Malta on a budget: how to travel for €50-70 per day

Is €50-70 per day realistic in Malta?

Yes — but it requires making deliberate choices. Malta is not a cheap destination in the Balkans or Southeast Asia sense. Mid-range travellers spend €100-150 per day. Budget travellers who accept hostel dorms, cook occasionally, use public buses and prioritise free attractions can comfortably achieve €50-70 per day across a 5-day trip.

This guide breaks down exactly how that works: day-by-day, line by line, with honest numbers and specific food and site recommendations.

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Budget breakdown by category

Accommodation: €18-30/night

Budget accommodation in Malta consists primarily of hostels in Sliema and St Julian’s, with a smaller number in Valletta and Bugibba. Expect to pay:

• Hostel dorm (4-8 beds): €18-30/night — options include Inhawi Hostel (Valletta, from €22), Wake Up Call Hostel (Sliema, from €25), Base Malta (St Julian’s, from €22)
• Private hostel room: €45-65/night — significantly reduces your overall budget flexibility
• AirBnB studio (booked well in advance): €40-55/night outside peak season — can be competitive if splitting with another person

Budget strategy: Book a hostel in Sliema. It puts you on the main promenade within walking distance of the Sliema-Valletta ferry (€2.50 return), beach rocks and restaurants. St Julian’s works if you want nightlife access.

What not to do: Don’t assume staying in Valletta saves money. Valletta hostel prices are similar to Sliema, but Valletta’s pedestrianised centre limits Bolt access and the city has fewer cheap eating options.

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Transport: €2-6/day

The Tallinja bus network is the budget traveller’s backbone in Malta. Key facts:

• Single ticket: €2 in summer (June-October), €1.50 in winter (November-May)
• 7-day Explore Card: €21 — unlimited journeys, worth it from day 3 onwards for active travellers
• Sliema to Valletta ferry: €2.50 return — much faster than the bus around the harbour
• Gozo ferry passenger: €4.65 return (you pay at Mgarr, returning to Malta)
• Bolt: use sparingly for late-night returns or heavy luggage situations. Sliema to airport is €12-16

Budget strategy: Walk as much as possible in Valletta, Sliema and St Julian’s — all are compact and walkable. Use the bus for longer trips (Mellieha, Mdina, Marsaxlokk). Budget €3-4/day for transport.

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Food: €15-25/day

Malta has a well-developed cheap eating infrastructure that most guidebooks underreport.

Breakfast (€0.60-3):

• Pastizzi: The definitive Malta budget food — flaky pastry filled with ricotta or peas, €0.30-0.60 each at pastizzerias. Crystal Palace in Rabat is the famous one; every town has its equivalent.
• Ftira: Maltese bread roll with tuna, capers and olives — €2.50-3.50 at bakeries and market stalls
• Coffee: Espresso at a local café is €0.80-1.20 (tourist cafés in Valletta: €2-3)

Lunch (€5-10):

• Hobz biż-Żejt: Maltese bread with tomato paste, capers, tuna, olives — €3-5 at village bars
• Takeaway pizza slice: €2.50-4 (not from Republic Street — go to the side streets)
• Market food: Marsaxlokk Sunday market has cheap street food. Valletta’s daily market near the bus terminus has cheap produce

Dinner (€10-18):

• Local trattoria off the tourist trail: Full pasta dish €8-12, main €12-16 in Old Bakery Street (Valletta) or Bugibba
• Fenkata (rabbit stew): The national dish — €12-16 at village restaurants in Mosta, Rabat, Naxxar. Buskett Roadhouse and Grotto Tavern (Rabat) are consistently recommended
• Avoid: Republic Street, the waterfront near the Sliema ferry terminus and any place with a promoter outside

Weekly food strategy: Cook two breakfasts and one dinner at the hostel kitchen using supermarket supplies (LIDL and Spar are widely available). This easily saves €15-20/week.

