Cost of Living Comparison Between Valletta and Mdina Cost of Living Comparison Between Valletta and Mdina

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,241 in Valletta versus $1,996 in Mdina.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,380 in Valletta versus $3,018 in Mdina.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,519 in Valletta versus $4,040 in Mdina.

Living in Valletta is roughly 12% more expensive than Mdina, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Valletta 67% above, Mdina 49% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.08 €17.29

$20.98 €18.06

-4.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.9 €60.2

$94.1 €81.0

-25.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.35 €9.77

$11.40 €9.82

-0.44%

Cappuccino

$2.63 €2.26

$2.95 €2.54

-10.85%

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

$2.70 €2.33

$3.05 €2.63

-11.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 €1.70

$2.18 €1.88

-9.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.81 €4.14

$4.54 €3.91

5.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.88 €4.20

$4.64 €4.00

5.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 €1.17

$1.41 €1.21

-3.55%

White Bread (500g)

$1.53 €1.32

$1.26 €1.08

21.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.53 €3.04

$4.24 €3.65

-16.75%

Eggs

$3.72 €3.20

$4.58 €3.94

-18.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.77 €8.41

$10.30 €8.87

-5.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.73 €9.24

$9.20 €7.92

16.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.81 €11.89

$14.20 €12.22

-2.75%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 €2.83

$4.31 €3.71

-23.67%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 €1.77

$3.06 €2.64

-33.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.78 €2.39

$3.23 €2.78

-13.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.25 €2.80

$3.61 €3.11

-9.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$2.60 €2.24

-29.23%

Onion (1kg)

$2.96 €2.55

$1.35 €1.16

119.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.65

$2.36 €2.03

-18.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 €1.08

$1.20 €1.03

4.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.55 €5.64

Wine (Bottle)

$6.28 €5.40

$8.40 €7.23

-25.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.29 €1.98

$1.95 €1.68

17.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 €1.53

$2.23 €1.92

-20.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.88 €2.48

$2.81 €2.42

2.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.28 €7.13

$5.77 €4.96

43.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.87 €1.61

$4.06 €3.49

-53.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 €29.57

$48.81 €42.03

-29.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 €1.30

$1.53 €1.32

-1.31%

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

$26.5K €22.8K

$39.2K €33.7K

-32.33%

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

$41.7K €35.9K

$37.4K €32.2K

11.69%

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

$166 €143

$93.2 €80.3

78.42%

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

$30.23 €26.03

$28.63 €24.65

5.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.97 €28.39

$45.95 €39.57

-28.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.9 €51.6

$64.9 €55.9

-7.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.18 €26.85

$22.88 €19.70

36.28%

Cinema Ticket

$15.18 €13.07

$10.23 €8.81

48.39%

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

$260 €224

$428 €368

-39.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K €11.1K

$10.9K €9,371

18.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €88.4

$91.2 €78.5

12.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$72.3 €62.3

$38.33 €33.00

88.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$147 €126

$104 €89.5

40.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$166 €143

$103 €88.8

61.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,081

$1,150 €991

9.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 €914

$949 €818

11.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,785 €2,398

$2,018 €1,738

38.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,833 €1,579

$1,531 €1,319

19.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,622 €4,841

$4,554 €3,921

23.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,105 €3,535

$2,826 €2,434

45.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,169 €1,868

$1,539 €1,325

40.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.43

81.00%

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

Last update for Valletta: June 1, 2026

Last update for Mdina: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,255 in Valletta and $1,150 in Mdina. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Valletta pays 41% 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: $70.0 in Valletta vs $94.0 in Mdina for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $300 vs $318 per month, with Valletta 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 Mdina: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Valletta and Mdina differ by about 12% in total monthly costs ($2,241 vs $1,996 including rent). Mdina is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Valletta pays 41% more on average, 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: $1,255 in Valletta versus $1,150 in Mdina. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Valletta pay roughly 6% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $2,241 per month in Valletta versus $1,996 in Mdina – a 12% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,996 in Mdina versus $2,241 in Valletta, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Mdina but tight or insufficient in Valletta. The gap between the two cities makes Mdina the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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, Valletta and Mdina 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 Mdina gentler on the wallet – expenses run 12% less than in Valletta. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.