Cost of Living Comparison Between Valletta and Luqa Cost of Living Comparison Between Valletta and Luqa

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,374 in Valletta versus $1,845 in Luqa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,703 in Valletta versus $2,811 in Luqa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,033 in Valletta versus $3,777 in Luqa.

Living in Valletta is roughly 29% more expensive than in Luqa, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Valletta 74% above, Luqa 35% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.14 €20.16

$20.45 €17.82

13.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.9 €80.0

$89.2 €77.7

3.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.14 €12.32

$11.45 €9.98

23.49%

Cappuccino

$3.21 €2.80

$2.82 €2.46

13.83%

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

$2.49 €2.17

$3.22 €2.80

-22.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 €1.74

$2.25 €1.96

-11.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.72 €4.98

$4.81 €4.19

18.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.91 €6.02

$4.56 €3.97

51.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 €1.22

$1.20 €1.04

16.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.50 €1.31

$1.22 €1.07

22.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.57 €3.11

$3.49 €3.04

2.29%

Eggs

$4.61 €4.02

$4.11 €3.58

12.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.81 €9.41

$8.31 €7.24

30.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.18 €10.61

$10.02 €8.73

21.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.46 €16.08

$16.75 €14.59

10.21%

Apples (1kg)

$3.89 €3.39

$2.81 €2.45

38.43%

Banana (1kg)

$2.76 €2.41

$2.10 €1.83

31.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.04 €3.52

$3.08 €2.68

31.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.78 €3.29

$3.51 €3.06

7.69%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$1.86 €1.62

6.45%

Onion (1kg)

$3.40 €2.96

$1.99 €1.73

70.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.37 €2.06

$2.47 €2.15

-4.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 €1.40

$0.91 €0.80

75.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.36 €5.54

$6.93 €6.04

-8.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.23 €5.43

$8.58 €7.47

-27.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.56 €2.23

$1.66 €1.44

54.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 €2.13

$2.24 €1.95

8.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.84 €2.48

$2.28 €1.99

24.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.19 €13.24

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.07 €3.54

$5.77 €5.02

-29.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.83 €1.60

$2.30 €2.00

-20.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.45 €29.14

$28.21 €24.58

18.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 €1.34

$1.53 €1.33

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

$28.8K €25.1K

$26.4K €23.0K

9.11%

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

$40.2K €35.0K

$40.7K €35.5K

-1.20%

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

$157 €137

$107 €93.0

47.26%

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

$32.50 €28.31

$26.09 €22.73

24.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.78 €25.95

$34.56 €30.10

-13.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.9 €53.0

$55.3 €48.15

10.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.11 €18.39

$57.0 €49.68

-62.98%

Cinema Ticket

$11.92 €10.38

$10.49 €9.14

13.63%

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

$292 €254

$383 €333

-23.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K €11.2K

$11.6K €10.1K

11.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.2 €66.4

$89.0 €77.5

-14.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.5 €56.2

$42.42 €36.95

51.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 €100

$86.4 €75.3

33.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 €115

$80.5 €70.1

64.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,462 €1,273

$832 €725

75.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,129 €984

$835 €728

35.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,343 €2,912

$1,369 €1,193

144.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,119 €1,846

$1,304 €1,136

62.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,451 €4,749

$2,964 €2,583

83.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,086 €3,560

$3,247 €2,829

25.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,086 €1,817

$1,502 €1,309

38.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.05

2.9

39.66%

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

Last update for Valletta: September 15, 2026

Last update for Luqa: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,462 in Valletta and $832 in Luqa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Valletta pays 39% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $92.0 in Valletta vs $89.0 in Luqa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $353 vs $297 per month, with Luqa cheaper across the board.

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 Luqa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Luqa wins on cost – living expenses run 29% lower than in Valletta. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Luqa the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 39% higher in Valletta, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,462 in Valletta versus $832 in Luqa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 19% higher in Valletta. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,374 per month in Valletta versus $1,845 in Luqa – a 29% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,845 in Luqa versus $2,374 in Valletta, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Luqa but tight or insufficient in Valletta. The gap between the two cities makes Luqa the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Luqa delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,845 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Luqa hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Valletta and Luqa are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Luqa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 29% less than in Valletta. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.