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: $2,187 in Sliema versus $2,065 in Zebbug.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,413 in Sliema versus $3,063 in Zebbug.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,638 in Sliema versus $4,060 in Zebbug.

Living in Sliema is roughly 6% more expensive than Zebbug, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sliema 63% above, Zebbug 54% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.22 €18.27

$20.43 €17.59

3.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$95.5 €82.2

$70.1 €60.4

36.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.79 €10.15

$7.38 €6.36

59.76%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$2.64 €2.27

8.71%

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

$2.99 €2.58

$2.26 €1.95

32.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 €1.92

$1.14 €0.98

95.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.58 €3.94

$4.59 €3.95

-0.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.64 €4.00

$4.88 €4.20

-4.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 €1.20

$1.31 €1.13

6.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.23 €1.06

$1.53 €1.32

-19.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.17 €3.59

$3.51 €3.02

18.80%

Eggs

$4.48 €3.85

$3.60 €3.10

24.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.27 €8.84

$9.92 €8.54

3.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.13 €7.86

$10.68 €9.19

-14.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.94 €16.30

$14.20 €12.23

33.38%

Apples (1kg)

$4.46 €3.84

$3.33 €2.87

33.93%

Banana (1kg)

$3.13 €2.70

$2.00 €1.72

56.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.21 €2.76

$2.88 €2.48

11.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.65 €3.14

$3.35 €2.88

8.96%

Potato (1kg)

$2.48 €2.14

$1.86 €1.60

33.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 €1.17

$2.86 €2.46

-52.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.44 €2.10

$1.84 €1.58

32.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 €1.08

$1.28 €1.10

-2.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.34 €5.45

$6.56 €5.64

-3.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.49 €7.31

$6.15 €5.29

38.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 €1.65

$2.35 €2.02

-18.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 €2.02

$1.84 €1.58

27.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.93 €2.52

$2.67 €2.30

9.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.66 €4.87

$7.90 €6.80

-28.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.13 €3.55

$1.87 €1.61

120.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$49.29 €42.43

$35.32 €30.41

39.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 €1.35

$1.52 €1.31

3.29%

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

$38.3K €32.9K

$25.7K €22.1K

48.94%

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

$38.1K €32.8K

$41.3K €35.5K

-7.57%

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

$93.9 €80.8

$166 €143

-43.57%

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

$28.53 €24.56

$29.92 €25.76

-4.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.78 €39.41

$32.71 €28.16

39.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.9 €58.5

$64.6 €55.6

5.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.05 €19.84

$23.51 €20.24

-1.96%

Cinema Ticket

$10.37 €8.92

$15.10 €13.00

-31.32%

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

$782 €673

$264 €227

196.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.1K €9,555

$12.7K €10.9K

-12.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.4 €78.7

$104 €89.6

-12.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.23 €32.91

$38.09 €32.79

0.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €87.3

$143 €123

-29.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 €88.2

$100 €86.4

2.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 €1,222

$1,151 €991

23.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,122 €966

$953 €820

17.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,453 €2,112

$1,962 €1,689

25.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,943 €1,673

$1,507 €1,297

28.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,563 €4,789

$4,059 €3,495

37.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,693 €3,180

$2,929 €2,521

26.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,913 €1,647

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.08

5.43

-6.45%

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

Last update for Sliema: May 30, 2026

Last update for Zebbug: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,419 in Sliema and $1,151 in Zebbug. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $96.0 in Sliema vs $70.0 in Zebbug for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $333 vs $301 per month, with Zebbug 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 Zebbug: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sliema and Zebbug differ by about 6% in total monthly costs ($2,187 vs $2,065 including rent). Zebbug is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,280 in Sliema and $3,098 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: $1,419 in Sliema versus $1,151 in Zebbug. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $782 in Sliema versus $264 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 $70.0 versus $96.0 in Sliema. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,065 in Zebbug versus $2,187 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 6% less than in Sliema. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.