Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sligo and Sliema

For one person, living is cheaper in Sligo: $1,784 a month against $2,399 in Sliema, rent and utilities included – about $7,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Sligo
🇮🇪 Ireland
$1,784
/mo nomad
Sliema
🇲🇹 Malta
$2,399
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sligo and in Sliema

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Sligo and in Sliema actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,784 in Sligo versus $2,399 in Sliema.

  • Sligo $1,784
  • Sliema $2,399

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,736 in Sligo versus $3,804 in Sliema.

  • Sligo $2,736
  • Sliema $3,804

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,688 in Sligo versus $5,209 in Sliema.

  • Sligo $3,688
  • Sliema $5,209

Living in Sligo costs roughly 26% less than in Sliema, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sligo 32% above, Sliema 77% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Sligo
Sliema
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.00 €15.12
$19.95 €17.75
-14.79%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$77.8 €69.2
$85.6 €76.1
-9.09%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.98 €7.99
$13.24 €11.77
-32.18%
Cappuccino
$3.67 €3.26
$2.80 €2.49
31.07%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.57 €2.29
$3.07 €2.73
-16.29%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.88 €1.67
$2.19 €1.95
-14.16%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.42 €5.71
$4.50 €4.00
42.67%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.07 €5.40
$5.26 €4.68
15.40%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Sligo
Sliema
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.47 €1.31
$1.39 €1.24
5.76%
White Bread (500g)
$1.44 €1.28
$1.31 €1.16
9.92%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.57 €1.40
$4.43 €3.94
-64.56%
Eggs
$3.53 €3.14
$4.14 €3.68
-14.73%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.54 €7.59
$8.23 €7.32
3.77%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.05 €8.05
$10.29 €9.16
-12.05%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.18 €9.94
$18.64 €16.58
-40.02%
Apples (1kg)
$2.08 €1.85
$4.07 €3.62
-48.89%
Banana (1kg)
$1.75 €1.56
$2.76 €2.45
-36.59%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.84 €2.52
$3.58 €3.18
-20.67%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.75 €2.45
$3.27 €2.91
-15.90%
Potato (1kg)
$1.71 €1.52
$2.51 €2.23
-31.87%
Onion (1kg)
$1.18 €1.05
$1.97 €1.75
-40.10%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.26 €1.12
$2.37 €2.11
-46.84%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.64 €1.46
$1.34 €1.19
22.39%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$17.28 €15.37
$6.87 €6.11
151.53%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.43 €10.17
$7.96 €7.08
43.59%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.64 €2.34
$1.71 €1.52
54.39%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.84 €3.42
$2.43 €2.16
58.02%
🚌 Getting Around
Sligo
Sliema
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.20 €1.96
$2.29 €2.03
-3.93%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$136 €121
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.72 €5.09
$5.58 €4.97
2.51%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.44 €1.28
$2.20 €1.95
-34.55%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$67.4 €60.0
$27.39 €24.37
146.11%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.00 €1.78
$1.52 €1.36
31.58%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$39.7K €35.3K
$38.1K €33.8K
4.33%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$37.1K €33.0K
$38.4K €34.2K
-3.43%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sligo
Sliema
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$166 €147
$103 €91.6
60.86%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$22.20 €19.75
$25.87 €23.01
-14.19%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$46.25 €41.14
$43.12 €38.36
7.26%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Sligo
Sliema
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$65.6 €58.3
$75.5 €67.1
-13.13%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$11.19 €9.95
$16.30 €14.50
-31.35%
Cinema Ticket
$10.99 €9.78
$10.06 €8.95
9.24%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Sligo
Sliema
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$807 €718
$374 €333
115.49%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$2,248 €2,000
$11.3K €10.0K
-80.07%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Sligo
Sliema
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$88.7 €78.9
$86.9 €77.3
1.99%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.13 €25.02
$39.90 €35.49
-29.50%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$73.8 €65.6
$101 €89.9
-27.01%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$90.3 €80.3
$79.7 €70.9
13.18%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Sligo
Sliema
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,378 €1,226
$1,752 €1,558
-21.33%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$770 €685
$1,217 €1,082
-36.74%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,286 €2,034
$2,942 €2,617
-22.28%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,360 €1,210
$2,391 €2,127
-43.11%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,114 €1,880
$5,368 €4,775
-60.62%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$3,514 €3,126
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Sligo
Sliema
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,161 €3,701
$1,811 €1,611
129.71%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.6
2.9
24.14%

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

Last update for Sligo: October 17, 2026

Last update for Sliema: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Sligo
$770
Sliema
$1.2K 58.1% $447
Groceries & Markets
Sligo
$276
Sliema
$327 18.6% $51
Eating Out
Sligo
$269
Sliema
$287 6.7% $18
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sligo
$234
Sliema
$172 26.5% $62
Clothing & Footwear
Sligo
$126
Sliema
$138 9.6% $12
Sport & Entertainment
Sligo
$88
Sliema
$96 9.2% $8.1
Getting Around
Sligo
$22 *
Sliema
$162 646% $140

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,378 in Sligo and $1,752 in Sliema. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sligo pays 130% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $78.0 in Sligo vs $86.0 in Sliema for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $276 vs $327 per month, with Sligo cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇮🇪 Sligo
🇲🇹 Sliema
🕒 Local time
08:23 8:23 AM
09:23 9:23 AM
1 h ahead of Sligo
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
20,608
16,854
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 24, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Sligo Sliema 2,700 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Sligo
  • Sliema

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
Sligo vs Sliema: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Sligo and in Sliema?
Sligo and Sliema differ by about 34% in total monthly costs ($1,784 vs $2,399 including rent). Sligo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Sligo or Sliema?
Average pay runs 130% higher in Sligo, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Sligo and in Sliema?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,378 in Sligo versus $1,752 in Sliema. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Sligo and Sliema?
Childcare runs $807 in Sligo versus $374 in Sliema. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Sligo – a meal for two runs $78.0 versus $86.0 in Sliema. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more doable on $3,000 per month?
At $1,784 in Sligo versus $2,399 in Sliema, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Sligo but tight or insufficient in Sliema. The gap between the two cities makes Sligo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Sligo and Sliema?
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.
Is Sligo or Sliema safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Sligo and Sliema are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Where should expats move: Sligo or Sliema?
Expats usually find Sligo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 34% less than in Sliema. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Sligo vs other spots: cost of living compared

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