Cost of living in Malta - 2017

I guess most of these questions can be easily found on this site:
https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/in/Sliema

Maybe is better to see how much cost of living in Malta increased in the last two years..
from my experience, the rent went high up, very high.. 30-40% ..compared with 2015..

How much are you paying contributors for this market research?
What details do you need to complete a content agreement and arrange payment?
Thank you,

Hi all.
having lived in Malta for the past 4 years, I can honestly tell you that prices have gone on the up and up...especially rental property, anything half decent to the UK.. will be costing you in excess off 600.00 euro per month... plus electric and water charges.. dependent on tariff..IE Residential or Domestic..bear in mind you have to be registered in Malta to have Residential tariff...... supermarket and fresh veg can be very expensive compared to the UK.... depends where you shop and seasonal for veg.....
local transport is now much more expensive than 3 years ago, a bus trip will cost you 2 Euro per person for only 2 hours, then you pay again,,you can take advantage of some bus passes..again dependent upon age....
Jobs here pay average around 5 euro per hour

I agree with what you say about rental prices - unfortunately rental prices have gone through the roof not least because of the many expats who have "discovered" Malta in recent years, yet despite the high prices most properties are still "Maltese standard", i.e. no proper insulation or heating, humid, cracks in the wall, ...

I do, hovever, NOT really agree about local transport being particularly expensive. Get a Tallinja card (it's really hassle-free, you don't need to be resident in Malta or anything), and you  pay a maximum of 26 Euros per month, I think that's ok. Not that I enjoy using the bus, not in Malta and not anywhere else, I've never been a fan of public transport... But this is about prices, here.

And the price of vegetables is absolutely okay in Malta, too, in my opinion - at least we always get good quality for a good price. We usually buy from the fruit and veg vans or, preferably, go to the farmer's market at Ta Qali, where we've never been disappointed so far.

As for food: I think some things, like meat, are more expensive than in many other plasces, but fish, pasta, rice etc., as well as local fruit and veg are not expensive (I'd say about the same as in Italy) - it always depends on your eating habits, though... Pastizzi are really cheap, but then they are really fattening and unhealthy, too

@kateblank: I think this is not supposed to be market research but just a collection of useful information from people who actually live in Malta and experience the cost of living day in, day out... useful to those who are considering a move, but if you don't want to contribute, no one says you have to... I don't see where the problem is.

The thing to do is to look at cost of living as a whole.
Yes, rentals have gone in to silly mode but we paid €900 a month for an 2 bed, old stone cottage in the UK, very picturesque but freezing in the winter. Every month cost another €200 in council tax + another €100 in central heating oil and another €100 in electric,water and sewage. Total €1300 a month and so we compare accommodation cost here against that.
Here the first house we rented was 3 bed + pool and cost €650, the second was a 3 bed house with no pool cost €525 and we move to a 3 bed penthouse in Victoria in 2 weeks at €650. Add in €70 a month for utilities and heating and the most we have paid is €720 a month compared with that €1300 in the UK.

As for buses, well we are retired so it is only maximum €2 a week, but even at €26 a month it is much better than UK where the last 4 villages we lived in did not have a bus service at all!

Fresh produce and meat we don't find expensive but the problem is that much of it is not worth buying and would not even be offered for sale in the UK.

And the most important thing - The beer is cheap!!!

Ray

There's no problem. It was a question. The OP offered the "opportunity" to post a *lot* of detailed information - I just wanted to know how they are paying people for providing the kind of content that draws more clicks and more views of the advertising they sell here. That I don't have to post here if I don't want to does not mean I shouldn't inquire about payment for content with value.

...when you compare the rent Malta vs UK, you need to take into consideration also the wages. I was saying that the rent went high very fast in the last two years, the salaries not..
..regarding beer, I don't understand why a local beer, have the same price with an imported beer , famous brand..  As I know, the water has a very important role in the quality of the beer, hence I prefer a German beer from Lidl, almost half-price than local .

kateblank wrote:

There's no problem. It was a question. The OP offered the "opportunity" to post a *lot* of detailed information - I just wanted to know how they are paying people for providing the kind of content that draws more clicks and more views of the advertising they sell here. That I don't have to post here if I don't want to does not mean I shouldn't inquire about payment for content with value.

