Your personal relocation guide — compare, calculate and plan your move to Malta.
Choose a Maltese city
Category
Monthly Budget Summary
Combines your take-home pay and cost of living into one clear picture — what would your financial life actually look like in Malta?
Your details
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€
40%
15%
Visa & Tax
First pick your residency route, then use the calculator below to see exactly what you'd take home. The two decisions are directly linked — your visa determines your tax rate.
Step 1 — Choose your residency route
Most popular for families
🏡 Global Residence Programme (GRP)
Tax rateFlat 15%
Min. tax payment€15,000/yr
Property requirementBuy €275k+ or rent €9,600+/yr
Health insuranceRequired (private)
Work in Malta?Permitted
EU citizens eligible?Yes
Low flat taxFamily friendly
Best for remote workers
💻 Nomad Residence Permit
Tax rate0% on foreign income
Min. income€2,700/mo gross
Property requirementRental agreement required
Health insuranceRequired (private)
Work for Maltese co?Not permitted
EU citizens eligible?Yes (but less common)
0% tax possibleRemote workers
Standard route
🇪🇺 EU Free Movement (Standard)
Tax rate0–35% progressive
Min. incomeNone
Property requirementNone
Health insurancePublic system access
Work in Malta?Full rights
EU citizens eligible?Yes — automatic
Standard ratesFull work rights
💡 Which is right for you?
For most families moving from Berlin with a decent salary, the Global Residence Programme offers the best combination of a low flat tax rate, full work rights, and family-friendly terms. Remote workers earning over €2,700/mo may benefit more from the Nomad Permit. Always take advice from a Maltese tax attorney before committing.
Step 2 — Calculate your take-home pay
Click an "Apply % →" button above to automatically set the Malta rate, or drag the slider manually.
€
Income tax + social contributions (typically 35–45%)
40%
Set by visa above, or adjust manually
15%
€0
per year more in your pocket
🇩🇪
Berlin — take-home
€0
per year net
Gross€0
Tax & contributions-€0
Effective rate0%
Monthly net€0/mo
🇲🇹
Malta — take-home
€0
per year net
Gross€0
Tax paid-€0
Effective rate0%
Monthly net€0/mo
📊 Purchasing power
Enter your salary above.
⚠️ Not financial advice
Always consult a licensed Maltese tax advisor — your actual liability depends on residency status, income source, and visa type.
Enter your current monthly spending in Berlin and see what it would cost in each Maltese city.
Your current monthly spending in Berlin
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Total Berlin spending€0/mo
Estimated equivalent in Malta
Category breakdown
📌 About these estimates
Based on 2025 Numbeo data and expat reports. Transport in Malta is higher as you'll need a car (no rail network). Childcare under 3 is privately expensive; public Kinder from age 3 is free in Malta.
Healthcare
Malta has a two-tier system — a free public service and a well-developed private sector. Here's how it compares to Berlin and what to expect per city.
🇲🇹
Malta — public system
Free for registered residents
Main hospitalMater Dei — Malta's only public general hospital
LocationMsida (central Malta)
A&E wait timesCan be long (2–6 hrs)
GP accessFree via health centres
Specialist waitsCan be months for non-urgent
CostFree if registered
Free accessLong waits possible
🇲🇹
Malta — private system
Used by most expats
Main private hospitalsSt. James (Sliema), Capua (Valletta)
GP visit cost€20–40
Specialist visit€50–120
Private insurance€80–200/mo (family)
QualityExcellent — short waits
EnglishAll services in English
Fast accessEnglish throughout
🇩🇪
Berlin — for comparison
Krankenkasse system
SystemStatutory (GKV) + private (PKV)
GP accessGood — Überweisungen system
Monthly contribution~14.6% of salary (employer split)
Hospital qualityWorld-class
English availabilityVariable — not guaranteed
Specialist waitDays–weeks (private faster)
Excellent systemLanguage barrier possible
🗺️
Distance to Mater Dei by city
Malta's main public hospital
From Sliema / St. Julian's~15 min drive
From Mellieħa~35 min drive
From Marsaxlokk~20 min drive
St. James Private (Sliema)Best for Sliema residents
Air ambulanceAvailable to mainland Europe
EHIC cardValid in Malta as EU country
Sliema best placed
💡 Our recommendation
Most expat families in Malta take out private health insurance (€80–200/mo for a family) and use the private system for day-to-day care — it's fast, English-speaking, and affordable. The public system remains available as a safety net for serious emergencies. This is a significant improvement over navigating a German-language healthcare system if you're not fluent in German.
A detailed look at daycare, nurseries and schools near each Maltese city — including how many options are available locally.