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Sights and activities: €0-15/day

The good news for budget travellers: Malta’s most distinctive experiences are free or very cheap.

Free or low cost:

• Walking Valletta (it is an open-air UNESCO museum)
• Upper Barrakka Gardens (free, best Grand Harbour view in Malta)
• Three Cities walking tour (take the Valletta-Three Cities ferry for €2.50 and walk the Birgu waterfront for free)
• Mdina: free to enter and walk. Cathedral costs €5 to enter
• Dingli Cliffs viewpoint: free. Accessible by bus (route 81 from Valletta)
• Most Baroque churches: free entry during service times (9am and 5-7pm typically)
• St Peter’s Pool: free swimming, accessible by bus + 20-minute walk from Marsaxlokk

Paid but worth the budget splurge:

• Hagar Qim and Mnajdra Temples: €15 combined ticket (Heritage Malta). Non-negotiable for first-timers
• St John’s Co-Cathedral: €15. Includes audioguide. Worth it — Caravaggio paintings alone justify the price
• Heritage Malta Multi Pass: €50 for 21 sites — value if you plan to visit 5+ sites over 5 days. Read our Heritage Malta pass guide

Skip on a budget:

• Hop-on Hop-Off bus: €22-25/day. Buses from Tallinja reach almost all the same stops at €2
• Private walking tours at €30-50/person: audio guide apps are €5-8 and cover the same content

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Day-by-day 5-day budget itinerary

Day 1: Valletta arrival and orientation

Budget: ~€45

• Arrive, check into Sliema hostel (€22-28)
• Walk the Sliema promenade to Valletta ferry (€2.50 return)
• Walk Valletta: City Gate, Republic Street, Upper Barrakka Gardens (all free)
• Lunch: hobz biż-żejt or ftira from a bakery near the market (€3-4)
• Afternoon: Strait Street, Grand Master’s Palace exterior, St John’s Square
• Dinner: Old Bakery Street or St Lucia Street trattoria in Valletta (€14-18)
• Return ferry to Sliema (included in return ticket)

Day total: Hostel €25 + ferry €2.50 + food €22 = ~€50

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Day 2: Valletta deep dive + Three Cities

Budget: ~€40 (no accommodation cost counted day 2+)

• Morning: St John’s Co-Cathedral (€15 — worth it)
• Afternoon: Three Cities ferry from Valletta (€2.50 return) — walk Birgu waterfront, Senglea viewpoint, Cospicua backstreets (all free)
• Dinner: Budget restaurant in Birgu waterfront (€12-15 for pasta/fish)

Day total: Cathedral €15 + ferry €2.50 + food €22 = ~€40

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Day 3: Mdina, Dingli Cliffs, pastizzi in Rabat

Budget: ~€28

• Bus from Sliema to Mdina via Valletta (€2 each way)
• Walk Mdina (free). Cathedral museum if budget allows (€5)
• Pastizzi at Cristal Palace bar, Rabat (€1.50 for 3 pastizzi — you cannot eat more)
• Walk to Dingli Cliffs viewpoint (3 km from Rabat, or bus 81 from Valletta)
• Return bus to Sliema (€2)
• Dinner: cook at hostel or cheap pizza (€8-12)

Day total: Transport €6 + optional cathedral €5 + food €17 = ~€28 (cheapest day)

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Day 4: Full day Gozo by ferry

Budget: ~€50

• Early bus to Cirkewwa (41/42 from Valletta, €2)
• Gozo ferry passenger (€4.65 return — paid on return from Mgarr)
• Gozo HOHO bus or local bus to Victoria/Citadella (€2 on island)
• Walk Citadella (free to enter and walk), Victoria market, Ggantija direction
• Lunch at a village bar in Xaghra: local food €10-13
• Afternoon: Marsalforn or Xlendi by bus (€2)
• Return ferry
• Dinner: cook at hostel

Day total: Transport €10 + food €18 + Gozo sights €0-5 = ~€28-33 (without accommodation)

