Cost of Living Comparison Between Valletta and Mgarr Cost of Living Comparison Between Valletta and Mgarr

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,261 in Valletta versus $2,016 in Mgarr.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,354 in Valletta versus $3,052 in Mgarr.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,446 in Valletta versus $4,087 in Mgarr.

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Valletta 69% above, Mgarr 51% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.32 €17.80

$20.50 €17.96

-0.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.1 €60.5

$68.6 €60.0

0.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.72 €10.27

$11.61 €10.17

0.95%

Cappuccino

$2.68 €2.35

$2.74 €2.40

-2.19%

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

$2.61 €2.29

$2.71 €2.37

-3.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 €1.82

$2.07 €1.81

0.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.92 €4.31

$4.91 €4.30

0.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.99 €4.37

$4.98 €4.36

0.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 €1.15

$1.37 €1.20

-4.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.59 €1.40

$1.54 €1.35

3.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.48 €3.05

Eggs

$3.80 €3.33

$3.60 €3.15

5.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.66 €8.46

$9.78 €8.57

-1.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.73 €9.40

$10.86 €9.51

-1.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.09 €12.34

$13.76 €12.05

2.40%

Apples (1kg)

$3.46 €3.03

$3.36 €2.94

2.98%

Banana (1kg)

$2.07 €1.81

$2.05 €1.80

0.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.89 €2.53

$2.76 €2.42

4.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.30 €2.89

$3.33 €2.91

-0.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.81 €1.59

$1.78 €1.56

1.69%

Onion (1kg)

$2.84 €2.49

$2.82 €2.47

0.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.69

$1.84 €1.62

4.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 €1.08

$1.23 €1.07

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.49 €5.68

$6.53 €5.72

-0.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.14 €5.38

$6.00 €5.25

2.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.36 €2.07

$2.39 €2.09

-1.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 €1.55

$1.78 €1.56

-1.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.87 €2.52

$2.72 €2.38

5.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.05 €7.05

$8.08 €7.07

-0.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.97 €1.72

$1.94 €1.70

1.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.61 €30.31

$34.26 €30.00

1.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 €1.37

$1.52 €1.33

2.63%

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

$26.4K €23.1K

$26.5K €23.2K

-0.46%

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

$40.5K €35.5K

$40.4K €35.4K

0.26%

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

$172 €150

$167 €146

2.84%

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

$29.50 €25.84

$29.24 €25.61

0.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.41 €29.26

$33.60 €29.42

-0.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.5 €51.2

$65.5 €57.3

-10.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.55 €26.76

$23.22 €20.33

31.57%

Cinema Ticket

$15.19 €13.31

$15.27 €13.37

-0.52%

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

$257 €225

$263 €230

-2.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K €11.3K

$12.5K €11.0K

3.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €89.8

$100 €88.0

2.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$73.9 €64.7

$39.29 €34.41

87.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$146 €128

0.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$172 €150

$102 €89.4

68.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,298 €1,136

$1,144 €1,002

13.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,079 €945

$955 €836

12.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,829 €2,478

$1,962 €1,718

44.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,886 €1,652

$1,484 €1,299

27.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,306 €4,647

$4,156 €3,640

27.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,095 €3,586

$2,953 €2,587

38.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,034 €1,781

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.43

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

Last update for Valletta: July 13, 2026

Last update for Mgarr: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,298 in Valletta and $1,144 in Mgarr. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $69.0 in Valletta vs $69.0 in Mgarr. Groceries flip the comparison at $302 vs $300, with Mgarr cheaper for home cooking.

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 Mgarr: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mgarr wins on cost – living expenses run 12% lower than in Valletta. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Mgarr the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $3,392 in Valletta and $3,024 in Mgarr to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,298 in Valletta versus $1,144 in Mgarr. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $257 in Valletta versus $263 in Mgarr. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Mgarr – a meal for two runs $69.0 versus $69.0 in Valletta. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,016 in Mgarr versus $2,261 in Valletta, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mgarr but tight or insufficient in Valletta. The gap between the two cities makes Mgarr the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Mgarr delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,016 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Mgarr hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Valletta and Mgarr 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 Mgarr 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.