Cost of Living Comparison Between Sliema and Paola Cost of Living Comparison Between Sliema and Paola

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,371 in Sliema versus $2,011 in Paola.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,762 in Sliema versus $3,026 in Paola.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,154 in Sliema versus $4,041 in Paola.

Living in Sliema is roughly 18% more expensive than in Paola, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sliema 77% above, Paola 50% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.89 €17.73

$20.18 €17.98

-1.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$86.2 €76.8

$89.8 €80.0

-4.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.32 €11.87

$13.62 €12.14

-2.20%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.49

$2.77 €2.47

1.08%

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

$3.08 €2.75

$3.12 €2.78

-1.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 €1.97

$2.32 €2.07

-4.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.41 €3.93

$4.53 €4.03

-2.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.18 €4.62

$5.35 €4.77

-3.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 €1.21

$1.41 €1.26

-3.55%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 €1.16

$1.33 €1.18

-2.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.23 €3.77

$4.55 €4.06

-7.03%

Eggs

$4.13 €3.68

$4.28 €3.81

-3.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.23 €7.33

$8.40 €7.49

-2.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.36 €9.23

$10.41 €9.28

-0.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.61 €16.59

$18.76 €16.72

-0.80%

Apples (1kg)

$4.30 €3.84

$4.26 €3.80

0.94%

Banana (1kg)

$2.74 €2.44

$2.86 €2.55

-4.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.70 €3.30

$3.69 €3.29

0.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.34 €2.98

$3.47 €3.09

-3.75%

Potato (1kg)

$2.45 €2.18

$2.58 €2.30

-5.04%

Onion (1kg)

$2.05 €1.82

$2.07 €1.84

-0.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.35 €2.09

$2.43 €2.16

-3.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 €1.20

$1.36 €1.21

-0.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.93 €6.17

$7.05 €6.28

-1.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.15 €7.27

$8.40 €7.49

-2.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 €1.56

$1.79 €1.59

-2.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.46 €2.19

$2.37 €2.11

3.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 €1.98

$2.49 €2.22

-10.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$134 €119

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.53 €4.93

$5.85 €5.21

-5.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.27 €2.02

$2.33 €2.07

-2.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.34 €24.37

$27.41 €24.43

-0.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 €1.30

$1.56 €1.39

-6.41%

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

$37.8K €33.7K

$39.1K €34.9K

-3.29%

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

$38.7K €34.5K

$40.4K €36.0K

-4.15%

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

$102 €91.3

$106 €94.0

-2.90%

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

$25.23 €22.49

$26.06 €23.23

-3.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.57 €38.84

$43.96 €39.18

-0.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.4 €68.1

$62.5 €55.7

22.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.19 €14.43

Cinema Ticket

$10.19 €9.08

$10.17 €9.06

0.20%

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

$371 €330

$373 €333

-0.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.9K €9,756

$11.1K €9,897

-1.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.3 €77.8

$88.5 €78.8

-1.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.28 €36.79

$41.47 €36.96

-0.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.3 €87.6

$101 €89.6

-2.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.4 €69.9

$78.5 €70.0

-0.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,750 €1,560

$1,146 €1,022

52.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,204 €1,073

$941 €839

27.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,967 €2,645

$1,768 €1,575

67.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,383 €2,124

$1,504 €1,341

58.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,389 €4,803

$3,979 €3,546

35.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,516 €3,134

$2,873 €2,561

22.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,794 €1,599

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: October 6, 2026

Last update for Paola: October 4, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,750 in Sliema and $1,146 in Paola. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $86.0 in Sliema vs $90.0 in Paola for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $329 vs $335 per month, with Sliema 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 Paola: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Paola wins on cost – living expenses run 18% lower than in Sliema. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Paola the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $3,556 in Sliema and $3,017 in Paola 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: $1,750 in Sliema versus $1,146 in Paola. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $371 in Sliema versus $373 in Paola. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Paola – a meal for two runs $90.0 versus $86.0 in Sliema. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,011 in Paola versus $2,371 in Sliema, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Paola but tight or insufficient in Sliema. The gap between the two cities makes Paola the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Paola delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,011 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Paola hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Sliema and Paola 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 Paola gentler on the wallet – expenses run 18% less than in Sliema. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.