Living in Malta: The Complete Guide to Moving in 2026

Languages and climate: everyday life

Malta has two official languages, Maltese and English, a legacy of more than a century and a half of British rule up to independence in 1964. English dominates in public administration, business and tourism: you can sign a lease, work or see a doctor without speaking a word of Maltese. Italian is also widely understood. All the details are in our guide to the languages spoken in Malta. With a large expat community (see Malta’s population), the island is ideal for improving your English.

The Mediterranean climate brings long, hot, dry summers, often above 30°C in July and August, and mild winters when daytime temperatures rarely fall below 10°C. Be ready for two things: air conditioning in summer, which pushes up the bills, and damp in winter, as homes are rarely insulated and have little heating. Month-by-month figures are on our page on weather and climate in Malta.

Getting around Malta

Buses, free for residents

Buses are the only form of public land transport, run by Malta Public Transport. Since 1 October 2022, anyone living in Malta or Gozo who holds a personalised tallinja card (in your name, with a photo) travels free on day and night routes and special services. Free travel also covers the Valletta ferries (to Sliema and the Three Cities); the “tallinja Direct” express routes are still paid.

You apply online with a photo and ID; in 2026, the registration fee is €25 for the adult card, usually delivered within two weeks. Without a card, a journey costs €2 in winter and €2.50 in summer (from 14 June to 18 October 2026), €3 at night, with a ticket valid for two hours, transfers included.

Ride-hailing, taxis and cars

For evening journeys or poorly served areas, ride-hailing apps are widely used: Bolt, eCabs (Malta’s long-standing local operator) and Uber. Our comparison of ride-hailing apps in Malta explains the differences between them.

If you drive, traffic is on the left, it is heavy around Msida, Birkirkara and Sliema, and parking in central areas is difficult. All the options are compared in our guide to getting around Malta.

Working in Malta

A buoyant job market

Malta has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the European Union: 3.4% in August 2026 according to Eurostat (seasonally adjusted). Multilingual candidates are in high demand, particularly in these sectors:

• iGaming (online gaming): multilingual customer support, marketing, compliance, tech;
• finance: banks, funds, audit and compliance firms, fintech;
• tourism and hospitality, with plenty of accessible jobs, though often close to the minimum wage;
• IT: software development, cybersecurity, data;
• healthcare: nurses and medical staff, in both the public and private sectors.

To start your search, try Jobsplus, the public employment service, and the European EURES network, alongside recruitment agencies and LinkedIn.

Minimum and average wages in 2026

The statutory minimum wage is set at €229.44 gross per week in 2026 for a full-time employee aged 18 or over, or about €994 gross a month (Eurostat). It is raised every 1 January (the cost-of-living adjustment, COLA), and statutory bonuses are added four times a year.

According to the National Statistics Office (NSO) Labour Force Survey, the average basic monthly salary reached about €2,280 gross in the second quarter of 2026, up just over 6% year on year. The gaps are wide: around €1,400 in elementary occupations, compared with more than €3,600 for managers.

iGaming, finance and IT pay well above average, even for junior roles; catering and retail often hover around the minimum. Overall, salaries remain lower than in the UK, Ireland or Switzerland.

Social security contributions

Employees pay Maltese social security contributions (Class 1): 10% of basic salary paid by the employee and the same again by the employer. In 2026, the employee contribution is capped at about €56 a week for people born from 1962 onwards. These contributions entitle you to public healthcare, benefits and a pension; income tax is deducted at source by your employer (the FSS system).

Work permits for non-EU nationals

EU, EEA and Swiss citizens can work freely in Malta. Everyone else needs a Single Permit (a combined residence and work permit), issued by Identità. Since Brexit, this includes UK nationals, unless they were already living in Malta before 1 January 2021 and are covered by the Withdrawal Agreement. The application is filed by the employer for a specific job, after a labour market test (a vacancy advertised on Jobsplus and EURES). Since 1 March 2026, every first application must also include the certificate for a pre-departure course, and jobs in tourism and hospitality also require the Skills Pass.

Nomad Residence Permit: working remotely from Malta

If you are a third-country national working remotely for a foreign employer or foreign clients, the Residency Malta Agency’s Nomad Residence Permit lets you live legally on the island. In 2026, it requires a gross income of at least €42,000 a year, health insurance and accommodation. Valid for one year and renewable, it does not allow you to work for a Maltese company.

Tax in Malta

Income tax is progressive, from 0 to 35%. The 2026 rates for a single resident are:

More favourable rates apply to married couples and parents, with the parent rates being extended gradually over three years following Budget 2026.

People who are resident but not domiciled in Malta (the case for most expats) are taxed on their Maltese-source income and on foreign income remitted to Malta, under the “remittance basis”. However, a minimum annual tax of €5,000 applies if your unremitted foreign income reaches €35,000.

The much-talked-about flat 15% rate only applies to specific schemes: highly qualified employees in certain sectors earning at least €65,000 a year, and the tax residence programmes (The Residence Programme for EU, EEA and Swiss nationals, the Global Residence Programme for everyone else), which tax remitted foreign income at 15%, with a minimum tax of €15,000 a year. These programmes close on 31 December 2026: from 1 January 2027, they are replaced by a single scheme, the Individual Tax Programme, with the minimum tax raised to €35,000.

These rules change often and also depend on your home country: check them on the Commissioner for Revenue (CFR) website and get advice from a tax adviser.