Fortunately your attitude is not the same as most of the members on here, we post to help others not to expect payment.!!!

Ray

Adrianbarry
Buses are dirt cheap. If you have an address here you can get a Tallinja card and a bus ride is 75 cents, good for 1.5 hours. Only 25 cents for seniors!

This is one of the many interesting faces of Malta. I'm here since almost 5 years but do not personally experience the problems described by others.

rental prices: we've rented a 2 bedroom apartment 3 years ago for a very good monthly rent, and soon we will extend the contract for another 3 years for the same rate.

utility costs: although using electric heaters and keep the geezer switched on 24/7 during winter and using mobile a/c 3-4 months during the nights in summer, the monthly water and electricity bills are always lower than 50 Euro. Electricity and water are cheaper here than in Austria, where you have plenty of water around and where electricity is produced with cheap operating hydro electric power plants.

motor and house hold insurance: incredibly low rates, however fuel prices are higher due to a lack of competition. On the other hand in Sicily/Italy fuel prices are much higher. In Malta you still pay 10 Euro hourly rate for a mechanic, where in Austria prices go up 80-100 Euro. Despite of high vehicle prices (registration tax) all in all expenses for vehicles are cheaper than in Austria ... and the mileage is much lower, which saves money as well.

health insurance: although you have to pay extra for dental and some other services, those expanses together with NI contributions are much lower than the social insurance contributions I had to pay in Austria. My company provides basic private health insurance which even lowers the expanses.

unemployment benefits/assistance: very very much lower than in Austria (80% of your last net income for first 6 months - therefore the social system becomes more and more unaffordable), but, hey, if you lose/quit your job in Malta you'll find another one within a few days.

food and drinks: I do not really know/care how much I send on food and drinks, but imho supermarket prices are on a bit higher level than in Austria, same as restaurant prices. on the other hand drinks, coffee and beverages are a lot cheaper, half the prices, therefore eat less, drink more 
Lunch at work is cheap (2-5 Euro) and the variety is quite ok: toast, burger, baguette, wrap, chicken breast, salad etc.

shopping: strange that some goods are much more expansive than somewhere else, and others are available at same prices. However, you can buy almost everything on the internet at very fair shipping costs. The latter is what you have to pay special attention at when shopping online. Only with returns it gets difficult, but even here you can find good solutions.

internet and mobile telephones: Compared to Austria, the rates in Malta are higher, also due to no real competition, but those costs are only a very small portion in the monthly budget.

Taxes are much lower, therefore the gap between gross and net is smaller (in Austria the taxman takes more than 40% from your gross salary), but therefore you have to cope with bad roads, untidy environment, sometimes bad service from public servants and governmental institutions (however I'm always impressed about the service given from VAT Department and Malta Enterprise  )

I do not go to the cinema any more, since even a 90min movie has an annoying 20min break in between. Also most of the glamorous announced events turn out to be nothing else but an amateurish happening. However, if you choose the events carefully (on recommendation) and always keep your expectations as low as possible, you'll be able to enjoy yourself.

Not to forget the everyday safety and more relaxed lifestyle, which also contributes to the cost of living. When you are living in a more relaxed environment and maybe even found peace of mind, you do not feel the need of compensating anything in shopping unnecessary things and acquire possessions you do not really desire ... but that's an individual attitude.

