Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Swieqi and Balzan

For one person, living is cheaper in Balzan: $1,939 a month against $2,082 in Swieqi, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Swieqi, Malta
Balzan, Malta
Swieqi
🇲🇹 Malta
$2,082
/mo nomad
Balzan
🇲🇹 Malta
$1,939
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Swieqi and in Balzan

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

A single person spends $2,082 per month in Swieqi vs $1,939 in Balzan, rent included.

  • Swieqi $2,082
  • Balzan $1,939

A couple spends around $3,327 per month in Swieqi vs $2,927 in Balzan, rent included.

  • Swieqi $3,327
  • Balzan $2,927

A family of three spends $4,571 per month in Swieqi vs $3,915 in Balzan, rent included.

  • Swieqi $4,571
  • Balzan $3,915

Swieqi costs about 7% more than Balzan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Swieqi and Balzan sit above the global median – Swieqi by 53%, Balzan by 42%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Swieqi
Balzan
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.71 €14.97
$18.68 €16.74
-10.55%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$68.1 €61.0
$91.1 €81.6
-25.24%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.94 €9.80
$12.10 €10.84
-9.59%
Cappuccino
$3.19 €2.86
$3.09 €2.77
3.24%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.33 €2.09
$1.93 €1.73
20.73%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.82 €1.63
$1.03 €0.92
76.70%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.64 €3.26
$3.26 €2.92
11.66%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.44 €3.98
$2.45 €2.19
81.22%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Swieqi
Balzan
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.36 €1.22
$1.25 €1.12
8.80%
White Bread (500g)
$1.45 €1.29
$0.97 €0.87
49.48%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.59 €3.21
$3.52 €3.16
1.99%
Eggs
$3.19 €2.86
$4.30 €3.85
-25.81%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.53 €7.64
$10.30 €9.23
-17.18%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.92 €8.89
$9.10 €8.15
9.01%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$18.11 €16.23
$12.40 €11.11
46.05%
Apples (1kg)
$3.86 €3.46
$2.64 €2.37
46.21%
Banana (1kg)
$2.26 €2.03
$2.04 €1.83
10.78%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.87 €2.57
$1.68 €1.51
70.83%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.74 €3.35
$1.15 €1.03
225.22%
Potato (1kg)
$1.95 €1.74
$0.86 €0.77
126.74%
Onion (1kg)
$2.45 €2.20
$0.91 €0.81
169.23%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.81 €1.62
$0.85 €0.76
112.94%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.89 €0.80
$0.99 €0.89
-10.10%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.35 €5.69
$6.09 €5.46
4.27%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.04 €5.41
$6.02 €5.40
0.33%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.47 €2.21
$1.07 €0.96
130.84%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.32 €2.08
$1.49 €1.34
55.70%
🚌 Getting Around
Swieqi
Balzan
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.22 €1.99
$3.01 €2.70
-26.25%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$14.72 €13.19
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.99 €3.58
$2.23 €2.00
78.92%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.77 €1.58
$1.76 €1.58
0.57%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$33.28 €29.82
$32.03 €28.70
3.90%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.46 €1.31
$1.52 €1.37
-3.95%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.5K €25.5K
$27.5K €24.6K
3.63%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$39.0K €34.9K
$32.2K €28.9K
21.02%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Swieqi
Balzan
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$121 €109
$154 €138
-21.45%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$22.20 €19.89
$19.90 €17.83
11.56%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$29.85 €26.75
$28.97 €25.96
3.04%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Swieqi
Balzan
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$66.6 €59.7
$73.6 €65.9
-9.50%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.07 €14.40
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$8.98 €8.05
$11.40 €10.22
-21.23%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Swieqi
Balzan
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$221 €198
$280 €251
-21.11%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.3K €11.1K
$12.1K €10.9K
1.70%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Swieqi
Balzan
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$56.7 €50.8
$58.0 €52.0
-2.38%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$55.1 €49.39
$69.1 €61.9
-20.24%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$112 €100
$110 €98.6
1.55%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$128 €115
$130 €117
-1.84%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Swieqi
Balzan
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,259 €1,128
$1,132 €1,015
11.21%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,076 €964
$950 €851
13.27%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,105 €2,783
$1,804 €1,616
72.16%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,199 €1,971
$1,522 €1,364
44.47%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,969 €3,556
$4,057 €3,635
-2.17%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,882 €2,582
$2,876 €2,577
0.22%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Swieqi
Balzan
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,397 €1,251
$1,000 €897
39.59%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.01
4.05
-0.99%

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

Last update for Swieqi: October 25, 2026

Last update for Balzan: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Swieqi
$1.1K
Balzan
$950 11.7% $126
Groceries & Markets
Swieqi
$305
Balzan
$245 19.7% $60
Eating Out
Swieqi
$249
Balzan
$256 2.9% $7.3
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Swieqi
$173
Balzan
$203 17.3% $30
Clothing & Footwear
Swieqi
$158
Balzan
$165 4.6% $7.2
Sport & Entertainment
Swieqi
$85
Balzan
$96 14% $12
Getting Around
Swieqi
$36
Balzan
$23 * 36.7% $13

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,259 in Swieqi versus $1,132 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 40% higher in Swieqi. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68 in Swieqi versus $91 in Balzan. Groceries tell a different story – $305 in Swieqi vs $245 in Balzan – so Balzan wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇲🇹 Swieqi
🇲🇹 Balzan
🕒 Local time
12:50 12:50 PM
12:50 12:50 PM
Same time as Swieqi
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
14,000
4,700
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Swieqi Balzan 3 km
From you
  • Swieqi
  • Balzan

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
Swieqi vs Balzan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Swieqi and in Balzan compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $2,082 in Swieqi, $1,939 in Balzan – Balzan comes out roughly 7% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Swieqi compared to Balzan?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,123 per month in Swieqi and $2,908 in Balzan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Swieqi and Balzan?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Balzan, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,132 there versus $1,259 in Swieqi.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $68 in Swieqi and $91 in Balzan. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 25% more in Swieqi, though the gap depends on what you buy.
How far does $3,000 go in Swieqi compared to Balzan?
$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,082 in Swieqi and $1,939 in Balzan, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
How does quality of life compare between Swieqi and Balzan?
It depends on your priorities. Balzan has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,939 in Balzan to $2,082 in Swieqi. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Swieqi or Balzan safer for residents?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.
How do I decide between Swieqi and Balzan?
If budget matters most, go with Balzan. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Swieqi makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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