Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zabbar and Balzan

For one person, living is cheaper in Zabbar: $1,820 a month against $1,939 in Balzan, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Zabbar, Malta
Balzan, Malta
Zabbar
🇲🇹 Malta
$1,820
/mo nomad
Balzan
🇲🇹 Malta
$1,939
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Zabbar and in Balzan

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Zabbar and in Balzan actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,820 per month in Zabbar vs $1,939 in Balzan, rent included.

  • Zabbar $1,820
  • Balzan $1,939

A couple spends around $2,669 per month in Zabbar vs $2,927 in Balzan, rent included.

  • Zabbar $2,669
  • Balzan $2,927

A family of three spends $3,517 per month in Zabbar vs $3,915 in Balzan, rent included.

  • Zabbar $3,517
  • Balzan $3,915

Zabbar is about 6% cheaper than Balzan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Zabbar and Balzan sit above the global median – Zabbar by 34%, Balzan by 42%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Zabbar
Balzan
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.92 €15.20
$18.68 €16.78
-9.42%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$38.62 €34.69
$91.1 €81.8
-57.61%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.71 €6.93
$12.10 €10.87
-36.28%
Cappuccino
$2.68 €2.41
$3.09 €2.77
-13.27%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.29 €2.06
$1.93 €1.74
18.65%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.65 €0.58
$1.03 €0.92
-36.89%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.22 €1.99
$3.26 €2.92
-31.90%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.42 €3.97
$2.45 €2.20
80.41%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Zabbar
Balzan
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.10 €0.99
$1.25 €1.12
-12.00%
White Bread (500g)
$0.58 €0.52
$0.97 €0.87
-40.21%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.09 €0.98
$3.52 €3.17
-69.03%
Eggs
$3.99 €3.58
$4.30 €3.86
-7.21%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$5.50 €4.94
$10.30 €9.26
-46.60%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.44 €3.99
$9.10 €8.17
-51.21%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.17 €9.13
$12.40 €11.14
-17.98%
Apples (1kg)
$4.16 €3.74
$2.64 €2.38
57.58%
Banana (1kg)
$2.82 €2.53
$2.04 €1.83
38.24%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.65 €3.28
$1.68 €1.51
117.26%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.37 €3.03
$1.15 €1.03
193.04%
Potato (1kg)
$2.30 €2.07
$0.86 €0.77
167.44%
Onion (1kg)
$1.86 €1.67
$0.91 €0.81
104.40%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.27 €2.04
$0.85 €0.77
167.06%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.15 €1.04
$0.99 €0.89
16.16%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.58 €5.91
$6.09 €5.47
8.05%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.93 €7.13
$6.02 €5.41
31.73%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.62 €1.46
$1.07 €0.96
51.40%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.34 €2.11
$1.49 €1.34
57.05%
🚌 Getting Around
Zabbar
Balzan
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.52 €2.27
$3.01 €2.71
-16.28%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$16.80 €15.09
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.80 €4.31
$2.23 €2.00
115.25%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.26 €2.03
$1.76 €1.58
28.41%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$26.39 €23.70
$32.03 €28.77
-17.61%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.49 €1.34
$1.52 €1.37
-1.97%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.1K €34.3K
$27.5K €24.7K
38.79%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.2K €34.4K
$32.2K €28.9K
18.69%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Zabbar
Balzan
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$104 €93.6
$154 €138
-32.41%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$24.98 €22.44
$19.90 €17.87
25.53%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$43.67 €39.23
$28.97 €26.02
50.74%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Zabbar
Balzan
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$64.9 €58.3
$73.6 €66.1
-11.72%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$11.35 €10.19
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$10.22 €9.18
$11.40 €10.24
-10.35%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Zabbar
Balzan
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$373 €335
$280 €251
33.43%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$2,245 €2,017
$12.1K €10.9K
-81.49%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Zabbar
Balzan
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$88.1 €79.2
$58.0 €52.1
51.83%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.17 €36.98
$69.1 €62.1
-40.43%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$98.8 €88.7
$110 €98.8
-10.19%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$78.2 €70.3
$130 €117
-39.89%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Zabbar
Balzan
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,147 €1,030
$1,132 €1,017
1.29%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$921 €827
$950 €853
-3.04%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,795 €1,613
$1,804 €1,620
-0.46%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,528 €1,372
$1,522 €1,368
0.35%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,048 €3,636
$4,057 €3,644
-0.22%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,152 €3,730
$2,876 €2,583
44.39%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Zabbar
Balzan
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,095 €984
$1,000 €899
9.48%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
2.9
4.05
-28.40%

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

Last update for Zabbar: October 26, 2026

Last update for Balzan: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Zabbar
$921
Balzan
$950 3.1% $29
Groceries & Markets
Zabbar
$238
Balzan
$245 3.2% $7.6
Eating Out
Zabbar
$222
Balzan
$256 15% $33
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Zabbar
$173
Balzan
$203 17.5% $30
Clothing & Footwear
Zabbar
$138
Balzan
$165 19.9% $27
Sport & Entertainment
Zabbar
$85
Balzan
$96 12.8% $11
Getting Around
Zabbar
$43
Balzan
$23 * 46.3% $20

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,147 in Zabbar versus $1,132 in Balzan. 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 9% higher in Zabbar, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $39 in Zabbar versus $91 in Balzan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $238 vs $245 – making Zabbar the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇲🇹 Zabbar
🇲🇹 Balzan
🕒 Local time
19:43 7:43 PM
19:43 7:43 PM
Same time as Zabbar
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
15,404
4,700
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.898 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Zabbar Balzan 8 km
From you
  • Zabbar
  • Balzan

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
Zabbar vs Balzan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Zabbar and in Balzan compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,820 in Zabbar, $1,939 in Balzan – roughly 7% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Zabbar compared to Balzan?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,730 per month in Zabbar and $2,908 in Balzan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do apartment prices compare in Zabbar and in Balzan?
A central 1-bedroom goes for about $1,147 in Zabbar and $1,132 in Balzan. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $39 in Zabbar and $91 in Balzan. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 3% more in Balzan, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
How far does $3,000 go in Zabbar compared to Balzan?
$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,820 in Zabbar and $1,939 in Balzan, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
How does quality of life compare between Zabbar and Balzan?
It depends on your priorities. Balzan has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,820 in Zabbar to $1,939 in Balzan. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Zabbar or Balzan safer for residents?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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