Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sliema and Bugibba

For one person, living is cheaper in Bugibba: $1,739 a month against $2,416 in Sliema, rent and utilities included – about $8,100 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
83

Cost of Living Index in Bugibba
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Bugibba Living Index

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Sliema

🇲🇹 Malta

$2,416

/mo nomad

Bugibba

🇲🇹 Malta

$1,739

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sliema and in Bugibba

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

A single person spends $2,416 per month in Sliema vs $1,739 in Bugibba, rent included.

Sliema $2,416
Bugibba $1,739

A couple spends around $3,868 per month in Sliema vs $2,712 in Bugibba, rent included.

Sliema $3,868
Bugibba $2,712

A family of three spends $5,320 per month in Sliema vs $3,686 in Bugibba, rent included.

Sliema $5,320
Bugibba $3,686

Sliema costs about 39% more than Bugibba, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Sliema and Bugibba sit above the global median – Sliema by 78%, Bugibba by 28%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.81 €17.75

$17.04 €15.27

16.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.4 €76.5

$79.1 €70.9

7.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.58 €12.17

$11.25 €10.08

20.71%

Cappuccino

$2.79 €2.50

$3.04 €2.73

-8.22%

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

$3.16 €2.84

$2.32 €2.08

36.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 €1.98

$1.98 €1.78

11.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.12

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.29 €4.74

$3.26 €2.92

62.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 €1.21

$1.35 €1.21

0.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.34 €1.20

$1.42 €1.27

-5.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.44 €3.98

$2.27 €2.03

95.59%

Eggs

$4.17 €3.74

$3.26 €2.92

27.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.08 €7.24

$10.17 €9.11

-20.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.35 €9.28

$9.61 €8.61

7.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.36 €16.45

$11.89 €10.66

54.42%

Apples (1kg)

$4.28 €3.83

$2.29 €2.05

86.90%

Banana (1kg)

$2.80 €2.51

$2.09 €1.87

33.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.64 €3.26

$2.47 €2.21

47.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.41 €3.06

$1.83 €1.64

86.34%

Potato (1kg)

$2.22 €1.99

$1.91 €1.71

16.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.92 €1.72

$1.35 €1.21

42.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.35 €2.11

$1.68 €1.51

39.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 €1.16

$0.62 €0.55

108.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €6.08

$6.12 €5.48

10.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.97 €7.14

$5.66 €5.07

40.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 €1.52

$1.65 €1.48

2.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 €2.12

$1.48 €1.33

59.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 €1.99

$2.48 €2.23

-10.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$136 €122

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.46 €4.89

$3.45 €3.09

58.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.30 €2.06

$1.82 €1.63

26.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.69 €23.92

$32.57 €29.19

-18.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 €1.32

$1.52 €1.36

-3.29%

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

$37.4K €33.6K

$24.4K €21.9K

53.27%

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

$38.4K €34.4K

$30.2K €27.1K

27.01%

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

$104 €93.3

$75.6 €67.7

37.80%

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

$25.37 €22.73

$17.46 €15.65

45.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.68 €39.14

$28.90 €25.89

51.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.7 €67.0

$71.7 €64.2

4.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.09 €14.42

$32.96 €29.53

-51.18%

Cinema Ticket

$10.04 €9.00

$11.32 €10.14

-11.31%

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

$370 €331

$273 €245

35.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.1K €9,945

$12.5K €11.2K

-11.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.0 €78.9

$57.7 €51.7

52.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.29 €36.10

$68.9 €61.8

-41.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €90.3

$113 €101

-10.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.5 €71.2

$132 €118

-39.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,752 €1,570

$1,089 €975

60.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,233 €1,105

$827 €741

49.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,113 €2,789

$1,643 €1,472

89.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,504 €2,244

$1,404 €1,258

78.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,387 €4,827

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,499 €3,135

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,841 €1,650

$2,100 €1,882

-12.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.9

4.05

-28.40%

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

Last update for Sliema: October 27, 2026

Last update for Bugibba: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sliema

$1.2K 51%

Bugibba

$827 47.6% 32.9% $406

Groceries & Markets

Sliema

$327 13.5%

Bugibba

$252 14.5% 22.8% $75

Eating Out

Sliema

$288 11.9%

Bugibba

$253 14.6% 11.9% $34

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sliema

$173 7.2%

Bugibba

$122 7% 29.6% $51

Getting Around

Sliema

$162 6.7%

Bugibba

$22 * 1.3% 86.1% $139

Clothing & Footwear

Sliema

$139 5.8%

Bugibba

$167 9.6% 20.5% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Sliema

$95 3.9%

Bugibba

$94 5.4% 0.5% $0.5

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,752 in Sliema versus $1,089 in Bugibba. 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 14% higher in Bugibba, 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 $85 in Sliema versus $79 in Bugibba. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $327 vs $252 – making Bugibba the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇹 Sliema

🇲🇹 Bugibba

🕒 Local time

03:27 3:27 AM

Same time as Sliema

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

16,854

32,042

💱 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 Bugibba 9 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 Bugibba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,416 in Sliema, $1,739 in Bugibba – Bugibba comes out roughly 28% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,624 per month in Sliema and $2,608 in Bugibba. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bugibba, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,089 there versus $1,752 in Sliema.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,416 in Sliema and $1,739 in Bugibba. That makes Bugibba about 28% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $370 per month in Sliema and $273 in Bugibba. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,416 in Sliema and $1,739 in Bugibba, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Bugibba costs $1,739 versus $2,416 in Sliema. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.