Cost of Living Comparison Between Sliema and Swieqi Cost of Living Comparison Between Sliema and Swieqi

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,441 in Sliema versus $2,162 in Swieqi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,867 in Sliema versus $3,477 in Swieqi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,294 in Sliema versus $4,792 in Swieqi.

Living in Sliema is roughly 13% more expensive than in Swieqi, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sliema 78% above, Swieqi 58% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.34 €17.72

$17.21 €14.99

18.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.6 €78.1

$70.0 €61.0

28.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.90 €12.11

$11.67 €10.16

19.11%

Cappuccino

$2.82 €2.45

$3.26 €2.84

-13.50%

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

$3.13 €2.72

$2.42 €2.11

29.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 €2.03

$1.88 €1.64

23.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.76 €4.15

$3.79 €3.31

25.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.18 €4.51

$4.67 €4.07

10.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 €1.22

$1.38 €1.20

1.45%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 €1.22

$1.49 €1.29

-6.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.37 €3.81

$3.62 €3.16

20.72%

Eggs

$4.50 €3.92

$3.25 €2.83

38.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.40 €7.32

$9.09 €7.92

-7.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.80 €9.41

$10.51 €9.15

2.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.64 €16.24

$18.45 €16.08

1.03%

Apples (1kg)

$4.40 €3.83

$3.97 €3.46

10.83%

Banana (1kg)

$2.91 €2.53

$2.32 €2.02

25.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.78 €3.29

$2.84 €2.48

33.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.51 €3.06

$3.86 €3.36

-9.07%

Potato (1kg)

$2.62 €2.28

$1.92 €1.67

36.46%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.83

$2.53 €2.21

-17.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.41 €2.10

$1.87 €1.63

28.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.16

$0.86 €0.75

54.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.16 €6.24

$6.61 €5.76

8.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.23 €7.17

$6.03 €5.26

36.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.81 €1.58

$2.51 €2.18

-27.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 €2.13

$2.37 €2.06

3.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.34 €2.03

$2.50 €2.18

-6.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$70.7 €61.6

$15.25 €13.29

363.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.72 €4.99

$4.05 €3.53

41.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.34 €2.04

$1.83 €1.60

27.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.48 €23.94

$34.13 €29.73

-19.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 €1.37

$1.54 €1.34

1.95%

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

$39.6K €34.5K

$28.9K €25.2K

36.74%

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

$40.1K €34.9K

$40.9K €35.6K

-2.00%

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

$107 €93.4

$130 €113

-17.26%

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

$26.27 €22.89

$22.70 €19.77

15.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.53 €38.79

$30.05 €26.18

48.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$78.1 €68.0

$69.4 €60.5

12.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.85 €14.68

$16.27 €14.17

3.56%

Cinema Ticket

$10.54 €9.19

$9.08 €7.91

16.08%

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

$372 €325

$228 €199

63.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.7K €10.2K

$12.8K €11.1K

-8.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.3 €77.8

$75.0 €65.3

19.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.57 €36.22

$57.7 €50.2

-27.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €88.5

$117 €102

-13.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.1 €69.8

$133 €116

-39.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,800 €1,568

$1,328 €1,157

35.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,094

$1,080 €940

16.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,044 €2,652

$3,223 €2,808

-5.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,439 €2,125

$2,217 €1,931

10.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,531 €4,819

$3,937 €3,430

40.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,659 €3,187

$2,871 €2,501

27.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,892 €1,648

$1,457 €1,269

29.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.9

4.01

-27.68%

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

Last update for Sliema: September 14, 2026

Last update for Swieqi: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,800 in Sliema and $1,328 in Swieqi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sliema pays 30% 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 $70.0 in Swieqi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $339 vs $314 per month, with Swieqi 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 Swieqi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sliema and Swieqi differ by about 13% in total monthly costs ($2,441 vs $2,162 including rent). Swieqi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 30% 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 $1,328 in Swieqi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% higher in Sliema. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Swieqi – a meal for two runs $70.0 versus $90.0 in Sliema. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,162 in Swieqi versus $2,441 in Sliema, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Swieqi but tight or insufficient in Sliema. The gap between the two cities makes Swieqi 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 Swieqi 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 Swieqi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Sliema. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.