To conclude, despite of the lower salaries and some equal or higher costs and prices, the overall cost of living in Malta is lower than further North. But it depends on your expectations and lifestyle ... but this applies to any country, not only Malta.

adrianbarry wrote:

Hi all.
having lived in Malta for the past 4 years, I can honestly tell you that prices have gone on the up and up...especially rental property, anything half decent to the UK.. will be costing you in excess off 600.00 euro per month... plus electric and water charges.. dependent on tariff..IE Residential or Domestic..bear in mind you have to be registered in Malta to have Residential tariff...... supermarket and fresh veg can be very expensive compared to the UK.... depends where you shop and seasonal for veg.....
local transport is now much more expensive than 3 years ago, a bus trip will cost you 2 Euro per person for only 2 hours, then you pay again,,you can take advantage of some bus passes..again dependent upon age....
Jobs here pay average around 5 euro per hour

sorry but you do not have to be registered in malta to get residential tariff but you do need to have a valid passport and currently have to have form H signed by the LL or you can pay the €466 security deposit. or apply via the Form F2 route

Hi all
Can we survive in malta with a salary of 1000 euros per month

Hi,
It depends on the area you are looking for(accomodation)
.  If in the South prices are much cheaper, whereas for example Sliema, Gzira are more expensive.  You could even maybe find something in the North which also might be cheaper than Gzira

Having recently returned to Malta from the UK I have to totally agree on F0xgl0ve (Ray's) comment.
Malta has seen a surge in capital since foreign currency and property development took hold and thus the cost of living has gone up. (Unfortunatly). The areas affected in my opinion have been property whether buying or renting and general commodities including groceries etc. I'm still in shock at the price of food compared to what i used to spend on food in the UK. That be said i then look back at where my wage was going in the UK and the short simplest answer is the Government.
- £700/ month give or take for a room the size of my bathroom over here or around £1300/ month for a standard house.
- diabolical heating costs and bills. And that is being super carefull.
- Not to mention the ridiculous £300 extra a month on council tax and for what?. To support your local council and services such as the Police, emergency services and maintenance of the area. Then when one needs a service like an ambulance or medical assistance they will not show up unless youre having a heart attack or similar, thanks to the NHS and hospital staff cuts. Everyone pays standard rate of tax anyway. Isnt that enough?
- National minimum wage or NMW in the UK so far is £7.20 and considering the Euro is pretty much equal to the Pound then do the math.
- If you have a car or form of transport which you probably need in the UK in order to work then thats another expense to add on. Including  insurances, hidden extras and perhaps breakdown cover etc.
- Food and clothing is cheap. Competition and trading agreements keeps grocery costs low and the variety is immense. However its all packed to look pretty and vibrant but mundane and quite often tasteless.
- Public transport in the UK is another headache. Buses are available and frequent and an oyster card is the best thing to have if you commute to work daily either by bus or train /tube. Youre looking at close to £200 a month travelling costs. (Greater london and London) where i was.
- Once you eliminate all the above and considering your salary at the same time you aren't left with much to save or live on. You routinely work to pay bills and spend an hour or so in the morning and evening commuting to work on the tube or bus (if you take public transport) staring at the person infront of you.

I can truly say i like the UK. I miss the open countryside however with the negatives Malta has, it is still manageable. Its a matter of winning some and losing some. The above write up was compiled on a standard wage and living. Nothing fancy and nothing luxurious involved. Considering i earn €2000 euros after tax in Malta now and don't have council tax to pay, no need for a car and reasonable bills i can't complain.

registered as a consumer.....

> How much does it cost to rent an apartment/house in Malta? 
2bed 1bath in Qawra €650

> How much do you pay for your public transport tickets (bus, subway, train, tram)?
€26/month

> Staple food: what do people eat and how much do they pay for basic food like bread, rice or pasta?
€1/loaf of bread or box of pasta

>What is your monthly grocery budget?
€100

> How much does it cost to see a physician/doctor/specialist in Malta ? 
€15 to €60

> How much do you pay for electricity/gas/water etc.?
Electric + water €600/year
Gas €19/canister (2 canisters per year)

> How much do you pay for your Internet/phone subscription?
€24/month

> How much do you pay for an espresso coffee?
€2

> How much do you pay for a cinema ticket?
Cinemas in Malta stop movies halfway through for a smoking break, so I don't go to the cinema. I watch tv and movies online at home.

> How much does a gym membership cost in Malta? 
€40/month (gym, indoor pool, outdoor pool, squash court)

worth noting the buses are very cheap public transport once you get your card - get anywhere on the island very cheap and worthwhile. Big saving