Cost of living in Malta
Moving to Malta? Before booking your flight tickets, it’s worthwhile to know what life in Malta actually costs. Don’t just go with the dream-like version often sold by companies. To ensure a smooth shift to Malta from your hometown, you need a clear picture of everything you need to pay for. We’ve put together a detailed guide on the cost of living in Malta. From rent and groceries to dentist bills and electricity spikes, we will cover all prices in Malta you have to clear. So, make sure to read till the end!
See our latest jobs for opportunities in Malta!
Average Monthly Budget in Malta
We don’t behave like those unauthentic websites telling you a random number as the cost of living in Malta. We will help you understand how things actually work. When it comes to the cost of living, there are two major components. One is the standard cost that you will have to spend per month, and the second is the optional costs. So, the total cost actually depends on how you spend your life in Malta. Spending a lavish life will cost you more, while a standard lifestyle will cost you less. Malta was often listed among the affordable destinations for foreign visitors years ago, but things are not the same now.
Prices are a bit stiffer than in the past. So, you need to plan things accordingly before moving here. Although it’s not as expensive as the majority of cities in Northern and Western Europe, you still need a clear understanding of the cost of living Malta. Get this straight: Malta is highly dependent on imports. That’s why several things are more expensive here than they are on the mainland, and rent has increased significantly over the last ten years.
This is a fair overview of the average spending for various profiles:
Single Professionals
If you are living solo in Malta, you can live in a single-room apartment, which you can rent for around €1,000 to €1,200 in a mid-range neighborhood. However, you may spend closer to €1,500 if you rent in a more popular area. Add up around €300 for groceries, €200 for entertainment + gym, and €60-€100 for utilities, and you get to €1,500-€2,300. If you are willing to share the apartment and get a room, prices drop to €1,000-€1,500.
Couple
If you live with your partner or spouse in Malta, you will likely need a budget of between €2,500 and €3,500 per month. Within this, you can get a two-bedroom apartment. This figure assumes that both have jobs, share utilities, groceries, and rent, and leave some room for entertainment, weekend trips, and dining out.
Family
If you are a family with a child, this naturally extends your monthly budget. You need to have a realistic monthly spending plan of €3,500 to €4,500. Why so much? It’s more about your child’s life, an international school, a car, and a respectable residence. Families often require more room, which means greater rent, and educational expenses alone can add €1,000 per child every month. If you haven’t made cautious plans, this is where the cost of living in Malta can subtly become enormous.
Housing and Rental Cost in Malta
Hands down, the rental cost in Malta is the biggest investment you need to make if you are moving here. It will be the biggest chunk of your budget calculation. Area, property type, and condition all have a big impact on prices. Here’s a brief summary about the regions in Malta where you can reside and the corresponding costs:
Sliema
Sliema is where most people land first when it comes to Malta. Not because it’s inexpensive, which it isn’t, but rather because everything is simply there. You can avoid a lot of daily friction by walking to almost anything you need.
However, you do have to pay for that convenience. A basic one-bedroom apartment can easily surpass €1,200, and anything with a good view of the sea goes much higher.
Typically, two-bedroom apartments cost between €1,600 and €2,400. What’s frustrating? The better ones get booked too quickly.
St. Julian’s
St. Julian’s has a lot going on. It’s a really busy space crowded with bars, eateries, and nightlife, particularly in the Paceville area. Some folks find that enjoyable. Others become weary of it more quickly than they anticipate.
You also don’t get any help from rent. In newer buildings, it can occasionally be worse, but mostly, it is comparable to Sliema.
A studio will cost between €1,000 and €1,300, while a two-bedroom would cost between €1,500 and €2,500. Higher prices are associated with proximity to the water. There was nothing unexpected there.
Msida
Msida is less of a “looks good” option and more of a “makes sense” one. It’s great. Reasonably priced, great connections, and close to the university.
It is therefore crowded with young professionals and students. Studios cost between €800 and €1000. Two bedrooms? Between €1,000 to €1,300. Timing is the issue here, not prices. Someone else will take it if you wait too long, as the demand is too high.
Central Regions (Mosta, Birkirkara, San Wann)
This is when things start to make sense. If you’re not concerned with living close to the seaside, the central regions are more suitable. There is more space, less noise, and fewer tourists in these residential regions. It’s not thrilling, but in the long run, it’s a little easier.
The price range for a one-bedroom might be between €700 and €900. Typically, two-bedroom homes cost between €950 and €1,300.
Northern Regions (Bugibba, St. Paul’s Bay, and Mellieha)
It gets cheaper and quieter as you move further north. Two-bedroom flats are still available for €800–€1,100, and if you’re flexible, occasionally much less. It’s difficult to ignore it.
