Cost of Living Comparison Between Sliema and Luqa Cost of Living Comparison Between Sliema and Luqa

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,441 in Sliema versus $1,845 in Luqa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,867 in Sliema versus $2,811 in Luqa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,294 in Sliema versus $3,777 in Luqa.

Living in Sliema is roughly 32% more expensive than in Luqa, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sliema 78% above, Luqa 35% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.34 €17.72

$20.45 €17.82

-0.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.6 €78.1

$89.2 €77.7

0.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.90 €12.11

$11.45 €9.98

21.40%

Cappuccino

$2.82 €2.45

$2.82 €2.46

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

$3.13 €2.72

$3.22 €2.80

-2.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 €2.03

$2.25 €1.96

3.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.76 €4.15

$4.81 €4.19

-1.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.18 €4.51

$4.56 €3.97

13.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 €1.22

$1.20 €1.04

16.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 €1.22

$1.22 €1.07

14.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.37 €3.81

$3.49 €3.04

25.21%

Eggs

$4.50 €3.92

$4.11 €3.58

9.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.40 €7.32

$8.31 €7.24

1.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.80 €9.41

$10.02 €8.73

7.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.64 €16.24

$16.75 €14.59

11.28%

Apples (1kg)

$4.40 €3.83

$2.81 €2.45

56.58%

Banana (1kg)

$2.91 €2.53

$2.10 €1.83

38.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.78 €3.29

$3.08 €2.68

22.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.51 €3.06

Potato (1kg)

$2.62 €2.28

$1.86 €1.62

40.86%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.83

$1.99 €1.73

5.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.41 €2.10

$2.47 €2.15

-2.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.16

$0.91 €0.80

46.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.16 €6.24

$6.93 €6.04

3.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.23 €7.17

$8.58 €7.47

-4.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.81 €1.58

$1.66 €1.44

9.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 €2.13

$2.24 €1.95

9.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.34 €2.03

$2.28 €1.99

2.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$70.7 €61.6

$15.19 €13.24

365.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.72 €4.99

$5.77 €5.02

-0.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.34 €2.04

$2.30 €2.00

1.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.48 €23.94

$28.21 €24.58

-2.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 €1.37

$1.53 €1.33

2.61%

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

$39.6K €34.5K

$26.4K €23.0K

49.62%

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

$40.1K €34.9K

$40.7K €35.5K

-1.51%

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

$107 €93.4

$107 €93.0

0.39%

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

$26.27 €22.89

$26.09 €22.73

0.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.53 €38.79

$34.56 €30.10

28.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$78.1 €68.0

$55.3 €48.15

41.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.85 €14.68

$57.0 €49.68

-70.45%

Cinema Ticket

$10.54 €9.19

$10.49 €9.14

0.48%

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

$372 €325

$383 €333

-2.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.7K €10.2K

$11.6K €10.1K

1.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.3 €77.8

$89.0 €77.5

0.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.57 €36.22

$42.42 €36.95

-2.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €88.5

$86.4 €75.3

17.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.1 €69.8

$80.5 €70.1

-0.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,800 €1,568

$832 €725

116.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,094

$835 €728

50.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,044 €2,652

$1,369 €1,193

122.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,439 €2,125

$1,304 €1,136

87.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,531 €4,819

$2,964 €2,583

86.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,659 €3,187

$3,247 €2,829

12.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,892 €1,648

$1,502 €1,309

25.93%

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: September 14, 2026

Last update for Luqa: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,800 in Sliema and $832 in Luqa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sliema pays 26% 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: $90.0 in Sliema vs $89.0 in Luqa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $339 vs $297 per month, with Luqa 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 Luqa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Luqa wins on cost – living expenses run 32% lower than in Sliema. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Luqa the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 26% 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: $1,800 in Sliema versus $832 in Luqa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,441 per month in Sliema versus $1,845 in Luqa – a 32% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Luqa runs roughly 365% less than in Sliema. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,845 in Luqa versus $2,441 in Sliema, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Luqa but tight or insufficient in Sliema. The gap between the two cities makes Luqa the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Luqa delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,845 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Luqa hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Sliema and Luqa 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 Luqa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 32% less than in Sliema. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.