The cost of living in Malta

According to Eurostat, the price level of household consumption stood at about 93% of the EU average in 2024. Rents, however, have risen sharply and take a big bite out of the budget.

As a guide, here are the prices recorded by Numbeo in early October 2026:

Again according to Numbeo, a single person spends about €785 a month excluding rent. Once rent is included, Malta is much less of a bargain than the price index suggests, and local purchasing power is lower.

For the weekly shop, Lidl is still the cheapest supermarket; the island imports most of what it consumes. Tap water is safe to drink but has a strong taste (see is tap water drinkable in Malta?).

Finding a home in Malta

Indicative rents by area

St Julian’s, Sliema, Gżira and Valletta are the most expensive areas. The north (St Paul’s Bay, Buġibba, Mellieħa), the south and Gozo are much more affordable, at the cost of longer journeys.

These are ballpark figures; on a tight budget, a flatshare is still the most common option.

Searching and signing a lease

You will find listings with letting agencies, on MaltaPark and in private rental groups on Facebook. Worth knowing:

• long-term residential leases must be registered by the landlord with the Housing Authority: insist on a written contract and check that it has been registered;
• a deposit equal to one month’s rent is standard;
• if you go through an agency, the fee is usually half a month’s rent, plus VAT;
• photograph the water and electricity meters when you move in and check that the meter is on the residential tariff, which is much cheaper than the non-residential one.

For the first few weeks, the simplest option is to book temporary accommodation, for example a flat or studio on Booking. St Julian’s is a convenient place to start, while Valletta appeals to those who prefer quieter evenings.

Healthcare in Malta

The public system is of a good standard. Its main hospital is Mater Dei Hospital in Msida; Gozo has its own hospital, and health centres cover the whole archipelago. The emergency number is 112.

• EU and UK citizens on a temporary stay: the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), or for UK nationals the UK Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) or a still-valid UK EHIC, gives access to medically necessary care in the public system, on the same terms as people insured in Malta.
• Working residents: once you are registered with Maltese social security and paying contributions, you are entitled to free public healthcare.
• Non-EU students, retirees and nomads: private health insurance covering your stay is required to obtain your residence permit.

Many expats also take out private insurance to avoid waiting times in the public system. Good to know: many pharmacies host a GP at certain times, which is handy for getting a prescription (required for antibiotics).

Formalities on arrival

1. Register with Identità: EU citizens staying more than three months must register their residence with the Expatriates Unit at Identità. You receive a residence card (eResidence document), in around 30 working days. Non-EU nationals, including UK nationals who arrived after Brexit, receive their card as part of their Single Permit or residence permit.
2. Social security number: your employer registers your employment with Jobsplus; your social security number then gives you access to public healthcare.
3. Tax number: this is issued by the Commissioner for Revenue (CFR). Expats register using the registration form on the CFR website.
4. Bank account: Maltese banks carry out strict checks and opening an account can take several weeks. In the meantime, an online account such as Revolut gets you a European IBAN for receiving money and everyday spending.
5. Personalised tallinja card: apply as soon as you have your residence card to benefit from free bus travel.

Malta uses type G sockets, the same as in the UK and Ireland: if you are coming from anywhere else, remember to pack an electrical adapter. For your arrival, our guide to Malta Airport covers the transfers.

Studying and working in Malta

To learn English, our list of English schools in Malta and our ranking of the best English schools will help you choose, and our page on English courses in Malta compares the options.

The rules on working depend on your nationality:

• EU citizens: you can work freely while you study. As lessons often take place in the morning, an afternoon job is easy to fit in.
• Non-EU students (including UK nationals): you can only work after your first 90 days in Malta, with a valid student residence permit, for up to 20 hours a week. Your future employer must first obtain an employment licence from Jobsplus, and you must keep attending your classes regularly (at least 15 hours a week). This right also depends on the type and level of your course: check your eligibility with your school and with Identità.

Would you rather have support? Discover our English language stays in Malta or contact our team, based on the island.

Frequently asked questions about living in Malta

How much do you need to live in Malta per month?

As a rough guide, allow about €800 a month excluding rent for a single person (Numbeo, 2026), plus housing: from a few hundred euros for a room in a flatshare to more than €1,000 for a one-bedroom flat in central areas.

Is it easy to find a job in Malta?

Yes: unemployment is very low (3.4% in August 2026 according to Eurostat) and recruiters are looking for multilingual profiles, especially in iGaming, customer service, finance, IT and hospitality. Low-skilled jobs are plentiful but often paid close to the minimum wage.

What is the minimum wage in Malta in 2026?

It is €229.44 gross per week for a full-time employee aged 18 or over, or about €994 gross a month, plus statutory bonuses paid four times a year.

Are buses really free in Malta?

Yes, for residents of Malta and Gozo who hold a personalised tallinja card, on day and night routes and special services, as well as on the Valletta ferries. The tallinja Direct routes are still paid, and visitors without a card buy a ticket.

Can you study and work in Malta at the same time?

Yes. EU citizens can work without any particular formalities. Non-EU nationals, UK nationals included, can work up to 20 hours a week after 90 days in the country, provided their course is eligible and the employer has obtained an employment licence from Jobsplus.

Is Malta a safe country to move to?

Malta is a safe country overall, with petty crime concentrated in nightlife areas such as Paceville. The usual precautions are enough: all the details are on our page on safety in Malta.