However, the drawback is clear: distance. This only works if you’re willing to trade convenience for price because it takes time to get to destinations like Sliema or Valletta.
Cost of Living in Malta – Everyday Spend
Here is a clear picture of the everyday costs you need to bear to live in Malta:
Groceries
If you are going for fresh fruits and imported quality goods, you will have to pay a premium in Malta. However, the daily grocery cost in Malta is moderate, not much, and not less. The problem is that Malta does not have a huge fertile land for cultivation. That’s why it imports most of the fruits and vegetables from neighboring Sicily, and this drastically elevates the prices of each product.
LIDL, Spar, Greens, Arkadia, and Welbee’s are the main grocery chains, along with the neighbourhood Convenience Stores. Welbee’s caters to the global clientele with imported goods at premium rates, whereas LIDL typically offers the best value for essentials. On average, the weekly grocery shopping will cost you between €50 and €80 for an individual and between €100 and €150 for a couple.
In Malta, you will see a mobile fruit and vegetable van traveling through residential areas many times a week, with its horn blowing and selling fresh seasonal produce. This makes your grocery shopping easy and convenient. The quality is usually higher, and the prices are often competitive with supermarkets. A lot of foreign families vouch for them. Most communities also have little neighborhood stores, or “anuts,” which are useful for top-ups but usually more expensive per item than supermarkets.
Typical supermarket prices in Malta are as follows: You may have to pay €1.50–€2 for 1 liter of milk, €3.50–€5 for a dozen eggs, €8–€10 for 1 kg of chicken breast, around €1.50–€3 for bread (loaf), €1.5–€3 for 500 g of pasta, €1–€2 for 1.5 liters of bottled water, and so on. Also, a good local bottle of wine costs between €7 and €10.
Eating Out
In Malta, dining out is priced mid-range in comparison to other European countries. It truly depends on your daily eating habits.
If you stick to smaller local spots, it can be pretty manageable. There are loads of basic cafes and takeaway places where you can get something to eat for €8–€15. Most people wind up doing that on a regular basis.
And yeah, pastizzi are everywhere. Quick, inexpensive, and surprisingly satisfying. A single one often costs around €1, making it the standard snack. Coffee is also reasonably priced, typically costing between €2 and €4.
However, the cost changes as soon as you start eating at mid-level restaurants. A main course and a drink at a typical, mid-range restaurant would likely cost you between €20 and €30. It may not seem like much, but if you do that a few times a week, you will see a difference.
You are easily in the €60–€100 zone if you include wine or appetizers for dinner for two.
Parts of Sliema and Valletta can quickly become pricey. It’s not often readily apparent, but after carefully examining the menu, you can see what you have entered. Without much effort, tasting menus can cost anywhere from €80 to €150. Drinks by themselves can cost between €12 and €18, particularly at rooftop bars.
Transport
One of Malta’s real financial perks is that people who apply for a Tallinja card can use public transportation for free. Yes, for as long as you reside here, buses are free around the entire island. Once enrolled, your daily bus expenses disappear, but you will still need to submit evidence of residency. The majority of municipalities are connected by the network; however, reliability and frequency might be problematic during busy days.
The easiest way to commute in Malta is with Bolt and Uber. They are the top companies operating on a large scale in Malta. Just to give you an insight into how much you will have to spend on travel in Malta, if you go from St. Julians to Valletta, which is around 3KM, you need to spend anywhere between €8 and €12. However, the prices will go a bit stiffer if you are travelling from North to South. The best idea is to use a blended strategy of using buses and ride-hailing services to reach faraway locations. This will cut off a major cost.
While public transport is always a cheaper option, if you own a car in Malta, you need to pay for using it. There are fuel costs, which can be anything between €150 and €300, depending on how much you drive. Also, if you opt for any parking or insurance facilities, you may have to pay within a range of €500 to €8 and €900 annually.
Fitness
The fitness culture in Malta is rock-solid. That’s why the fitness centers and gyms are always crowded. If you get a typical membership at most commercial gyms in Malta, you will have to spend between €40 and €70 per month. The monthly cost of high-end gyms with better equipment, pools, and classes can range from €80 to €120. However, you can get many discounted prices for yearly plans. Excellent open-water swimming is available year-round in a number of locations, while outdoor cycling and running are popular and practically free.
Utilities
One area where Malta surprises people, both positively and negatively, is utilities. In warm weather, a one-bedroom apartment’s typical monthly electricity and water expense is between €60 and €100. But in both summer and winter, this can increase significantly.
The fact that the majority of Malta’s homes use electric stoves instead of gas is one factor that surprises people. It requires some time getting used to if you are accustomed to cooking on gas, particularly with regard to heat management.
