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: $2,187 in Sliema versus $2,268 in Swieqi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,413 in Sliema versus $3,401 in Swieqi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,638 in Sliema versus $4,534 in Swieqi.

Living in Sliema costs roughly 4% less than in Swieqi, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sliema 63% above, Swieqi 69% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.22 €18.27

$17.64 €15.19

20.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$95.5 €82.2

$69.9 €60.2

36.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.79 €10.15

$9.92 €8.54

18.85%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$2.63 €2.26

9.13%

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

$2.99 €2.58

$2.74 €2.36

9.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 €1.92

$1.73 €1.49

28.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.58 €3.94

$4.38 €3.77

4.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.64 €4.00

$5.31 €4.57

-12.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 €1.20

$1.31 €1.13

6.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.23 €1.06

$1.37 €1.18

-10.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.17 €3.59

$3.52 €3.03

18.47%

Eggs

$4.48 €3.86

$3.19 €2.75

40.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.27 €8.84

$8.82 €7.60

16.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.13 €7.86

$10.35 €8.91

-11.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.94 €16.31

$14.21 €12.24

33.29%

Apples (1kg)

$4.46 €3.84

$3.37 €2.90

32.34%

Banana (1kg)

$3.13 €2.70

$2.06 €1.77

51.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.21 €2.76

$2.77 €2.39

15.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.65 €3.15

$3.20 €2.75

14.06%

Potato (1kg)

$2.48 €2.14

$1.87 €1.61

32.62%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 €1.17

$2.86 €2.46

-52.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.44 €2.11

$1.86 €1.60

31.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 €1.08

$0.82 €0.71

52.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.34 €5.46

$6.52 €5.61

-2.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.49 €7.31

$6.32 €5.44

34.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 €1.65

$2.38 €2.05

-19.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 €2.02

$1.86 €1.60

26.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.93 €2.52

$2.34 €2.02

25.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.16 €13.05

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.66 €4.87

$4.60 €3.96

23.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.13 €3.55

$1.90 €1.63

117.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$49.29 €42.44

$58.7 €50.6

-16.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 €1.35

$1.59 €1.37

-1.26%

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

$38.3K €32.9K

$26.0K €22.4K

47.10%

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

$38.1K €32.9K

$41.1K €35.4K

-7.24%

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

$93.9 €80.8

$158 €136

-40.75%

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

$28.53 €24.56

$22.98 €19.78

24.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.78 €39.42

$32.97 €28.39

38.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.9 €58.5

$68.5 €59.0

-0.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.05 €19.85

$22.59 €19.45

2.04%

Cinema Ticket

$10.37 €8.93

$9.19 €7.91

12.84%

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

$782 €673

$510 €439

53.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.1K €9,558

$12.9K €11.1K

-14.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.4 €78.7

$75.1 €64.7

21.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.23 €32.92

$58.2 €50.2

-34.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €87.3

$143 €123

-29.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 €88.2

$168 €144

-38.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 €1,222

$1,195 €1,029

18.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,122 €966

$1,139 €981

-1.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,453 €2,112

$2,988 €2,573

-17.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,943 €1,673

$2,112 €1,818

-7.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,563 €4,790

$4,973 €4,282

11.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,693 €3,180

$4,325 €3,724

-14.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,913 €1,647

$1,446 €1,245

32.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.08

4.34

17.05%

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

Last update for Sliema: May 30, 2026

Last update for Swieqi: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,419 in Sliema and $1,195 in Swieqi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sliema pays 32% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $96.0 in Sliema vs $70.0 in Swieqi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $333 vs $288 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 4% in total monthly costs ($2,187 vs $2,268 including rent). Sliema is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Sliema pays 32% more on average, 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: $1,419 in Sliema versus $1,195 in Swieqi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $782 in Sliema versus $510 in Swieqi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Sliema – a meal for two runs $96.0 versus $70.0 in Swieqi. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,187 in Sliema versus $2,268 in Swieqi, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Sliema but tight or insufficient in Swieqi. The gap between the two cities makes Sliema 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 Sliema gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Swieqi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.