Sipping coffee in Valletta is cheap, survey claims

Just when you thought Valletta's tourist lure and the euro changeover were prompting the city's cafes to up their prices, a study conducted by Polis - a Cypriot Greek language newspaper - has claimed otherwise.

It says Valletta is the cheapest city among 10 capitals in the EU to sip an espresso or cappuccino. The survey, conducted by the newspaper through its correspondents in various European cities, shows the price of a cup of coffee varies considerably between one city and the other. Coffee prices are commonly quoted by EU citizens to stress how prices fluctuated with the introduction of the euro.

Malta emerged as the cheapest destination for a cappuccino, an espresso or just a normal filtered coffee. On the other hand, a mug of hot chocolate is cheaper in Brussels.

The survey reveals that having a cappuccino costs three times as much in Nicosia than in Republic Street and more than twice as much if you order an espresso.

On the other hand, if you order a hot chocolate in the coffee shop next to Dar Malta in Brussels, you will save 20 euro cents on Valletta prices.

The survey does not take into consideration the average salaries of each country - Maltese citizens are among the lowest paid in the EU.