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Day 5: South Malta + Marsaxlokk + Blue Grotto

Budget: ~€35

• Bus to Marsaxlokk (route 119 from Valletta, €2 — best on Sunday for the fish market)
• Walk the waterfront: free. Fish at the market if Sunday (€4-6 for fresh fish)
• Walk or bus to Blue Grotto (route 38 from Marsaxlokk or Qrendi, or taxi €8)
• Blue Grotto boat tour: €8-10 (cash at the boat operators on-site — 25 minutes, worth it)
• Return bus to Valletta and Sliema (€2)
• Final evening: pastizzi and cheap farewell dinner

Day total: Transport €6 + Blue Grotto €9 + food €20 = ~€35

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Budget summary for 5 days

Category	5-day total	Daily average
Accommodation (4 nights hostel)	€96-112	€24-28/night
Transport (bus + Gozo ferry)	€25-35	€5-7/day
Food	€80-100	€16-20/day
Attractions (Cathedral, Hagar Qim)	€25-35	€5-7/day
Total	€226-282	€45-56/day

This is a tight-but-comfortable budget. Adding one nice dinner (€30) or a paid activity (Comino cruise €25-35) brings the daily average to €55-70. The €50-70 target is realistic if you are disciplined about accommodation and food.

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Budget vs mid-range: where the money goes

Mid-range travellers (€100-150/day) gain:

• Private room (€55-80/night vs €22-30 dorm)
• More restaurant meals (€20-35 dinner vs €10-15)
• 1-2 paid activities per day (tours, boat trips, HOHO bus)
• Bolt instead of bus for convenience

The honest verdict: the main Malta experiences — Valletta’s architecture, Three Cities atmosphere, Mdina’s silence, swimming at St Peter’s Pool, the ferry to Gozo — are all accessible on a genuine budget. You don’t need €150/day to have an outstanding Malta trip.

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How to save money on specific Malta situations

The Gozo ferry is not expensive — the transport to and from is

The Gozo ferry passenger ticket is just €4.65 return — genuinely cheap. What catches budget travellers is the 70-90 minute bus journey from Valletta or Sliema to Cirkewwa (€2 each way) or the Bolt fare (€22-35 from Sliema to Cirkewwa). If you are travelling to Gozo purely for the day, factor the full transport cost: €2 bus to Cirkewwa + €4.65 ferry + €4 buses on Gozo (sparse) or taxis (variable) = €15-25 total transport for the day. Still excellent value for a full island day but worth knowing in advance.

The cheapest Gozo day is the HOHO bus pass on Gozo (€15 for a day pass covering the main circuit) combined with the public ferry. The Gozo HOHO bus is one of the cases where the hop-on-hop-off format genuinely makes economic sense — Gozo’s bus network is too sparse to be useful otherwise.

Paying for sites: Heritage Malta pass vs individual tickets

The Heritage Malta Multi Pass (€50) covers 21 sites across Malta and Gozo and is valid for 30 days. For budget travellers visiting 5+ sites, this is immediately better value than individual tickets (St John’s Co-Cathedral alone is €15; Hagar Qim is €15; Heritage Malta museum in Valletta is €10). Read our Heritage Malta pass guide to see if it applies to your itinerary.

For a 5-day trip, the calculation depends on which sites you actually plan to visit. If your itinerary includes the Co-Cathedral, Hagar Qim, Fort St Elmo, and one or two more Heritage Malta sites, the pass pays for itself.

Free Valletta resources worth using

The Valletta self-guided audio tour apps available on iOS and Android from €5 cover the same content as a guided tour at a fraction of the price. The Upper Barrakka Gardens, Lower Barrakka Gardens, and the entire Valletta street circuit cost nothing. The Republic of Malta Government’s free official walking trail maps are available from the tourist information desk at City Gate.

Fort St Angelo in Birgu has a free exterior walk — you can appreciate the structure and location from the waterfront without paying the €15 interior ticket.

