Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sliema and Lija

For one person, living is cheaper in Lija: $1,974 a month against $2,416 in Sliema, rent and utilities included – about $5,300 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
100

Cost of Living Index in Lija
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Lija Living Index

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Sliema

🇲🇹 Malta

$2,416

/mo nomad

Lija

🇲🇹 Malta

$1,974

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sliema and in Lija

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

A single person spends $2,416 per month in Sliema vs $1,974 in Lija, rent included.

Sliema $2,416
Lija $1,974

A couple spends around $3,868 per month in Sliema vs $3,101 in Lija, rent included.

Sliema $3,868
Lija $3,101

A family of three spends $5,320 per month in Sliema vs $4,228 in Lija, rent included.

Sliema $5,320
Lija $4,228

Sliema costs about 22% more than Lija, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Sliema and Lija sit above the global median – Sliema by 78%, Lija by 45%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.81 €17.67

$22.47 €20.05

-11.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.4 €76.2

$90.7 €80.9

-5.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.58 €12.12

$13.33 €11.89

1.88%

Cappuccino

$2.79 €2.48

$3.20 €2.86

-12.81%

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

$3.16 €2.82

$2.34 €2.08

35.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 €1.97

$1.92 €1.71

15.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.10

$5.71 €5.10

-19.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.29 €4.72

$6.78 €6.05

-21.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 €1.21

$1.32 €1.18

3.03%

White Bread (500g)

$1.34 €1.20

$1.46 €1.30

-8.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.44 €3.96

$3.42 €3.05

29.82%

Eggs

$4.17 €3.72

$4.23 €3.78

-1.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.08 €7.21

$10.29 €9.18

-21.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.35 €9.24

$11.83 €10.55

-12.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.36 €16.38

$18.44 €16.46

-0.43%

Apples (1kg)

$4.28 €3.81

$3.75 €3.35

14.13%

Banana (1kg)

$2.80 €2.49

$2.80 €2.50

Oranges (1kg)

$3.64 €3.24

$3.96 €3.54

-8.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.41 €3.04

$3.84 €3.42

-11.20%

Potato (1kg)

$2.22 €1.98

$1.86 €1.66

19.35%

Onion (1kg)

$1.92 €1.71

$3.36 €3.00

-42.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.35 €2.10

$2.21 €1.97

6.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 €1.15

$1.49 €1.33

-13.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €6.05

$6.18 €5.52

9.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.97 €7.11

$5.85 €5.22

36.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 €1.51

$2.39 €2.13

-29.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 €2.11

$2.28 €2.04

3.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 €1.98

$2.45 €2.18

-9.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$136 €121

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.46 €4.87

$3.98 €3.55

37.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.30 €2.05

$1.76 €1.57

30.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.69 €23.81

$32.80 €29.26

-18.63%

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 €33.4K

$28.2K €25.1K

33.01%

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

$38.4K €34.2K

$38.9K €34.8K

-1.50%

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

$104 €92.9

$157 €140

-33.73%

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

$25.37 €22.63

$31.50 €28.10

-19.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.68 €38.97

$28.99 €25.87

50.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.7 €66.7

$56.7 €50.6

31.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.09 €14.36

Cinema Ticket

$10.04 €8.96

$11.33 €10.11

-11.39%

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

$370 €330

$272 €243

35.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.1K €9,902

$12.3K €11.0K

-9.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.0 €78.5

$57.7 €51.5

52.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.29 €35.95

$67.6 €60.3

-40.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €89.9

$111 €99.0

-9.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.5 €70.9

$131 €117

-39.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,752 €1,563

$1,205 €1,075

45.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,233 €1,100

$830 €741

48.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,113 €2,777

$1,528 €1,363

103.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,504 €2,234

$1,497 €1,336

67.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,387 €4,806

$4,448 €3,969

21.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,499 €3,122

$2,958 €2,639

18.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,841 €1,643

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 Lija: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sliema

$1.2K 51%

Lija

$830 42.1% 32.7% $403

Groceries & Markets

Sliema

$327 13.5%

Lija

$341 17.3% 4.5% $15

Eating Out

Sliema

$288 11.9%

Lija

$317 16.1% 10.3% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sliema

$173 7.2%

Lija

$218 11% 25.7% $44

Getting Around

Sliema

$162 6.7%

Lija

$23 * 1.1% 86.1% $139

Clothing & Footwear

Sliema

$139 5.8%

Lija

$165 8.4% 19.1% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Sliema

$95 3.9%

Lija

$79 4% 16.3% $15

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 $1,205 in Lija. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $85 in Sliema versus $91 in Lija. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $327 vs $341 – making Sliema the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇹 Sliema

🇲🇹 Lija

🕒 Local time

21:15 9:15 PM

Same time as Sliema

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

16,854

3,200

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Sliema Lija 5 km

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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 Lija: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,416 in Sliema, $1,974 in Lija – Lija comes out roughly 18% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,624 per month in Sliema and $2,961 in Lija. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Lija, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,205 there versus $1,752 in Sliema.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,416 in Sliema and $1,974 in Lija. That makes Lija about 18% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $370 per month in Sliema and $272 in Lija. 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 $1,974 in Lija, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Lija – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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