Cost of Living Comparison Between Swieqi and Balzan Cost of Living Comparison Between Swieqi and Balzan

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,268 per month in Swieqi vs $1,772 in Balzan, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,401 per month in Swieqi vs $2,807 in Balzan, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,534 per month in Swieqi vs $3,841 in Balzan, rent included.

Swieqi costs about 28% more than Balzan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Swieqi and Balzan sit above the global median – Swieqi by 69%, Balzan by 32%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.64 €15.19

$19.37 €16.68

-8.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.9 €60.2

$68.8 €59.2

1.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.92 €8.54

$11.48 €9.89

-13.59%

Cappuccino

$2.63 €2.26

$2.71 €2.34

-2.95%

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

$2.74 €2.36

$2.07 €1.78

32.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 €1.49

$1.06 €0.91

63.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.38 €3.77

$3.43 €2.95

27.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.31 €4.57

$2.63 €2.26

101.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 €1.13

$1.24 €1.06

5.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 €1.18

$1.02 €0.88

34.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.52 €3.03

$3.44 €2.96

2.33%

Eggs

$3.19 €2.75

$3.73 €3.21

-14.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.82 €7.60

$9.69 €8.35

-8.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.35 €8.91

$9.30 €8.01

11.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.21 €12.24

$12.55 €10.81

13.23%

Apples (1kg)

$3.37 €2.90

$2.59 €2.23

30.12%

Banana (1kg)

$2.06 €1.77

$1.98 €1.70

4.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.77 €2.39

$1.82 €1.57

52.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.20 €2.75

$1.15 €0.99

178.26%

Potato (1kg)

$1.87 €1.61

$0.94 €0.81

98.94%

Onion (1kg)

$2.86 €2.46

$0.88 €0.76

225.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.86 €1.60

$0.90 €0.77

106.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.71

$1.00 €0.86

-18.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.52 €5.61

$6.35 €5.47

2.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.32 €5.44

$6.03 €5.19

4.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.38 €2.05

$1.07 €0.92

122.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 €1.60

$1.47 €1.27

26.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.34 €2.02

$3.10 €2.67

-24.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.16 €13.05

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.96

$2.28 €1.96

101.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 €1.63

$1.87 €1.61

1.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$58.7 €50.6

$35.38 €30.47

65.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.59 €1.37

$1.58 €1.36

0.63%

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

$26.0K €22.4K

$25.9K €22.3K

0.26%

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

$41.1K €35.4K

$33.0K €28.4K

24.70%

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

$158 €136

$165 €142

-4.02%

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

$22.98 €19.78

$21.16 €18.22

8.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.97 €28.39

$32.57 €28.04

1.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.5 €59.0

$63.9 €55.1

7.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.59 €19.45

$23.04 €19.84

-1.95%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 €7.91

$15.23 €13.12

-39.66%

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

$510 €439

$262 €226

94.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K €11.1K

$12.7K €10.9K

1.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.1 €64.7

$101 €87.0

-25.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.2 €50.2

$39.17 €33.73

48.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$143 €123

0.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$168 €144

$103 €88.3

63.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,195 €1,029

$860 €740

39.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,139 €981

$783 €674

45.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,988 €2,573

$1,619 €1,394

84.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 €1,818

$1,532 €1,319

37.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,973 €4,282

$4,054 €3,490

22.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,325 €3,724

$2,893 €2,491

49.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,446 €1,245

$1,061 €914

36.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.34

5.43

-20.07%

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

Last update for Swieqi: May 31, 2026

Last update for Balzan: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,195 in Swieqi versus $860 in Balzan. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 36% higher in Swieqi, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $70.0 in Swieqi versus $69.0 in Balzan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $288 vs $243 – making Balzan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Swieqi vs Balzan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,268 in Swieqi, $1,772 in Balzan – roughly 28% apart. Swieqi costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,403 per month in Swieqi and $2,658 in Balzan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Balzan, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $70.0 in Swieqi and $69.0 in Balzan. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 18% more in Swieqi, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Balzan, where all-in costs run around $1,772, than in Swieqi at $2,268. In Balzan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Swieqi it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Balzan – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Balzan. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Swieqi makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.