Budget · Valletta · Malta
Valletta on a budget
What a trip to Valletta really costs, and where the savings are.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Continentaleurope, CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
Valletta is moderately priced for most international visitors. Budget roughly $60–$100 per person per day on a tight budget, $130–$230 mid-range and $320–$700 for luxury, excluding flights. Hotel prices are usually lowest in January.
Key facts
- Budget traveller
- $60–$100 a day
- Mid-range
- $130–$230 a day
- Luxury
- $320–$700 a day
- Local currency
- EUR
- Free sights
- 4
Daily budget and trip cost
AMZBooking estimates per person in US dollars, excluding flights, reviewed October 2026. Accommodation is the biggest variable; prices rise in peak months.
| Style | Per day | 3 days | 5 days | 7 days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Budget | $60–$100 | $180–$300 | $300–$500 | $420–$700 |
| Mid-range | $130–$230 | $390–$690 | $650–$1,150 | $910–$1,610 |
| Luxury | $320–$700 | $960–$2,100 | $1,600–$3,500 | $2,240–$4,900 |
Typical prices
Approximate prices in Valletta, October 2026. They change; use them for planning, not as quotes.
| Item | Typical price |
|---|---|
| Bus single ticket | about €2–€3 |
| Pastizz | about €0.50–€1 |
| Ħobż biż-żejt or ftira | about €4–€8 |
| Cappuccino | about €2–€3 |
| Bottle of Cisk | about €3–€5 |
| Restaurant dinner with wine | about €30–€50 per person |
| St John's Co-Cathedral ticket | about €15–€20 |
Money-saving tips
- Pastizzi and ftira make lunch very cheap; eat your main meal in the evening.
- Many of Valletta's best experiences are free: both Barrakka Gardens, the bastion walks and the noon gun.
- A multi-day bus card pays off quickly if you take several buses a day.
- Stay in Floriana, Gżira or the Three Cities for lower rates than inside Valletta.
- Visit from November to March, outside Christmas and carnival, for the lowest hotel prices.
Free things to do
- Upper Barrakka Gardens and Saluting Battery — The arcaded garden on the highest point of the bastions looks across the Grand Harbour to Birgu, Senglea and Fort St Angelo.
- Lower Barrakka Gardens and Siege Bell — A small, shaded garden on the eastern bastions, centred on a neoclassical monument to Sir Alexander Ball, with views over the harbour mouth and breakwater.
- City Gate, Parliament House and Pjazza Teatru Rjal — Renzo Piano's redesign of Valletta's entrance, completed in 2015, cut a narrow stone gateway into the bastions, added a Parliament House of perforated limestone on stilts and turned the bombed ruins of the Royal Opera House, destroyed in 1942, into an open-air theatre.
- Strait Street — The narrowest long street in Valletta was once the Gut, a strip of bars and music halls frequented by British and American sailors.
Where to stay on a budget
$$ · Best for budget, families and quiet stays
Floriana
Bastion suburb of gardens and the Granaries just outside City Gate
$$ · Best for couples, quiet stays and culture
The Three Cities
Birgu, Senglea and Cospicua: the Knights' first home across the Grand Harbour
$$ · Best for budget, solo travellers and food lovers
Gżira and Ta' Xbiex
Marina-side apartments and local restaurants facing Manoel Island
Eating well for less
- Pastizzi — Pastizzerias across Valletta and every town; the best are straight from the oven and cost very little.
- Ħobż biż-żejt — Snack bars and cafés across the island, especially near swimming spots.
- Ftira — Bakeries and kiosks in Valletta and across Malta; try Gozitan ftira on a day trip to Gozo.
- Bigilla — Part of most Maltese platters in Valletta wine bars and village restaurants.
Getting around for less
Explore card
Malta Public Transport sells multi-day unlimited-travel cards for visitors, useful if you plan several bus trips a day.
Heritage Malta Multisite Pass
A pass covering Heritage Malta museums and sites such as Fort St Elmo, the archaeology museum and the temples; the Hypogeum is booked separately.
Questions travellers ask
+How much does a trip to Valletta cost?
About $650–$1,150 per person for five days mid-range, excluding flights (estimate), or $300–$500 on a tight budget.
+Is Valletta expensive?
It is moderately priced for international visitors. Pastizzi and ftira make lunch very cheap; eat your main meal in the evening.
+How much money do I need per day in Valletta?
Roughly $60–$100 on a budget and $130–$230 mid-range (estimates).
+When are hotel prices lowest in Valletta?
Usually in January.