Cost of living in Malta – 2015

tube? You're having a laugh!!
Menus are usually free. The meals cost though.

Plus as 2015 is only 22 days old its difficult to judge prices!!

I live in marsaxlokk
and
1.from about 175 to 3000 euros+  rental all depends on size location, time of the year, landlord etc
2.current prices till june 2015 (new prices will be released in march)   bus : 6 euro 50 for a 7day pass valid from day 1 and 6 consecutive days  1,50 day pass  or 1,30 2 hour ticket .. worth noting that there are discounts for senior citizens and children and you can also buy 30, 90 day tickets at present which work out slightly cheaper  (a new bus company has taken over and they intend to reduce the prices via use of an oyster card system all rescidence will get a free card before scheme is annoucned and it will be more expensive to buy a ticket on the bus more on this in march 2015)

Taxis are expensive -i use ecabs because when i book they tell me the price and they don't go over  plus i can book via mobile app so they message my phone and ring me on arrival .  Though i dont use them often 



3 . usually we spend about 200 euros a month , we shop at lidl , pavi, lasco , markets and then occasionally the local shop but usually only for milk and yoghurts as these are standard prices wheever you purchase. We get water free by purchasing 33 or more euros of food at pavi so get 6 bottles free this is availble monday wednesday and thursday .

4: husband works so he pays national insurance stamp

5.not been blessed with kids

6.    23 euros for a big canister of gas every two months , there is a charge for your first canister  then you pay to swop them over , you can buy smaller canisters from 15 euros the biggest is about 23 .
we pay electric to landlord and it works out about 35 euros a month he shows us the bill and we pay . we get a bill every couple of months

7. Go prices : internet alone starts at 20 euros a month  but we have a home tv internet and phone package that  costs 48 euros a month , we also have a phone contract for an i phone 6 they were doing over Christmas but that's 90 euros a month  phone contracts here depend on the phone you take and start from 15euros up to 99 euros a month , there are discounts to be had and if you have your own phone it can work out a lot cheaper .
Vodafone offers 4g internet on contract this is incredibly decent and covers quite a huge area of the island although data packages only include a small amount of free internet usage .

(in all honesty if you want a maltese mobile number and you have your own phone you better off just buying a prepay simcard, there are many price plan options on GO ,VODAFONE,MELITA  and there is bound to be one to suit you )

8. prices start from about 8 euros to about 15 euros in the many marsaxlokk restaurants on the sea front - i rarely eat out nor am i able to eat fish(makes me incredibly ill) so i couldn't really give you a recommendation of the food as the majority of these menus are fish related  however there is a reasonably priced Chinese takeaway and a chines restaurant , plus a few pizza places . Cafe de paris does a lovely special burger , this is burger , sausage egg , onion rings etc  and lovely pizza from about 4 euros .

9. coffee your better off making at home/in the hotel  .. and i don't drink alcohol that often and i cannot stand the taste of beer so i wouldn't know about drinking it out ( i don't drink coffee really either,)  McDonalds, has a nice coffee/tea cake place attached they have reasonable prices and they have vouchers usually given out regularly , there are also a number of costa dotted around the island but i think they are expensive.

10. cinema tickets are about 6 euros a person in the evening but worth noting that it depends on the film and if its 3d , discounts can be had if going before 5pm weekdays and weekends tickets can be slightly more expensive  usually cinemas show 3-4 films a week and the majority are in english  they get the latest films though not necessarily straight away.
there is a cheaper cinema http://www.tal-lira.com/cinema/ some films here are as little as 3 euros.

it all depends on what you do , how you spend your money etc  but we can live fairly easy on spending only 800-900 euro a month

tearnet wrote:

Plus as 2015 is only 22 days old its difficult to judge prices!!

i agree with tearnet perhaps it should be called cost of living currently

redmik wrote:

tube? You're having a laugh!!
Menus are usually free. The meals cost though.

you made my day

Well we spend most of our time in St Julian's eating and drinking shopping.
1) Park Tower Supermarket for shopping.
2) Local fresh fish the shop just up from Ryan's pub.
3) Local band club for drinks glass Rose wine €2 can Chisk €1 they local restaurant 1927 beside it two course meal €19.95.
4) Sardinella   http://sardinellamalta.com/menu/ lovely Octopus salad €7
5) Where all the Maltese eathttp://theavenuemalta.com/menu-internal.html they do home deliveries also.
6) Maltese Mamma 19 Paceville Avenue just two doors away from Avenue restaurant.
7) We use two Go prepaid phones.
8) For entertainment we use the Android box with Melita broadband €20 a month.
9) In Ballutta Bay few pubs drinks glass Rose €1.20 pint Chisk 80cent eating out in https://www.facebook.com/BallutaBar really cheap two courses €12.
10) We have our own taxi service to and from the airport €20 to the hospital €15.

