Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sliema and Mellieha

For one person, living is cheaper in Mellieha: $1,906 a month against $2,416 in Sliema, rent and utilities included – about $6,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

115

Cost of Living Index in Sliema
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Sliema Living Index
91

Cost of Living Index in Mellieha
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Mellieha Living Index

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Sliema

🇲🇹 Malta

$2,416

/mo nomad

Mellieha

🇲🇹 Malta

$1,906

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sliema and in Mellieha

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,416 in Sliema versus $1,906 in Mellieha.

Sliema $2,416
Mellieha $1,906

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,868 in Sliema versus $2,828 in Mellieha.

Sliema $3,868
Mellieha $2,828

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,320 in Sliema versus $3,750 in Mellieha.

Sliema $5,320
Mellieha $3,750

Living in Sliema is roughly 27% more expensive than in Mellieha, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sliema 78% above, Mellieha 40% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.81 €17.67

$16.70 €14.90

18.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.4 €76.2

$63.6 €56.8

34.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.58 €12.12

$10.48 €9.35

29.58%

Cappuccino

$2.79 €2.48

$2.69 €2.40

3.72%

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

$3.16 €2.82

$2.40 €2.14

31.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 €1.97

$1.99 €1.78

11.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.10

$3.82 €3.41

20.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.29 €4.72

$6.81 €6.08

-22.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 €1.21

$1.37 €1.22

-0.73%

White Bread (500g)

$1.34 €1.20

$1.31 €1.17

2.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.44 €3.96

$3.53 €3.15

25.78%

Eggs

$4.17 €3.72

$4.42 €3.94

-5.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.08 €7.21

$10.39 €9.27

-22.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.35 €9.24

$9.69 €8.65

6.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.36 €16.38

$18.24 €16.27

0.66%

Apples (1kg)

$4.28 €3.81

$3.80 €3.39

12.63%

Banana (1kg)

$2.80 €2.49

$2.82 €2.52

-0.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.64 €3.24

$3.86 €3.44

-5.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.41 €3.04

$3.65 €3.26

-6.58%

Potato (1kg)

$2.22 €1.98

$1.84 €1.64

20.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.92 €1.71

$3.33 €2.97

-42.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.35 €2.10

$1.73 €1.54

35.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 €1.15

$1.14 €1.02

13.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €6.05

$6.16 €5.50

10.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.97 €7.11

$5.99 €5.35

33.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 €1.51

$2.47 €2.20

-31.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 €2.11

$2.29 €2.05

3.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 €1.98

$2.83 €2.53

-21.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$136 €121

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.46 €4.87

$4.01 €3.58

36.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.30 €2.05

$1.78 €1.59

29.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.69 €23.81

$33.21 €29.63

-19.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 €1.32

$1.52 €1.35

-3.29%

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

$37.4K €33.4K

$27.6K €24.6K

35.90%

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

$38.4K €34.2K

$39.3K €35.0K

-2.33%

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

$104 €92.9

$105 €94.0

-1.23%

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

$25.37 €22.63

$31.00 €27.66

-18.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.68 €38.97

$29.87 €26.65

46.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.7 €66.7

$61.2 €54.6

22.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.09 €14.36

Cinema Ticket

$10.04 €8.96

$8.26 €7.37

21.55%

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

$370 €330

$282 €251

31.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.1K €9,902

$12.3K €11.0K

-9.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.0 €78.5

$57.7 €51.5

52.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.29 €35.95

$39.63 €35.36

1.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €89.9

$83.6 €74.6

20.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.5 €70.9

$71.7 €63.9

10.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,752 €1,563

$1,112 €992

57.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,233 €1,100

$952 €850

29.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,113 €2,777

$1,740 €1,553

78.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,504 €2,234

$1,502 €1,340

66.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,387 €4,806

$3,949 €3,523

36.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,499 €3,122

$2,855 €2,547

22.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,841 €1,643

$1,339 €1,195

37.45%

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 Mellieha: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sliema

$1.2K 51%

Mellieha

$952 50% 22.8% $281

Groceries & Markets

Sliema

$327 13.5%

Mellieha

$324 17% 0.7% $2.5

Eating Out

Sliema

$288 11.9%

Mellieha

$248 13% 13.9% $40

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sliema

$173 7.2%

Mellieha

$166 8.7% 4% $6.9

Getting Around

Sliema

$162 6.7%

Mellieha

$24 * 1.3% 85% $138

Clothing & Footwear

Sliema

$139 5.8%

Mellieha

$114 6% 18.1% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Sliema

$95 3.9%

Mellieha

$78 4.1% 18% $17

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,752 in Sliema and $1,112 in Mellieha. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sliema pays 37% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $85 in Sliema vs $64 in Mellieha for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $327 vs $324 per month, with Mellieha cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇹 Sliema

🇲🇹 Mellieha

🕒 Local time

13:50 1:50 PM

Same time as Sliema

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

16,854

10,087

💱 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 Mellieha 13 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 Mellieha: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mellieha is about 21% cheaper overall, especially in transport, eating out, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 37% 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 $1,112 in Mellieha. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Mellieha – a meal for two runs $64 versus $85 in Sliema. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Childcare runs $370 in Sliema versus $282 in Mellieha. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

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.

Safety-wise, Sliema and Mellieha are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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