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: $2,323 in Valletta versus $2,153 in Mgarr.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,681 in Valletta versus $3,323 in Mgarr.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,039 in Valletta versus $4,494 in Mgarr.

Living in Valletta is roughly 8% more expensive than in Mgarr, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Valletta 69% above, Mgarr 57% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.03 €19.80

$23.45 €20.16

-1.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$92.8 €79.8

$93.7 €80.6

-1.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.13 €12.15

$14.05 €12.08

0.57%

Cappuccino

$3.32 €2.85

$3.38 €2.90

-1.78%

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

$2.53 €2.18

$2.44 €2.10

3.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 €1.79

$2.05 €1.77

1.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.72 €4.92

$5.90 €5.07

-3.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.10 €6.10

$6.79 €5.84

4.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 €1.18

$1.41 €1.22

-2.84%

White Bread (500g)

$1.51 €1.30

$1.52 €1.31

-0.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.67 €3.16

$3.55 €3.05

3.38%

Eggs

$4.50 €3.87

$4.65 €4.00

-3.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.79 €9.27

$10.87 €9.34

-0.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.71 €10.92

$12.27 €10.55

3.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.96 €16.30

$19.24 €16.54

-1.46%

Apples (1kg)

$4.03 €3.46

$3.91 €3.36

3.07%

Banana (1kg)

$2.81 €2.41

$2.89 €2.49

-2.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.94 €3.39

$4.15 €3.57

-5.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.97 €3.41

$3.89 €3.34

2.06%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 €1.74

$1.96 €1.68

3.06%

Onion (1kg)

$3.40 €2.93

$3.46 €2.97

-1.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.29 €1.97

$2.26 €1.94

1.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.56 €1.34

$1.59 €1.37

-1.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.65 €5.71

$6.56 €5.64

1.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.13 €5.27

$6.05 €5.21

1.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 €2.21

$2.61 €2.24

-1.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.46 €2.11

$2.49 €2.14

-1.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.95 €2.53

$2.45 €2.11

20.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.02 €3.46

$4.05 €3.48

-0.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.89 €1.62

$1.90 €1.63

-0.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.64 €28.92

$33.55 €28.85

0.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.59 €1.37

$1.59 €1.36

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

$29.1K €25.0K

$28.8K €24.8K

1.05%

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

$40.2K €34.6K

$40.1K €34.4K

0.33%

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

$162 €140

$159 €137

2.00%

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

$31.87 €27.40

$32.73 €28.14

-2.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.92 €26.59

$30.28 €26.03

2.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.2 €53.5

$58.9 €50.7

5.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.08 €18.12

Cinema Ticket

$11.64 €10.01

$11.95 €10.28

-2.59%

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

$287 €247

$293 €252

-1.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.7K €10.9K

$13.0K €11.2K

-2.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.5 €64.9

$76.1 €65.4

-0.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.4 €55.3

-0.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 €101

-0.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 €115

$134 €116

-0.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,468 €1,262

$1,165 €1,001

25.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,143 €982

$980 €842

16.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,347 €2,877

$1,809 €1,556

84.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,074 €1,783

$1,550 €1,332

33.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,543 €4,766

$3,830 €3,293

44.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,061 €3,491

$2,925 €2,514

38.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,088 €1,795

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: August 29, 2026

Last update for Mgarr: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,468 in Valletta and $1,165 in Mgarr. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $93.0 in Valletta vs $94.0 in Mgarr for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $358 vs $358 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 Mgarr: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mgarr wins on cost – living expenses run 8% 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 $3,485 in Valletta and $3,229 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: $1,468 in Valletta versus $1,165 in Mgarr. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $287 in Valletta versus $293 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 $94.0 versus $93.0 in Valletta. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,153 in Mgarr versus $2,323 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 $2,153 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 8% less than in Valletta. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.