Hi please could you explain what is a Android box which you use with Meleita broad band. As I have Meleita broad band. Thank you

Limelady..............There are available various 'boxes' which enable a person, through a subscription service to view TV  programmes on their TV set via the internet. They are usually referred to as Internet Protocol television (IPTV) devices. The operating system many (but not all) use is called Android. There are also other devices such as a 'Tablet' which uses Android (or alternative) operating system which makes TV viewable on themselves or on TV when they are connected to a TV. TV services can be accessed on these devices either through a free site, such as FilmOn.com or again through a subscription service.
In fact any PC (or laptop) will enable TV viewing over the internet and they can be connected to a usual TV set.

Many thanks for your information about the Android box Can you get UK TV on this android box or is it just films . Can you also down load Flexi net ect. I have an iPad. I down load films and TV box drama s but I have to pay for them.

With the set top box I have I receive all UK TV including all Sky channels. And more 
With your iPad you can watch many UK channels via FilmOn.com but not Sky.
Free in SD format, pay for HD and recording time.

Link here: http://www.filmon.com/

Good quality android boxes are fantastic value for money. They can offer all of what sly have to offer - and lots more - but for free.... although you have to accept that quality and reliable stream for LIVE TV can be unpredictable at times  - but you can opt for a very cheap subscription service for the android boxes....there are many of them about.

filmon
castalba
camposat.tv

movies news radio sports tv series live tv all are available and just about every channel available

they do rely on a good internet service though, preferably wired rather than wireless

redmik wrote:

With the set top box I have I receive all UK TV including all Sky channels. And more 
With your iPad you can watch many UK channels via FilmOn.com but not Sky.
Free in SD format, pay for HD and recording time.

Link here: http://www.filmon.com/

which service do you use ? and whats the cost  please

What is a set top box? Is it Android or something different and where can I buy one for my iPad.

I have one i use in the uk,and they really are brilliant.They offer everything you would normally have to pay a subscription fee for,plus lots more.Google Droidsticks,if you buy from them,you get HQZONE free,HD quality sport and movies,and its just a one off fee,no subscriptions are needed,and the box comes pre loaded.The best £100 i ever spent.

Limelady, a set top box is any device that connects to a TV set. In this case it refers to any one of various 'boxes' which enable a person, through a subscription service to view TV  programmes on their TV set via the internet. They are also usually referred to as Internet Protocol television (IPTV) devices.

Yo do not buy them for an iPad, you buy them, connect them to your TV, subscribe to a TV service and watch TV.

If you have an iPad, you do not have to have  to have a set top box but could use that alone. However, I suspect you would find it easier to buy a box, subscribe to a service and watch that way.

This is not a personal recommendation as I do not use these people but a friend does.
Give them a call and they will arrange a demonstration.

Link to IPTV

Rob, I use ntv.mx  at appx €28 pm. They allow monthly subscriptions, many do not, they stipulate 3.6 or 12 months and one, 'Flutisat', only accepts 12 month subscriptions.

Where can I buy these set box in Malta. Do I subscrbe where I buy the set box? I have Melita cable TV and use to rent the extra large package but not any more as it is exspensive for rubish. I want to be able to see UK TV. I am looking into film com which was suggested on my iPad. I then can link it to my TV through a connector that I bought in the UK from Apple. But I am interested in the set box if you can get a good reception.

as long as you have good internet service the boxes work exceptionally well..

As in the post above, try here:  IPTV Link

Or message this person: https://www.expat.com/forum/profile.php … mp;lang=en

Limelady wrote:

Where can I buy these set box in Malta. Do I subscrbe where I buy the set box? I have Melita cable TV and use to rent the extra large package but not any more as it is exspensive for rubish. I want to be able to see UK TV. I am looking into film com which was suggested on my iPad. I then can link it to my TV through a connector that I bought in the UK from Apple. But I am interested in the set box if you can get a good reception.

I saw them for sale in Naxxar, opposite the children's football pitch in 21st September Avenue.

Thanks Rob, great advice . We are moving to Malta at the end of February and this will prove very useful !

Carl

Chrome cast and get "film on. Tv"

Hi everyone,

Is there someone who has something to add about the Cost of living in Malta?

Priscilla

robpw2 wrote:

it all depends on what you do , how you spend your money etc  but we can live fairly easy on spending only 800-900 euro a month

Rent included?

Sometimes yes. For one person without luxury, is fair possible.

