Cost of Living Comparison Between Sliema and Zebbug Cost of Living Comparison Between Sliema and Zebbug

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,477 in Sliema versus $2,101 in Zebbug.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,930 in Sliema versus $3,139 in Zebbug.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,384 in Sliema versus $4,178 in Zebbug.

Living in Sliema is roughly 18% more expensive than in Zebbug, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sliema 80% above, Zebbug 53% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.96 €17.16

$20.65 €17.75

-3.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.6 €77.0

$82.7 €71.1

8.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.89 €11.94

$7.60 €6.53

82.76%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.38

$3.38 €2.91

-18.34%

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

$3.22 €2.77

$2.33 €2.01

38.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 €1.98

$1.19 €1.03

93.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.65 €4.00

$4.72 €4.06

-1.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.29 €4.55

$5.06 €4.35

4.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 €1.23

$1.40 €1.20

2.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 €1.17

$1.51 €1.30

-9.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.54 €3.90

$3.57 €3.07

27.17%

Eggs

$4.36 €3.75

$4.58 €3.94

-4.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.74 €7.51

$10.54 €9.06

-17.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.95 €9.41

$12.47 €10.72

-12.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.77 €16.13

$19.24 €16.54

-2.44%

Apples (1kg)

$4.37 €3.75

$3.98 €3.43

9.80%

Banana (1kg)

$2.88 €2.48

$2.92 €2.51

-1.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.78 €3.25

$4.11 €3.54

-8.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.44 €2.96

$3.84 €3.30

-10.42%

Potato (1kg)

$2.52 €2.16

$2.02 €1.74

24.75%

Onion (1kg)

$2.13 €1.83

$3.51 €3.01

-39.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.36 €2.03

$2.35 €2.02

0.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.17

$1.54 €1.32

-11.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.15 €6.15

$6.35 €5.46

12.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.58 €7.38

$6.33 €5.44

35.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 €1.57

$2.50 €2.15

-26.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 €2.08

$2.37 €2.03

2.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.29 €1.97

$2.48 €2.13

-7.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$140 €120

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.87 €5.04

$4.16 €3.57

41.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.37 €2.04

$1.83 €1.58

29.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.49 €23.63

$33.79 €29.05

-18.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 €1.31

$1.59 €1.37

-4.40%

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

$39.5K €33.9K

$28.9K €24.8K

36.74%

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

$39.9K €34.3K

-0.02%

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

$108 €92.6

$159 €137

-32.37%

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

$26.58 €22.85

$32.45 €27.89

-18.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.33 €38.11

$30.32 €26.07

46.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 €66.3

$74.1 €63.7

4.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.55 €14.23

Cinema Ticket

$10.43 €8.96

$11.93 €10.26

-12.57%

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

$374 €321

$288 €247

29.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K €9,809

$12.7K €10.9K

-10.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.1 €77.4

$77.5 €66.6

16.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.70 €36.71

$64.0 €55.1

-33.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.7

$115 €99.0

-11.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.9 €70.4

$134 €116

-39.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,783 €1,533

$1,221 €1,050

46.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,287 €1,106

$1,086 €934

18.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,086 €2,653

$1,690 €1,453

82.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,460 €2,115

$1,346 €1,157

82.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,642 €4,851

$4,277 €3,677

31.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,730 €3,206

$3,329 €2,862

12.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,902 €1,635

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: August 30, 2026

Last update for Zebbug: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,783 in Sliema and $1,221 in Zebbug. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $90.0 in Sliema vs $83.0 in Zebbug. Groceries flip the comparison at $341 vs $357, with Sliema cheaper for home cooking.

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 Zebbug: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sliema and Zebbug differ by about 18% in total monthly costs ($2,477 vs $2,101 including rent). Zebbug is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,715 in Sliema and $3,151 in Zebbug 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: $1,783 in Sliema versus $1,221 in Zebbug. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $374 in Sliema versus $288 in Zebbug. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Zebbug – a meal for two runs $83.0 versus $90.0 in Sliema. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,101 in Zebbug versus $2,477 in Sliema, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Zebbug but tight or insufficient in Sliema. The gap between the two cities makes Zebbug 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 Zebbug 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 Zebbug gentler on the wallet – expenses run 18% less than in Sliema. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.