Cost of Living Comparison Between Sliema and Mgarr Cost of Living Comparison Between Sliema and Mgarr

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,187 in Sliema versus $2,045 in Mgarr.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,413 in Sliema versus $3,069 in Mgarr.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,638 in Sliema versus $4,092 in Mgarr.

Living in Sliema is roughly 7% more expensive than Mgarr, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sliema 63% above, Mgarr 53% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.22 €18.27

$20.21 €17.40

5.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$95.5 €82.2

$70.7 €60.9

35.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.79 €10.15

$11.80 €10.16

-0.08%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$2.67 €2.30

7.49%

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

$2.99 €2.58

$2.70 €2.32

10.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 €1.92

$1.97 €1.70

13.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.58 €3.94

$4.83 €4.16

-5.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.64 €4.00

$5.00 €4.30

-7.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 €1.20

$1.37 €1.18

2.19%

White Bread (500g)

$1.23 €1.06

$1.53 €1.32

-19.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.17 €3.59

$3.57 €3.07

16.81%

Eggs

$4.48 €3.86

$3.79 €3.26

18.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.27 €8.84

$9.63 €8.29

6.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.13 €7.86

$10.64 €9.17

-14.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.94 €16.31

$14.00 €12.05

35.29%

Apples (1kg)

$4.46 €3.84

$3.32 €2.86

34.34%

Banana (1kg)

$3.13 €2.70

$1.95 €1.68

60.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.21 €2.76

$2.85 €2.45

12.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.65 €3.15

$3.37 €2.90

8.31%

Potato (1kg)

$2.48 €2.14

$1.85 €1.59

34.05%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 €1.17

$2.81 €2.42

-51.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.44 €2.11

$1.94 €1.67

25.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 €1.08

$1.23 €1.06

1.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.34 €5.46

$6.54 €5.64

-3.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.49 €7.31

$6.29 €5.41

34.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 €1.65

$2.37 €2.04

-18.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 €2.02

$1.79 €1.54

31.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.93 €2.52

$2.82 €2.43

3.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.66 €4.87

$8.00 €6.89

-29.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.13 €3.55

$1.95 €1.68

111.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$49.29 €42.44

$34.51 €29.71

42.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 €1.35

$1.53 €1.32

2.61%

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

$38.3K €32.9K

$26.6K €22.9K

43.87%

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

$38.1K €32.9K

$41.1K €35.4K

-7.25%

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

$93.9 €80.8

$170 €146

-44.80%

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

$28.53 €24.56

$30.03 €25.86

-5.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.78 €39.42

$33.20 €28.59

37.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.9 €58.5

$63.8 €54.9

6.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.05 €19.85

$22.81 €19.64

1.05%

Cinema Ticket

$10.37 €8.93

$15.50 €13.35

-33.10%

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

$782 €673

$266 €229

194.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.1K €9,558

$13.0K €11.2K

-14.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.4 €78.7

$103 €89.1

-11.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.23 €32.92

$38.76 €33.38

-1.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €87.3

$146 €126

-30.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 €88.2

0.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 €1,222

$1,109 €955

27.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,122 €966

$950 €818

18.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,453 €2,112

$1,959 €1,687

25.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,943 €1,673

$1,487 €1,281

30.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,563 €4,790

$3,798 €3,270

46.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,693 €3,180

$3,297 €2,839

12.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,913 €1,647

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.08

5.43

-6.45%

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

Last update for Sliema: May 30, 2026

Last update for Mgarr: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,419 in Sliema and $1,109 in Mgarr. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $96.0 in Sliema vs $71.0 in Mgarr for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $333 vs $301 per month, with Mgarr 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 Mgarr: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mgarr wins on cost – living expenses run 7% lower than in Sliema. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Mgarr the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $3,280 in Sliema and $3,068 in Mgarr to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,419 in Sliema versus $1,109 in Mgarr. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $782 in Sliema versus $266 in Mgarr. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Mgarr – a meal for two runs $71.0 versus $96.0 in Sliema. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,045 in Mgarr versus $2,187 in Sliema, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mgarr but tight or insufficient in Sliema. The gap between the two cities makes Mgarr the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Mgarr delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,045 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Mgarr hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Sliema and Mgarr 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 Mgarr gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Sliema. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.