Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sliema and Swieqi

For one person, living is cheaper in Swieqi: $2,082 a month against $2,416 in Sliema, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

115

Cost of Living Index in Sliema
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Sliema Living Index
100

Cost of Living Index in Swieqi
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Swieqi Living Index

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Sliema

🇲🇹 Malta

$2,416

/mo nomad

Swieqi

🇲🇹 Malta

$2,082

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sliema and in Swieqi

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,416 in Sliema versus $2,082 in Swieqi.

Sliema $2,416
Swieqi $2,082

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,868 in Sliema versus $3,327 in Swieqi.

Sliema $3,868
Swieqi $3,327

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,320 in Sliema versus $4,571 in Swieqi.

Sliema $5,320
Swieqi $4,571

Living in Sliema is roughly 16% more expensive than in Swieqi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sliema 78% above, Swieqi 53% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.81 €17.67

$16.71 €14.91

18.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.4 €76.2

$68.1 €60.8

25.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.58 €12.12

$10.94 €9.76

24.13%

Cappuccino

$2.79 €2.48

$3.19 €2.85

-12.54%

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

$3.16 €2.82

$2.33 €2.08

35.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 €1.97

$1.82 €1.62

21.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.10

$3.64 €3.25

26.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.29 €4.72

$4.44 €3.96

19.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 €1.21

White Bread (500g)

$1.34 €1.20

$1.45 €1.29

-7.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.44 €3.96

$3.59 €3.20

23.68%

Eggs

$4.17 €3.72

$3.19 €2.85

30.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.08 €7.21

$8.53 €7.61

-5.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.35 €9.24

$9.92 €8.85

4.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.36 €16.38

$18.11 €16.15

1.38%

Apples (1kg)

$4.28 €3.81

$3.86 €3.44

10.88%

Banana (1kg)

$2.80 €2.49

$2.26 €2.02

23.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.64 €3.24

$2.87 €2.56

26.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.41 €3.04

$3.74 €3.34

-8.82%

Potato (1kg)

$2.22 €1.98

$1.95 €1.74

13.85%

Onion (1kg)

$1.92 €1.71

$2.45 €2.19

-21.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.35 €2.10

$1.81 €1.61

29.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 €1.15

$0.89 €0.79

44.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €6.05

$6.35 €5.66

6.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.97 €7.11

$6.04 €5.39

31.95%

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

$2.32 €2.07

1.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 €1.98

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$136 €121

$14.72 €13.14

823.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.46 €4.87

$3.99 €3.56

36.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.30 €2.05

$1.77 €1.58

29.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.69 €23.81

$33.28 €29.69

-19.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 €1.32

$1.46 €1.30

0.68%

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

$37.4K €33.4K

$28.5K €25.4K

31.52%

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

$38.4K €34.2K

$39.0K €34.8K

-1.60%

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

$104 €92.9

$121 €108

-14.02%

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

$25.37 €22.63

$22.20 €19.81

14.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.68 €38.97

$29.85 €26.63

46.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.7 €66.7

$66.6 €59.4

12.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.09 €14.36

$16.07 €14.34

0.12%

Cinema Ticket

$10.04 €8.96

$8.98 €8.01

11.80%

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

$370 €330

$221 €197

67.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.1K €9,902

$12.3K €11.0K

-10.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.0 €78.5

$56.7 €50.6

55.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.29 €35.95

$55.1 €49.18

-26.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €89.9

$112 €99.7

-9.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.5 €70.9

$128 €114

-37.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,752 €1,563

$1,259 €1,123

39.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,233 €1,100

$1,076 €960

14.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,113 €2,777

$3,105 €2,770

0.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,504 €2,234

$2,199 €1,962

13.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,387 €4,806

$3,969 €3,541

35.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,499 €3,122

$2,882 €2,571

21.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,841 €1,643

$1,397 €1,246

31.83%

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: October 27, 2026

Last update for Swieqi: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sliema

$1.2K 51%

Swieqi

$1.1K 51.7% 12.7% $157

Groceries & Markets

Sliema

$327 13.5%

Swieqi

$305 14.7% 6.5% $21

Eating Out

Sliema

$288 11.9%

Swieqi

$249 11.9% 13.6% $39

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sliema

$173 7.2%

Swieqi

$173 8.3% 0% $0

Getting Around

Sliema

$162 6.7%

Swieqi

$36 1.8% 77.5% $125

Clothing & Footwear

Sliema

$139 5.8%

Swieqi

$158 7.6% 13.8% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Sliema

$95 3.9%

Swieqi

$85 4.1% 10.8% $10

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,752 in Sliema and $1,259 in Swieqi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sliema pays 32% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $85 in Sliema vs $68 in Swieqi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $327 vs $305 per month, with Swieqi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇹 Sliema

🇲🇹 Swieqi

🕒 Local time

00:44 12:44 AM

Same time as Sliema

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

16,854

14,000

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Sliema Swieqi 3 km

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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 Swieqi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,416 in Sliema and $2,082 in Swieqi, so Swieqi is about 14% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 32% 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 $1,259 in Swieqi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 7% 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 $68 versus $85 in Sliema. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Swieqi is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Swieqi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Sliema. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.