Cost of Living Comparison Between Sliema and Tarxien Cost of Living Comparison Between Sliema and Tarxien

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,448 in Sliema versus $2,174 in Tarxien.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,869 in Sliema versus $3,331 in Tarxien.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,290 in Sliema versus $4,487 in Tarxien.

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.67 €17.82

$23.30 €20.08

-11.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.3 €77.0

$94.0 €81.0

-5.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.73 €11.83

$13.66 €11.77

0.51%

Cappuccino

$2.85 €2.45

$3.33 €2.87

-14.41%

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

$3.15 €2.72

$2.44 €2.11

29.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 €1.96

$1.99 €1.71

14.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.66 €4.02

$5.94 €5.12

-21.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.42 €4.67

$6.78 €5.84

-20.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 €1.26

$1.36 €1.17

7.35%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 €1.21

$1.46 €1.26

-4.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.42 €3.81

$3.72 €3.20

18.82%

Eggs

$4.38 €3.77

$4.62 €3.98

-5.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.44 €7.27

$10.87 €9.37

-22.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.86 €9.36

$12.62 €10.88

-13.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.39 €16.71

$18.96 €16.35

2.27%

Apples (1kg)

$4.27 €3.68

$3.94 €3.39

8.38%

Banana (1kg)

$2.79 €2.40

$2.88 €2.48

-3.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.83 €3.30

$4.10 €3.54

-6.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.47 €2.99

$3.92 €3.38

-11.48%

Potato (1kg)

$2.65 €2.28

$1.91 €1.65

38.74%

Onion (1kg)

$2.04 €1.76

$3.38 €2.91

-39.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.39 €2.06

$2.28 €1.96

4.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$1.60 €1.38

-13.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.20 €6.21

$6.46 €5.57

11.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.52 €7.35

$6.33 €5.45

34.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 €1.52

$2.47 €2.13

-28.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 €2.13

$2.37 €2.04

4.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.95

$2.48 €2.14

-8.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$70.3 €60.6

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.88 €5.06

$4.01 €3.45

46.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.30 €1.99

$1.89 €1.63

21.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.38 €23.61

$33.27 €28.68

-17.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.59 €1.37

$1.57 €1.36

1.27%

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

$38.7K €33.3K

$29.1K €25.1K

32.97%

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

$40.3K €34.7K

$40.9K €35.2K

-1.50%

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

$108 €92.7

$164 €141

-34.36%

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

$26.99 €23.26

$32.24 €27.79

-16.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.41 €38.28

$30.93 €26.66

43.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.3 €66.6

$63.8 €55.0

21.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.77 €14.46

Cinema Ticket

$10.38 €8.95

$11.55 €9.96

-10.13%

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

$386 €333

$283 €244

36.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K €9,863

$12.6K €10.9K

-9.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.2 €78.6

$75.0 €64.6

21.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.80 €36.03

$63.6 €54.8

-34.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €89.7

$115 €99.2

-9.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.8 €71.4

$133 €115

-37.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,794 €1,546

$1,189 €1,025

50.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,241 €1,070

$970 €836

27.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,980 €2,569

$1,821 €1,570

63.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,513 €2,166

$1,550 €1,336

62.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,479 €4,723

$3,962 €3,415

38.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,748 €3,231

$2,847 €2,455

31.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,891 €1,630

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: September 7, 2026

Last update for Tarxien: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,794 in Sliema and $1,189 in Tarxien. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $89.0 in Sliema vs $94.0 in Tarxien for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $341 vs $358 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 Tarxien: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sliema and Tarxien differ by about 13% in total monthly costs ($2,448 vs $2,174 including rent). Tarxien is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,672 in Sliema and $3,262 in Tarxien 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: $1,794 in Sliema versus $1,189 in Tarxien. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $386 in Sliema versus $283 in Tarxien. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Tarxien – a meal for two runs $94.0 versus $89.0 in Sliema. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,174 in Tarxien versus $2,448 in Sliema, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tarxien but tight or insufficient in Sliema. The gap between the two cities makes Tarxien 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 Tarxien 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 Tarxien 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.