Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Valletta and Marsa

For one person, living is cheaper in Valletta: $2,243 a month against $2,871 in Marsa, rent and utilities included – about $7,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Marsa outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Valletta, Malta
Marsa, Malta
Valletta
🇲🇹 Malta
$2,243
/mo nomad
Marsa
🇲🇹 Malta
$2,871
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Valletta and in Marsa

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 Marsa actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,243 per month in Valletta vs $2,871 in Marsa, rent included.

  • Valletta $2,243
  • Marsa $2,871

A couple spends around $3,657 per month in Valletta vs $3,976 in Marsa, rent included.

  • Valletta $3,657
  • Marsa $3,976

A family of three spends $5,071 per month in Valletta vs $5,081 in Marsa, rent included.

  • Valletta $5,071
  • Marsa $5,081

Valletta is about 22% cheaper than Marsa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Valletta and Marsa sit above the global median – Valletta by 65%, Marsa by 111%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Valletta
Marsa
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$22.53 €20.19
$19.41 €17.39
16.07%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$91.1 €81.7
$85.2 €76.4
6.95%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.37 €11.98
$13.67 €12.25
-2.19%
Cappuccino
$3.08 €2.76
$2.69 €2.41
14.50%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.35 €2.10
$2.28 €2.04
3.07%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.02 €1.81
$2.27 €2.03
-11.01%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.67 €5.08
$4.58 €4.10
23.80%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.88 €6.16
$2.53 €2.26
171.94%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Valletta
Marsa
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.37 €1.23
$1.36 €1.22
0.74%
White Bread (500g)
$1.41 €1.26
$1.29 €1.16
9.30%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.47 €3.11
$4.22 €3.78
-17.77%
Eggs
$4.24 €3.80
$4.33 €3.88
-2.08%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.39 €9.31
$8.43 €7.55
23.25%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$12.21 €10.94
$10.25 €9.18
19.12%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.98 €16.11
$18.47 €16.55
-2.65%
Apples (1kg)
$3.88 €3.47
$4.27 €3.83
-9.13%
Banana (1kg)
$2.75 €2.47
$2.69 €2.41
2.23%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.91 €3.50
$3.55 €3.19
10.14%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.74 €3.35
$3.27 €2.93
14.37%
Potato (1kg)
$1.90 €1.70
$2.25 €2.02
-15.56%
Onion (1kg)
$3.33 €2.99
$1.87 €1.67
78.07%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.27 €2.04
$2.27 €2.03
-
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.49 €1.34
$1.31 €1.17
13.74%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.23 €5.58
$6.85 €6.14
-9.05%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.09 €5.46
$8.36 €7.49
-27.15%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.47 €2.21
$1.63 €1.46
51.53%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.35 €2.10
$2.33 €2.09
0.86%
🚌 Getting Around
Valletta
Marsa
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.21 €1.98
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.99 €3.58
$5.75 €5.15
-30.61%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.74 €1.56
$2.29 €2.05
-24.02%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$32.29 €28.94
$26.56 €23.80
21.57%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.49 €1.33
$1.47 €1.32
1.36%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.9K €25.0K
$37.4K €33.5K
-25.40%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$39.0K €34.9K
$38.4K €34.4K
1.60%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Valletta
Marsa
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$156 €140
$103 €92.6
50.94%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$31.08 €27.85
$24.97 €22.38
24.47%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$29.31 €26.26
$42.87 €38.41
-31.63%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Valletta
Marsa
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$61.7 €55.3
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$20.63 €18.49
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$11.18 €10.02
$10.19 €9.13
9.72%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Valletta
Marsa
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$275 €246
$372 €334
-26.19%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.3K €11.0K
$11.2K €9,997
10.11%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Valletta
Marsa
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$57.4 €51.4
$86.1 €77.2
-33.33%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$68.2 €61.1
$39.89 €35.74
70.84%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$111 €99.4
$101 €90.8
9.51%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$128 €115
$77.4 €69.4
65.40%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Valletta
Marsa
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,389 €1,245
$2,481 €2,223
-44.01%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,096 €982
$1,925 €1,725
-43.07%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,390 €3,038
$2,271 €2,035
49.31%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,312 €2,072
$2,758 €2,471
-16.17%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,400 €4,839
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,943 €3,533
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Valletta
Marsa
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,031 €1,820
$3,229 €2,893
-37.11%
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: October 25, 2026

Last update for Marsa: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Valletta
$1.1K
Marsa
$1.9K 75.7% $829
Groceries & Markets
Valletta
$344
Marsa
$326 5.3% $18
Eating Out
Valletta
$317
Marsa
$275 13.3% $42
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Valletta
$216
Marsa
$171 20.9% $45
Clothing & Footwear
Valletta
$164
Marsa
$137 16.4% $27
Sport & Entertainment
Valletta
$84
Marsa
$20 * 75.8% $64
Getting Around
Valletta
$22 *
Marsa
$17 * 20.2% $4.4

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 $2,481 in Marsa. 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 59% higher in Marsa. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $91 in Valletta versus $85 in Marsa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $344 vs $326 – making Marsa the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇲🇹 Valletta
🇲🇹 Marsa
🕒 Local time
20:47 8:47 PM
20:47 8:47 PM
Same time as Valletta
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
5,700 Capital
5,000
💱 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
  • Valletta Marsa 2 km
From you
  • Valletta
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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
Valletta vs Marsa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Valletta cheaper than Marsa?
Yes – Marsa is pricier by about 28%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in utilities.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,364 per month in Valletta and $4,307 in Marsa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Valletta, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,389 there versus $2,481 in Marsa.
What are total monthly expenses in Valletta and in Marsa?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,243 in Valletta and $2,871 in Marsa. That makes Valletta about 22% cheaper.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $275 per month in Valletta and $372 in Marsa. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $2,000 enough to cover costs in Valletta or in Marsa?
$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,243 in Valletta and $2,871 in Marsa. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Is Valletta or Marsa more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Valletta – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Valletta or Marsa?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Valletta. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Marsa makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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