Cost of Living Comparison Between Sliema and St. Julians Cost of Living Comparison Between Sliema and St. Julians

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,477 in Sliema versus $2,137 in St. Julians.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,930 in Sliema versus $3,427 in St. Julians.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,384 in Sliema versus $4,717 in St. Julians.

Living in Sliema is roughly 16% more expensive than in St. Julians, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sliema 80% above, St. Julians 56% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.96 €17.18

$20.74 €17.84

-3.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.6 €77.1

$98.5 €84.8

-9.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.89 €11.95

$11.63 €10.01

19.43%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.38

$3.35 €2.88

-17.61%

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

$3.22 €2.77

$2.96 €2.55

8.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 €1.98

$1.90 €1.63

21.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.65 €4.00

$4.60 €3.96

1.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.29 €4.55

$4.70 €4.05

12.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 €1.23

$1.27 €1.09

12.60%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 €1.17

$1.52 €1.31

-10.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.54 €3.90

$3.43 €2.95

32.36%

Eggs

$4.36 €3.75

$4.53 €3.90

-3.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.74 €7.52

$9.71 €8.35

-9.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.95 €9.42

$11.37 €9.78

-3.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.77 €16.15

$12.14 €10.44

54.61%

Apples (1kg)

$4.37 €3.76

$3.28 €2.83

33.23%

Banana (1kg)

$2.88 €2.48

$2.09 €1.80

37.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.78 €3.26

$2.92 €2.51

29.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.44 €2.96

$3.57 €3.07

-3.64%

Potato (1kg)

$2.52 €2.16

$1.99 €1.71

26.63%

Onion (1kg)

$2.13 €1.84

$2.46 €2.12

-13.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.36 €2.03

$1.90 €1.64

24.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.17

$0.89 €0.77

52.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.15 €6.15

$6.39 €5.50

11.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.58 €7.38

$6.02 €5.18

42.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 €1.58

$2.19 €1.88

-16.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 €2.08

$2.33 €2.01

3.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.29 €1.97

$2.35 €2.02

-2.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$140 €120

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.87 €5.05

$3.97 €3.42

47.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.37 €2.04

$1.03 €0.88

130.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.49 €23.66

$33.70 €29.00

-18.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 €1.31

$1.57 €1.35

-3.18%

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

$39.5K €34.0K

$27.6K €23.7K

43.27%

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

$39.9K €34.3K

$40.3K €34.7K

-1.13%

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

$108 €92.7

$76.6 €65.9

40.57%

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

$26.58 €22.87

$28.71 €24.71

-7.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.33 €38.15

$30.48 €26.23

45.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 €66.4

$115 €98.7

-32.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.55 €14.24

$34.56 €29.74

-52.11%

Cinema Ticket

$10.43 €8.97

$10.42 €8.97

0.10%

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

$374 €322

$591 €509

-36.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K €9,818

$11.6K €10.0K

-1.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.1 €77.5

$75.2 €64.7

19.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.70 €36.75

$63.0 €54.2

-32.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$104 €89.8

-2.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.9 €70.5

$138 €119

-40.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,783 €1,534

$1,348 €1,160

32.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,287 €1,107

$1,127 €970

14.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,086 €2,655

$2,481 €2,135

24.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,460 €2,117

$1,982 €1,706

24.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,642 €4,855

$4,067 €3,499

38.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,730 €3,209

$2,684 €2,310

38.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,902 €1,637

$2,049 €1,763

-7.18%

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: August 30, 2026

Last update for St. Julians: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,783 in Sliema and $1,348 in St. Julians. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

St. Julians pays 8% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $90.0 in Sliema vs $99.0 in St. Julians. Groceries flip the comparison at $341 vs $297, with St. Julians cheaper for home cooking.

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 St. Julians: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sliema and St. Julians differ by about 16% in total monthly costs ($2,477 vs $2,137 including rent). St. Julians is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 8% lower in St. Julians. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,783 in Sliema versus $1,348 in St. Julians. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $374 in Sliema versus $591 in St. Julians. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in St. Julians – a meal for two runs $99.0 versus $90.0 in Sliema. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,137 in St. Julians versus $2,477 in Sliema, a $3,000 budget is realistic in St. Julians but tight or insufficient in Sliema. The gap between the two cities makes St. Julians the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 St. Julians 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 St. Julians gentler on the wallet – expenses run 16% less than in Sliema. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.