Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Swieqi and Sliema

For one person, living is cheaper in Swieqi: $2,082 a month against $2,416 in Sliema, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

100

Cost of Living Index in Swieqi
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Swieqi Living Index
115

Cost of Living Index in Sliema
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Sliema Living Index

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Swieqi

🇲🇹 Malta

$2,082

/mo nomad

Sliema

🇲🇹 Malta

$2,416

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Swieqi 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 Swieqi and in Sliema actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,082 in Swieqi versus $2,416 in Sliema.

Swieqi $2,082
Sliema $2,416

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,327 in Swieqi versus $3,868 in Sliema.

Swieqi $3,327
Sliema $3,868

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,571 in Swieqi versus $5,320 in Sliema.

Swieqi $4,571
Sliema $5,320

Living in Swieqi costs roughly 14% less than in Sliema, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Swieqi 53% above, Sliema 78% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.71 €14.91

$19.81 €17.67

-15.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €60.8

$85.4 €76.2

-20.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.94 €9.76

$13.58 €12.12

-19.44%

Cappuccino

$3.19 €2.85

$2.79 €2.48

14.34%

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

$2.33 €2.08

$3.16 €2.82

-26.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 €1.62

$2.21 €1.97

-17.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.64 €3.25

$4.60 €4.10

-20.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.44 €3.96

$5.29 €4.72

-16.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 €1.21

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 €1.29

$1.34 €1.20

8.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.59 €3.20

$4.44 €3.96

-19.14%

Eggs

$3.19 €2.85

$4.17 €3.72

-23.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.53 €7.61

$8.08 €7.21

5.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.92 €8.85

$10.35 €9.24

-4.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.11 €16.15

$18.36 €16.38

-1.36%

Apples (1kg)

$3.86 €3.44

$4.28 €3.81

-9.81%

Banana (1kg)

$2.26 €2.02

$2.80 €2.49

-19.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.87 €2.56

$3.64 €3.24

-21.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.74 €3.34

$3.41 €3.04

9.68%

Potato (1kg)

$1.95 €1.74

$2.22 €1.98

-12.16%

Onion (1kg)

$2.45 €2.19

$1.92 €1.71

27.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.81 €1.61

$2.35 €2.10

-22.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.79

$1.29 €1.15

-31.01%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.35 €5.66

$6.78 €6.05

-6.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.04 €5.39

$7.97 €7.11

-24.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.47 €2.20

$1.69 €1.51

46.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 €2.07

$2.36 €2.11

-1.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 €1.98

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.72 €13.14

$136 €121

-89.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.99 €3.56

$5.46 €4.87

-26.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.77 €1.58

$2.30 €2.05

-23.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.28 €29.69

$26.69 €23.81

24.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 €1.30

$1.47 €1.32

-0.68%

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

$28.5K €25.4K

$37.4K €33.4K

-23.96%

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

$39.0K €34.8K

$38.4K €34.2K

1.62%

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

$121 €108

$104 €92.9

16.30%

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

$22.20 €19.81

$25.37 €22.63

-12.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.85 €26.63

$43.68 €38.97

-31.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.6 €59.4

$74.7 €66.7

-10.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.07 €14.34

$16.09 €14.36

-0.12%

Cinema Ticket

$8.98 €8.01

$10.04 €8.96

-10.56%

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

$221 €197

$370 €330

-40.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K €11.0K

$11.1K €9,902

11.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 €50.6

$88.0 €78.5

-35.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.1 €49.18

$40.29 €35.95

36.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 €99.7

$101 €89.9

10.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €114

$79.5 €70.9

60.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,259 €1,123

$1,752 €1,563

-28.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,076 €960

$1,233 €1,100

-12.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,105 €2,770

$3,113 €2,777

-0.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,199 €1,962

$2,504 €2,234

-12.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,969 €3,541

$5,387 €4,806

-26.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,882 €2,571

$3,499 €3,122

-17.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,397 €1,246

$1,841 €1,643

-24.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.01

2.9

38.28%

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

Last update for Swieqi: October 25, 2026

Last update for Sliema: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Swieqi

$1.1K 51.7%

Sliema

$1.2K 51% 14.6% $157

Groceries & Markets

Swieqi

$305 14.7%

Sliema

$327 13.5% 7% $21

Eating Out

Swieqi

$249 11.9%

Sliema

$288 11.9% 15.8% $39

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Swieqi

$173 8.3%

Sliema

$173 7.2% 0% $0

Clothing & Footwear

Swieqi

$158 7.6%

Sliema

$139 5.8% 12.2% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Swieqi

$85 4.1%

Sliema

$95 3.9% 12.2% $10

Getting Around

Swieqi

$36 1.8%

Sliema

$162 6.7% 344% $125

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,259 in Swieqi and $1,752 in Sliema. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sliema pays 32% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $68 in Swieqi vs $85 in Sliema for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $327 per month, with Swieqi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇹 Swieqi

🇲🇹 Sliema

🕒 Local time

00:31 12:31 AM

Same time as Swieqi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

14,000

16,854

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Swieqi Sliema 3 km

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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 Sliema: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,082 in Swieqi and $2,416 in Sliema, so Swieqi is about 14% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 24% lower in Swieqi. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,259 in Swieqi versus $1,752 in Sliema. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 7% higher in Sliema. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Swieqi – a meal for two runs $68 versus $85 in Sliema. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Swieqi is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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, Swieqi and Sliema are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Swieqi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Sliema. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.