Regards

yes rent included  my rents 250 a month this is two people btw , we are used to budgetting and shopping around etc

Interesting postings all, as we are both coming to live in Malta in under 3 weeks and will be doing our best to live well but within our means! Looking forward to getting to Malta !!

another option is the one I use which is tellypass.com I pay 6.99 USD per month via paypal for the proxy, if you want a VPN it is 8.99 usd per month, unfortunately I still have the melita XL package as im in a 2 year contract but my TV and HD box are both unplugged. watch tv on my laptop

Hi priscilla. All the other blogs about costs of living are quite correct pricewise. Wot I would like to add is that to afford to live here u have to have a job that pays reasonably well.. which is not as easy as it sounds. Im 48 and me and my son moved here in sept 2014 with about 6000euros. I put six months rent down and time I bought a crappy little car.. which was still a couple grand cuz they aint cheap out here either.. my money was gone. I live in st pauls which is beautiful but fairly pricey. My son is eighteen and in full time education so my wage has to feed us both. My rent is 400 monthly. . Electric 100 and food 220. These are ur basics.if ur skilled in work u will be ok but if u have to do an average job.. shop waitress or bar etc then ur looking at 4 - 4.50 Per hr..  and it just doesnt add up.we are getting there slowly and owe one and a half grand to a friend that helped when we got stuck.. but we are getting the hang of things now. As long as u can get past those things its actually really cheap to go out here.. the people are lovely and the island is beautiful with an awesome way of life. I hope u get over here and succeed.. I just wanted to give u the heads up so u succeed.. Cheers. . Mo

100 for electric sounds expensive to me - am assuming thats monthly

Yes monthly

Hi. We live in Bahar ic-Caghaq.

> accommodation prices: €370 for a 1 bedroom flat near the coast with a communal pool.

> public transportation fares (tube, bus etc.): I work from home so nothing for me. Hubby catches bus (€1.50 or drives).

> food prices (your monthly budget): Greens shopping online and deliver for free. We spend roughly €150 per week.

> health prices (for those who need medical insurance):NA

> education prices (if you need to pay): NA

> energy prices (oil, electricity): €0.16 for electricity. €2.20 per cbm for water. Our bill for Nov/Dec 2014 for water & electricity was €109.45
We were thinking of moving, but the landlord charged €11 for water, and €.24 for electricity... insane.

> common bills (Internet, television, telephone, mobile phone): We don't have tv, only use internet to watch a few series and movies but I'm not sure of the price of it. My mobile is paid through work and husband pays about €20 per month I believe.

> price for a good menu in a traditional restaurant: Not sure. I have found that you always need to order extra salads and vegetables, as usually the main meals are only meat.

> price for a coffee or a drink: €2-€3.

> price for cinema tickets. We only go to the cinema in Buggiba on Thursday night, as it has €4 tickets (not for New Releases of 3D)

In general I don't think it is cheap to live in Malta, but if you go to the little village shops it's much cheaper. I find the locals are happy to rip off a foreigner, even if you present with a smile and a bit of Maltese vocabulary. I've also found the wages are crazy low.

€150/week on groceries sounds very steep to me. Do you have special dietary requirements?

Yes, you're right, I was thinking about each time I shop which is about a fortnight... my mistake I'll go and change it on the original post.

whats the online shopping like greenic,  what costs are involved etc?

tupsey stated: In general I don't think it is cheap to live in Malta, but if you go to the little village shops it's much cheaper. I find the locals are happy to rip off a foreigner, even if you present with a smile and a bit of Maltese vocabulary.

I disagree, unless one is buying UK foods or vegetarian mock meat products, I have found it inexpensive, appx 2/3rds cost of UK. No Council Tax or TV licence makes a difference too. Drinks are usually E1.50.
I have never been ripped off (quite the contrary as locally many places round down the cost) but then I suppose it depends where one lives.

i think most will agree that its not as cheap as it once was....

robpw2 wrote:

whats the online shopping like greenic,  what costs are involved etc?

Hit and miss. Sometimes it works perfectly and other times they forget things you ordered.

Prices - the same as going to the supermarket.

Since Greens is my local supermarket and it is very difficult to find parking in the area, it is much simpler just to order it online. When they get it wrong I send them feedback so they can improve their service hopefully.

You can't usually see the 'price per unit', so it's difficult to compare products sometimes. They also haven't listed all the products they sell in the actual supermarket, so if I want something I know is in the supermarket but not online then I just write it in 'notes' and they include it in my order.

They deliver it to your kitchen and you can pay by card or cash and there is no extra delivery charge for my area. You can also choose when they deliver it.