Where to find the cheapest supermarkets for self-catering

LIDL has two Sliema-area stores and is consistently the cheapest option. Spar is widespread and has good-quality local products (Maltese cheeselets, ġbejna, local olive oil). PAMA in Mosta and Park Mark in Paola have the widest range if you have bus access. Buying breakfast supplies (fruit, yoghurt, local bread) from a supermarket and eating them at the hostel reduces daily food spend by €8-12 compared to eating every breakfast at a café.

Booking timing for budget accommodation

Malta’s hostel bed prices are highly seasonal. Book February-March trips in January for the best prices (30-40% below peak). Summer (July-August) bookings made less than 4 weeks ahead often find hostels sold out or priced at their maximum. The best budget accommodation in May-June and September-October requires booking 3-6 weeks ahead. January-March requires very little lead time.

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Hidden costs to watch for on a Malta budget trip

Ferry to Comino: Budget boat operators to Comino (from Marfa or Cirkewwa area) charge €12-18 return for a day trip. On top of this, transport to the departure point (bus from Valletta: €2, from Sliema by Bolt: €12-16). A Comino day on a genuine budget requires planning the bus connection, not a Bolt, to the ferry point.

SIM card: Malta’s roaming costs for EU travellers are covered by EU regulations — your existing EU SIM works with no surcharge. Non-EU travellers (UK, US, etc.) should buy a local SIM (€10-15 including 10GB data) at the airport or a mobile shop in Sliema. Read our Malta SIM card guide.

Sunscreen and pharmacy: Sunscreen is significantly cheaper from a Maltese pharmacy or supermarket than from beach kiosks. Buy Factor 50 in Sliema before going to any beach or outdoor site. A 200ml factor 50 costs €6-9 at a pharmacy vs €12-18 at a beach kiosk.

Currency exchange: Malta uses EUR. EU and Eurozone travellers have no exchange costs. Non-euro travellers: HSBC Malta ATMs offer the best rates; airport exchange booths have the worst. Most credit cards with no foreign transaction fees (Wise, Revolut, certain UK current accounts) are the cheapest option. See our Malta currency guide for the full breakdown.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the cheapest way to get around Malta?

The Tallinja bus at €2 per journey (€1.50 in winter). The 7-Day Explore Card (€21) is worth buying from your third day. Bolt is the next cheapest option for point-to-point (€8-18 depending on distance). Official white taxis are the most expensive and rarely justified.

Can you eat cheaply in Valletta?

Yes, if you avoid Republic Street. The side streets — Old Bakery Street, St Lucia Street, St Paul Street — have proper restaurants at €10-15 for a pasta or pizza. Pastizzerias near the market on Merchants Street provide the cheapest breakfast in the city (€1-2 for 2-3 pastizzi and a coffee).

Is the Hypogeum accessible on a budget?

The Hypogeum costs €40/person and must be booked 2-3 months in advance — it is the one paid site that is expensive and non-negotiable. Budget travellers who want to visit it should book it first, before accommodation, as spaces genuinely sell out months ahead. See our Hypogeum booking guide.

Are there free tours in Valletta?

“Free walking tours” exist but are tip-based — the expected tip is €15-20/person, making them more expensive than many paid alternatives. The Heritage Malta audio guide (€5) or a paid 3-hour walking tour (€20-25) typically offer better value. Self-guided audio apps for Valletta are available from €5.

What is the cheapest month to visit Malta?

November to March has the lowest accommodation prices (30-50% less than peak) and the lowest flight costs. The weather is mild (13-18°C) and all the historic sites are open with minimal queues. The trade-off is reduced Comino ferry service and some beach facilities closed.

Is tipping mandatory in Malta?

No. Tipping 5-10% at restaurants is appreciated but not expected or included by default. At bars, rounding up to the nearest euro is normal. Budget travellers should not feel pressure to over-tip — it is not a strong local custom.

Last reviewed: May 2026