However, some older or more conventional properties continue to use bottled gas. These are usually the blue Liquigas or Enemalta cylinders, which cost between €15 and €20 and, with consistent use, last for a few weeks.
It’s a minor thing, but it’s important to check before moving in because it affects how you cook and how frequently you need to consider refills.
Internet and Mobile
In general, Malta’s broadband is accessible and reliable. For fiber or ADSL, a typical home internet contract costs between €25 and €40 per month. Melita, GO, and Epic are among the suppliers. Monthly rates for mobile plans that include calls and data range from €20 to €35. Before committing to a contract, newbies frequently use prepaid SIM cards.
Healthcare
Malta’s public healthcare system is available free of charge to EU nationals and residents who contribute to social security. This is effective for both routine care and emergencies for many expats. However, many locals choose private treatment for quicker, more comfortable access because in public hospitals, wait periods can be lengthy.
Depending on age and coverage level, the monthly cost of private health insurance in Malta ranges from €40 to €120 per person. This usually includes hospital stays, blood tests, specialist consultations, and general practitioner visits.
- Private out-of-pocket expenses to give you an idea of Malta healthcare prices are as follows:
- Private doctor’s visit: €25–€60
- Expert consultation: €60 to €120
- Typical blood test panel: €30 to €70
- Appointment for a gynecologist: €60–€100
- Dental cleaning and examination: €60–€100; fillings: €80–€150; serious dental work considerably more
- Session of physical therapy: €40–€70
Things to Consider / Good to Know
Here are some things that are often missed out when thinking of the day-to-day life throughout the year on the island:
Air Conditioning and Your Electricity Bill
If you are new to Malta, this will surprise you for sure. Almost all new arrivals are caught off guard by this. Most of Malta’s stunning, ancient homes and apartments are built with local stone. While they look good, they have practically no insulation. Your residence turns into an oven in the summer when the sun bakes the walls. On the other hand, you will be using the air conditioner in heat mode during the winter, which is milder than in northern Europe but can still be extremely cold indoors due to the lack of central heating and double glazing.
As a result? In Malta, you will use air conditioning not just in the summer but also in the winter. How? Homes aren’t always efficiently insulated, so heating can cost more than people expect.
When cooling demand peaks, a bill that is approximately €70 in the mild months might quickly rise to €120–€180 in January and €150–€250 in August if not managed properly. In their first year, many newcomers undervalue this. At first, it doesn’t seem like much, but it quickly mounts up.
Make sure the space is adequately insulated before negotiating a lease, and allow for increased electrical expenses.
Private and International School Fees
The cost of education must be the primary focus of your budget planning if you are moving with kids. All Malta residents, including EU expats, are entitled to free public education. However, because Maltese is the main language of teaching, this comes up as an entry barrier for many of the international students when it comes to joining the public Malta schools.
This is why the private Malta schools are so popular, as they solve this problem by teaching in English. Schools like St. Edward’s College or San Anton charge between €4,000 and €8,000 per child per year for English classes.
Additionally, many foreign schools follow an IB or US curriculum to offer high-quality education. But bear in mind that these types of schools with proper affiliates are much more expensive. You will have to spend anything between €8,000 and €19,500 per child annually.
Costs of International Shipping and Packages
Malta has a logistical cost because of its island location, and if you are moving to this place, you need to understand this. Compared to similar shipments to mainland Europe, international shipping to Malta is more expensive and takes longer. You should anticipate paying more, whether you are mailing a package from home or placing an online purchase. Malta is either not eligible for free shipping offers from several big European online shops or is charged an additional €5 to €20 per order.
The Cost of Entering and Leaving the Island
This one has a greater impact on people’s quality of life than they anticipated before moving. Since Malta is an island, you need flights for every departure from it. There isn’t a cheap bus to Barcelona or a train to Rome over the weekend. An airport, a ticket, and a flight are necessary for anything.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1) What is the average salary in Malta?
Ans: The typical pay Malta professionals get is closer to €2,000 per month gross. Professionals in fintech and iGaming typically earn higher money, which is typically between €2,500 and €5,000+ a month, depending on seniority. The minimum salary is around €961 per month as of 2026.
Q2) Is Malta cheaper than the UK or Germany?
Ans: Typically, yes. The overall consumer prices in Malta run roughly 17% lower than in the UK and noticeably lower than in Germany or the Netherlands.
Q3) Can a family of four live comfortably on €4,000/month in Malta?
Ans: Yes. But here, school decisions play a major role. A family in a central-town apartment with a decent lifestyle can afford €4,000 a month without paying international school fees. That budget will feel very tight with two kids attending an international school.