €9.05

-0.99%

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

$370 €330

$367 €327

0.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.1K €9,902

$8,991 €8,022

23.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.0 €78.5

$86.7 €77.3

1.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.29 €35.95

$37.77 €33.70

6.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €89.9

$91.5 €81.6

10.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.5 €70.9

$79.1 €70.6

0.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,752 €1,563

$1,174 €1,047

49.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,233 €1,100

$746 €666

65.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,113 €2,777

$1,688 €1,506

84.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,504 €2,234

$1,351 €1,206

85.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,387 €4,806

$3,912 €3,491

37.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,499 €3,122

$2,876 €2,566

21.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,841 €1,643

$1,758 €1,568

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: October 27, 2026

Last update for Birzebbuga: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sliema

$1.2K 51%

Birzebbuga

$746 44.9% 39.5% $487

Groceries & Markets

Sliema

$327 13.5%

Birzebbuga

$283 17% 13.5% $44

Eating Out

Sliema

$288 11.9%

Birzebbuga

$223 13.4% 22.6% $65

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sliema

$173 7.2%

Birzebbuga

$162 9.7% 6.5% $11

Getting Around

Sliema

$162 6.7%

Birzebbuga

$40 2.4% 75.1% $122

Clothing & Footwear

Sliema

$139 5.8%

Birzebbuga

$133 8% 4.4% $6.1

Sport & Entertainment

Sliema

$95 3.9%

Birzebbuga

$76 4.6% 19.8% $19

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,752 in Sliema and $1,174 in Birzebbuga. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sliema pays 5% 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: $85 in Sliema vs $86 in Birzebbuga. Groceries flip the comparison at $327 vs $283, with Birzebbuga cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇲🇹 Sliema

🇲🇹 Birzebbuga

🕒 Local time

14:05 2:05 PM

Same time as Sliema

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

16,854

10,000

💱 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 Birzebbuga 10 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 Birzebbuga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Birzebbuga is about 31% cheaper overall, especially in transport, eating out, and groceries. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 5% higher in Sliema, 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: $1,752 in Sliema versus $1,174 in Birzebbuga. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 16% higher in Sliema. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $2,416 per month in Sliema versus $1,662 in Birzebbuga – Birzebbuga is about 31% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

It comes down to priorities – Birzebbuga wins on affordability, Sliema on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.