Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Valletta and Lija

For one person, living is cheaper in Lija: $1,974 a month against $2,243 in Valletta, rent and utilities included – about $3,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

109

Cost of Living Index in Valletta
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Valletta Living Index
100

Cost of Living Index in Lija
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Lija Living Index

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Valletta

🇲🇹 Malta

$2,243

/mo nomad

Lija

🇲🇹 Malta

$1,974

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Valletta and in Lija

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

A single person spends $2,243 per month in Valletta vs $1,974 in Lija, rent included.

Valletta $2,243
Lija $1,974

A couple spends around $3,657 per month in Valletta vs $3,101 in Lija, rent included.

Valletta $3,657
Lija $3,101

A family of three spends $5,071 per month in Valletta vs $4,228 in Lija, rent included.

Valletta $5,071
Lija $4,228

Valletta costs about 14% more than Lija, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Valletta and Lija sit above the global median – Valletta by 65%, Lija by 45%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.53 €20.10

$22.47 €20.05

0.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.1 €81.3

$90.7 €80.9

0.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.37 €11.93

$13.33 €11.89

0.30%

Cappuccino

$3.08 €2.75

$3.20 €2.86

-3.75%

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

$2.35 €2.09

$2.34 €2.08

0.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 €1.80

$1.92 €1.71

5.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.67 €5.06

$5.71 €5.10

-0.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.88 €6.13

$6.78 €6.05

1.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 €1.23

$1.32 €1.18

3.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 €1.26

$1.46 €1.30

-3.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.47 €3.09

$3.42 €3.05

1.46%

Eggs

$4.24 €3.78

$4.23 €3.78

0.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.39 €9.27

$10.29 €9.18

0.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.21 €10.89

$11.83 €10.55

3.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.98 €16.04

$18.44 €16.46

-2.49%

Apples (1kg)

$3.88 €3.46

$3.75 €3.35

3.47%

Banana (1kg)

$2.75 €2.45

$2.80 €2.50

-1.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.91 €3.49

$3.96 €3.54

-1.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.74 €3.34

$3.84 €3.42

-2.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.70

$1.86 €1.66

2.15%

Onion (1kg)

$3.33 €2.97

$3.36 €3.00

-0.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.27 €2.03

$2.21 €1.97

2.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 €1.33

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.23 €5.56

$6.18 €5.52

0.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.09 €5.43

$5.85 €5.22

4.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.47 €2.20

$2.39 €2.13

3.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 €2.09

$2.28 €2.04

3.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.21 €1.97

$2.45 €2.18

-9.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.99 €3.56

$3.98 €3.55

0.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.74 €1.55

$1.76 €1.57

-1.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.29 €28.81

$32.80 €29.26

-1.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 €1.33

$1.52 €1.36

-1.97%

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

$27.9K €24.9K

$28.2K €25.1K

-0.96%

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

$39.0K €34.8K

$38.9K €34.8K

0.05%

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

$156 €139

$157 €140

-0.68%

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

$31.08 €27.73

$31.50 €28.10

-1.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.31 €26.15

$28.99 €25.87

1.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.7 €55.0

$56.7 €50.6

8.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.63 €18.41

Cinema Ticket

$11.18 €9.98

$11.33 €10.11

-1.32%

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

$275 €245

$272 €243

0.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K €11.0K

-0.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.4 €51.2

$57.7 €51.5

-0.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$68.2 €60.8

$67.6 €60.3

0.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €99.0

-0.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €114

$131 €117

-2.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,389 €1,239

$1,205 €1,075

15.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,096 €978

$830 €741

32.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,390 €3,025

$1,528 €1,363

121.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,312 €2,063

$1,497 €1,336

54.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,400 €4,818

$4,448 €3,969

21.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,943 €3,518

$2,958 €2,639

33.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,031 €1,812

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.05

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

Last update for Valletta: October 25, 2026

Last update for Lija: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Valletta

$1.1K 48.9%

Lija

$830 42.1% 24.3% $266

Groceries & Markets

Valletta

$344 15.3%

Lija

$341 17.3% 0.6% $2.2

Eating Out

Valletta

$317 14.1%

Lija

$317 16.1% 0.2% $0.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Valletta

$216 9.7%

Lija

$218 11% 0.5% $1.2

Clothing & Footwear

Valletta

$164 7.3%

Lija

$165 8.4% 0.8% $1.3

Sport & Entertainment

Valletta

$84 3.8%

Lija

$79 4% 5.6% $4.7

Getting Around

Valletta

$22 * 1%

Lija

$23 * 1.1% 4.8% $1

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,389 in Valletta versus $1,205 in Lija. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $91 in Valletta versus $91 in Lija. Groceries tell a different story – $344 in Valletta vs $341 in Lija – so Lija wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇹 Valletta

🇲🇹 Lija

🕒 Local time

21:15 9:15 PM

Same time as Valletta

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,700 Capital

3,200

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Valletta Lija 6 km

From you

Valletta
Lija

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

Valletta vs Lija: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,243 in Valletta, $1,974 in Lija – Lija comes out roughly 12% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,364 per month in Valletta and $2,961 in Lija. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Lija, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,205 there versus $1,389 in Valletta.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,243 in Valletta and $1,974 in Lija. That makes Lija about 12% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $275 per month in Valletta and $272 in Lija. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,243 in Valletta and $1,974 in Lija, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Valletta has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,974 in Lija to $2,243 in Valletta. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.