Cost of Living Comparison Between Sliema and Zabbar Cost of Living Comparison Between Sliema and Zabbar

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,175 in Sliema versus $1,790 in Zabbar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,360 in Sliema versus $2,784 in Zabbar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,546 in Sliema versus $3,778 in Zabbar.

Living in Sliema is roughly 22% more expensive than in Zabbar, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sliema 63% above, Zabbar 34% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.02 €18.41

$17.14 €15.01

22.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$95.0 €83.2

$39.89 €34.93

138.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.48 €10.06

$7.89 €6.91

45.50%

Cappuccino

$2.90 €2.54

$2.92 €2.56

-0.68%

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

$2.96 €2.59

$2.35 €2.05

25.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 €1.99

$0.67 €0.59

238.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.65 €4.07

$2.29 €2.01

103.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.65 €4.08

$4.67 €4.09

-0.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 €1.21

$1.24 €1.09

11.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.24 €1.09

$1.08 €0.95

14.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.17 €3.65

$1.13 €0.99

269.03%

Eggs

$4.49 €3.93

$4.25 €3.72

5.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.45 €9.15

$5.63 €4.93

85.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.44 €8.26

$4.60 €4.03

105.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.15 €16.78

$10.61 €9.29

80.49%

Apples (1kg)

$4.30 €3.77

$4.45 €3.89

-3.37%

Banana (1kg)

$3.16 €2.76

$3.18 €2.79

-0.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.23 €2.83

$3.37 €2.95

-4.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.69 €3.23

Potato (1kg)

$2.51 €2.20

$2.52 €2.21

-0.40%

Onion (1kg)

$1.33 €1.17

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.32 €2.04

$2.36 €2.06

-1.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 €1.09

$1.15 €1.00

8.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.79

$6.34 €5.56

4.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.37 €7.33

$8.45 €7.40

-0.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 €1.62

$1.86 €1.63

-0.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €2.03

$2.34 €2.05

-1.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.86 €2.50

$2.28 €1.99

25.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.64 €13.70

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.90 €5.17

$5.84 €5.11

1.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.22 €3.70

$4.26 €3.73

-0.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$49.09 €42.99

$35.40 €31.00

38.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 €1.39

$1.52 €1.33

3.95%

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

$39.1K €34.2K

$38.1K €33.3K

2.69%

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

$38.2K €33.4K

$38.4K €33.7K

-0.67%

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

$92.5 €81.0

$92.4 €81.0

0.03%

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

$27.88 €24.42

$27.90 €24.43

-0.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.26 €40.51

$34.76 €30.45

33.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.6 €60.1

$63.5 €55.6

8.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.26 €20.37

$23.41 €20.50

-0.64%

Cinema Ticket

$10.37 €9.08

$10.24 €8.97

1.27%

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

$774 €678

$426 €373

81.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.1K €9,734

$2,320 €2,031

379.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.1 €80.7

$91.3 €80.0

0.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.27 €34.39

$38.54 €33.75

1.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.8

$103 €90.2

-0.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 €89.0

$100 €87.9

1.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,454 €1,273

$1,228 €1,076

18.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,098 €962

$853 €747

28.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,418 €2,118

$2,330 €2,041

3.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,993 €1,745

$1,748 €1,531

14.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,510 €4,826

$3,975 €3,481

38.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,551 €3,110

$4,177 €3,659

-14.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,886 €1,652

$1,127 €987

67.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.08

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

Last update for Sliema: July 11, 2026

Last update for Zabbar: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,454 in Sliema and $1,228 in Zabbar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sliema pays 67% 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: $95.0 in Sliema vs $40.00 in Zabbar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $334 vs $254 per month, with Zabbar 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 Zabbar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sliema and Zabbar differ by about 22% in total monthly costs ($2,175 vs $1,790 including rent). Zabbar is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 67% 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: $1,454 in Sliema versus $1,228 in Zabbar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $774 in Sliema versus $426 in Zabbar. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Zabbar – a meal for two runs $40.00 versus $95.0 in Sliema. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,790 in Zabbar versus $2,175 in Sliema, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Zabbar but tight or insufficient in Sliema. The gap between the two cities makes Zabbar 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 Zabbar 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 Zabbar gentler on the wallet – expenses run 22% less than in Sliema. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.