Cost #14/31 · Cost of living · Europe · Eurostat PLI 2024
🇲🇹 Cost of living in Malta
Malta undercuts most of the EU-27 across rent, groceries and transport - see the categories driving that gap and how far local income actually stretches.
- Cost rank · cheapest = #1 of 31
- #14
- Affordability rank · highest purchasing power = #1 of 29
- #11
Malta's livability score
Livability score
59/100
Malta, weighted across 8 of 8 tracked dimensions
A cost-and-income composite (price-level indices plus purchasing power), not an overall quality-of-life judgment, it does not weigh climate, safety, culture, or healthcare outcomes.
- Purchasing power C+ €22,034
Median net income adjusted for local cost level
- Overall cost C 93
Eurostat overall price level (EU27=100)
- Rent B- 80
Housing / rent price level (EU27=100)
- Groceries F 112
Food and non-alcoholic beverages (EU27=100)
- Healthcare C- 93
Healthcare price level (EU27=100)
- Transport A- 83
Transport price level (EU27=100)
- Utilities A 60
Electricity / gas / water (EU27=100)
- Restaurants B 89
Restaurants and hotels (EU27=100)
Malta: mid-pack 2024 Eurostat shift
Overall cost index changed +0.9 vs 2023 - a typical mid-pack European delta.
- Housing & utilities index 78 80 2023 → 2024
Housing & utilities index rose from 78 to 80 between the 2023 and 2024 Eurostat releases.
- Groceries index 110 112 2023 → 2024
Groceries index rose from 110 to 112 between the 2023 and 2024 Eurostat releases.
- Transport index 81 83 2023 → 2024
Transport index rose from 81 to 83 between the 2023 and 2024 Eurostat releases.
- Restaurants index 90 89 2023 → 2024
Restaurants index fell from 90 to 89 between the 2023 and 2024 Eurostat releases.
- Overall cost index 92 93 2023 → 2024
Overall cost index rose from 92 to 93 between the 2023 and 2024 Eurostat releases.
Malta in the 85-99 cost band
On the EU-27 = 100 scale, Malta's overall index (93) sits in the 85-99 band with 6 other published countries. The Europe-wide band mix lives on the rankings hub, not repeated here.
Category mix inside Malta's mid EU band
Bars + gauge around the EU-27 = 100 mid band (93): where Malta diverges inside an average-looking total.
Malta - price level by category (EU-27 = 100)
🇲🇹 Malta vs EU-27 = 100
Gauge reads the same overall cost_index (93); the tick marks the EU average.
In Malta, groceries is the most expensive category and utilities the least.
What the mid-band Malta print actually shows
Malta's overall consumer price level is 7% below the EU-27 average. (How this index is built →)
Groceries stand out as the priciest category in Malta, at index 112, ahead of utilities at index 60 - a food basket costs proportionally more here than rent, transport or healthcare do.
That price gap works in Malta's favor: because prices run below the EU average, the headline income of €22,034 stretches further than the sticker figure suggests, worth roughly €23,667 in EU-27-average purchasing power.
Eurostat PLI Basket · similar price levels and purchasing power
Two peer sets for Malta: nearest overall price-level indices (EU-27 = 100) and nearest cost-adjusted incomes (median net income ÷ cost index). The cost band block above stays cohort-based; these neighborhoods vary by entity.
Similar overall cost index
Nearest countries by Eurostat price level (93 here, EU-27 = 100).
PLI neighbourhood · Malta
Similar purchasing power
Nearest countries by cost-adjusted income (€23,667 here).
What to do with this Malta data
Malta ranks #11 of 29 for cost-adjusted purchasing power. A raw price index alone does not tell you whether income stretches further here than elsewhere.
- Run the numbers for Malta in the calculator
- Compare Malta vs Cyprus side by side
- See the full best-value ranking
- Browse every country we track
These are Eurostat comparative price-level averages for the whole country, not a personal budget. Regional and city-level costs can differ substantially from the national figure.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Malta expensive to live in?
Malta's overall cost of living is 7% below the EU-27 average (index 93). Groceries is the priciest category and utilities the cheapest.
What are housing & utilities costs in Malta?
Malta's housing & utilities price index is 80, below the EU norm.
How does income compare to costs in Malta?
That price gap works in Malta's favor: because prices run below the EU average, the headline income of €22,034 stretches further than the sticker figure suggests, worth roughly €23,667 in EU-27-average purchasing power.
PlainCostOfLiving is rendered directly from Eurostat comparative price levels and median equivalised net income, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-08-20. Primary sources: Eurostat comparative price levels (prc_ppp_ind) and Eurostat median equivalised net income (ilc_di03).