Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Valletta and Sliema

For one person, living is cheaper in Valletta: $2,258 a month against $2,396 in Sliema, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

110

Cost of Living Index in Valletta
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Valletta Living Index
116

Cost of Living Index in Sliema
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Sliema Living Index

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Valletta

🇲🇹 Malta

$2,258

/mo nomad

Sliema

🇲🇹 Malta

$2,396

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Valletta and in Sliema

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,258 in Valletta versus $2,396 in Sliema.

Valletta $2,258
Sliema $2,396

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,519 in Valletta versus $3,794 in Sliema.

Valletta $3,519
Sliema $3,794

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,780 in Valletta versus $5,191 in Sliema.

Valletta $4,780
Sliema $5,191

Living in Valletta costs roughly 6% less than in Sliema, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Valletta 67% above, Sliema 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.42 €19.95

$19.81 €17.63

13.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.6 €78.0

$85.6 €76.2

2.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.23 €11.76

$13.24 €11.77

-0.08%

Cappuccino

$3.20 €2.85

$2.77 €2.47

15.52%

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

$2.42 €2.15

$3.02 €2.69

-19.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.91 €1.69

$2.16 €1.92

-11.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.65 €5.02

$4.60 €4.09

22.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.59 €5.86

$5.24 €4.66

25.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.17

$1.35 €1.20

-2.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 €1.29

$1.37 €1.22

5.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.44 €3.06

$4.24 €3.77

-18.87%

Eggs

$4.28 €3.81

$4.30 €3.82

-0.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 €9.07

$8.27 €7.35

23.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.86 €10.55

$10.25 €9.12

15.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.94 €15.96

$18.21 €16.20

-1.48%

Apples (1kg)

$3.79 €3.37

$4.24 €3.77

-10.61%

Banana (1kg)

$2.72 €2.42

$2.81 €2.50

-3.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.85 €3.42

$3.52 €3.13

9.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.70 €3.29

$3.32 €2.95

11.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 €1.65

$2.42 €2.16

-23.14%

Onion (1kg)

$3.27 €2.91

$2.05 €1.82

59.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.20 €1.95

$2.34 €2.08

-5.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.39

$1.30 €1.16

20.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.22 €5.53

$6.83 €6.08

-8.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.86 €5.21

$8.09 €7.19

-27.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.46 €2.19

$1.68 €1.50

46.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 €2.12

$2.40 €2.14

-0.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.78 €2.47

$2.17 €1.93

28.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$133 €118

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.81 €3.39

$5.64 €5.02

-32.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.84 €1.63

$2.20 €1.96

-16.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.08 €28.53

$27.09 €24.10

18.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 €1.37

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

$27.9K €24.8K

$37.9K €33.7K

-26.42%

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

$39.4K €35.0K

$39.6K €35.2K

-0.56%

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

$155 €138

$103 €91.9

50.11%

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

$31.40 €27.93

$25.61 €22.78

22.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.93 €25.73

$42.84 €38.10

-32.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €51.6

$76.4 €68.0

-24.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.34 €18.09

$15.86 €14.11

28.25%

Cinema Ticket

$11.48 €10.21

$10.20 €9.08

12.55%

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

$278 €248

$366 €326

-24.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.4K €11.0K

$11.1K €9,912

11.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.0 €51.6

$85.5 €76.0

-32.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$68.9 €61.3

$40.84 €36.33

68.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 €101

$101 €90.0

12.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 €116

$76.7 €68.2

70.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,391 €1,238

$1,775 €1,579

-21.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,114 €991

$1,220 €1,085

-8.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,250 €2,891

$2,913 €2,591

11.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,043 €1,817

$2,385 €2,122

-14.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,247 €4,668

$5,353 €4,762

-1.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,999 €3,557

$3,578 €3,183

11.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,042 €1,816

$1,815 €1,614

12.51%

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 10, 2026

Last update for Sliema: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Valletta

$1.1K 49.3%

Sliema

$1.2K 50.9% 9.5% $106

Groceries & Markets

Valletta

$340 15.1%

Sliema

$326 13.6% 4% $13

Eating Out

Valletta

$316 14%

Sliema

$286 11.9% 9.6% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Valletta

$215 9.5%

Sliema

$172 7.2% 20.3% $44

Clothing & Footwear

Valletta

$167 7.4%

Sliema

$137 5.7% 17.9% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Valletta

$81 3.6%

Sliema

$97 4% 19.6% $16

Getting Around

Valletta

$24 * 1.1%

Sliema

$158 6.6% 558% $134

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,391 in Valletta and $1,775 in Sliema. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Valletta pays 13% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $88.0 in Valletta vs $86.0 in Sliema for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $340 vs $326 per month, with Sliema cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇹 Valletta

🇲🇹 Sliema

🕒 Local time

04:19 4:19 AM

Same time as Valletta

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,700 Capital

16,854

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Sliema: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Valletta and Sliema differ by about 6% in total monthly costs ($2,258 vs $2,396 including rent). Valletta is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 13% 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: $1,391 in Valletta versus $1,775 in Sliema. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $278 in Valletta versus $366 in Sliema. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Valletta – a meal for two runs $88.0 versus $86.0 in Sliema. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,258 in Valletta versus $2,396 in Sliema, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Valletta but tight or insufficient in Sliema. The gap between the two cities makes Valletta 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 Sliema 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 Valletta gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Sliema. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.