Select a city to see local options
🇩🇪 vs 🇲🇹 — Berlin childcare comparison
Berlin's subsidised Kita (€0–250/mo from age 1) is hard to beat on cost. Malta's public system is free from age 3, but under-3 private nursery costs €500–1,000/mo. The big Malta advantages are smaller class sizes in private nurseries, everything in English, and a much safer outdoor environment for children.
If you apply for the Global Residence Programme, you must either buy a property worth €275,000+ (€250,000 in South Malta/Gozo) or rent for at least €9,600/year. Buying locks in your GRP status more permanently. Note that non-EU citizens face additional permit requirements for purchasing.
Malta — Where are these cities?
A simple overview map of Malta showing your three shortlisted cities relative to Valletta, the airport, and key beaches.
🔵 Your shortlisted cities🟣 Valletta (capital)✈️ Malta International Airport⬛ Dashed lines = main roads
📏 Key distances
Malta is only 27km long and 14km wide — the whole island is smaller than Berlin city limits.
Mellieħa → Airport: ~45 min · Mellieħa → Valletta: ~35 min Sliema → Airport: ~25 min · Sliema → Valletta: 10 min (ferry!) or 15 min drive Marsaxlokk → Airport: ~20 min · Marsaxlokk → Valletta: ~25 min
Weight the factors that matter most to your family — the calculator recommends a city based on your priorities.
How important is each factor to you?
🏖
The Real Malta
Beyond the brochure — what life is actually like on the island, from someone who's done their homework. The food, the culture, the quirks, and the honest stuff no estate agent will tell you.
🍽 Food & eating culture
🥐
Street food & snacks
The stuff locals eat daily
Pastizzi€0.30–0.50 — flaky pastry, ricotta or peas. Breakfast staple.
Fenek (rabbit)Malta's national dish — slow-cooked in wine & garlic. Must try.
BraġioliBeef olives stuffed with breadcrumbs, egg, bacon.
AljottaMaltese fish soup with garlic, tomatoes, rice.
TimpanaBaked macaroni in pastry — comfort food at its finest.
GbejnietSmall sheep's milk cheese — fresh or peppered & dried.
Hearty & flavourfulMediterranean influences
🐟
Seafood culture
Island life on the plate
Lampuki (Dorado)Sept–Nov only — the most prized local fish. Baked or fried.
Swordfish & tunaCommonly served grilled — caught locally.
Marsaxlokk marketSunday morning — buy straight from fishermen. Unmissable.
Fresh fish restaurantsMarsaxlokk waterfront — best value in Malta.
Exceptionally freshSeasonal availability
☕
Café & dining culture
How Maltese people eat out
Lunch cultureLong, social, often 2+ hours. Sacred.
Dinner timingLate — 8–10pm is normal. Restaurants fill up late.
Sunday roast cultureFamily Sunday lunch is a major weekly event.
CoffeeStrong espresso culture. Cappuccino before noon only, locally.
TippingNot obligatory — 10% appreciated if service is good.
Social & relaxed
🍷 Wine, beer & local drinks
🍷
Maltese wine
Malta has a small but proud wine industry. The main producers are Marsovin and Meridiana. The local grapes — Gellewża (red) and Girgentina (white) — are unique to Malta. Wines are decent, not world-class, but improving fast. Expect to pay €8–15 for a good local bottle.
MarsovinMeridianaLocal grapes
🍺
Beer & spirits
Cisk is Malta's iconic lager — crisp, light, very drinkable in the heat. It's everywhere and cheap (€1.50–2.50 in a bar). Hopleaf is their pale ale. Imported beers are widely available. Local spirits are limited — most people drink Italian or Spanish imports.
Cisk lager€1.50–2.50/pint
🥤
Kinnie — the local icon
Kinnie is Malta's beloved bittersweet soft drink — made from bitter oranges and aromatic herbs. It's an acquired taste (think Campari-lite, non-alcoholic) but deeply embedded in Maltese culture. You'll see it everywhere. Try it cold on a hot day. There's also a Kinnie Shandy (with beer).
Acquired tasteCultural staple
☀️ Way of life & daily rhythm
🕐
The Maltese daily rhythm
How the day actually flows
MorningPastizzi & coffee, early errands before the heat (7–10am)
MiddayMany businesses close 1–4pm. Heat peak. Beach time or siesta.
AfternoonThings reopen ~4pm. More productive hours.
EveningSocial time starts 7pm+. Dinner rarely before 8pm.
WeekendsFamily-centred. Sunday lunch is the main social event.
Relaxed paceShops close midday
🌡
Surviving the Malta summer
What locals actually do
July–August heat35–40°C regularly. Humidity too. It is intense.
ACEssential in every room. Budget €100–150/mo extra in summer.
Beach mornings7–11am at the beach before it gets unbearable.
Siesta cultureVery real — indoors 1–4pm in peak summer.
Evening outdoors7–11pm is magical — warm, breezy, social.
Hot summersBeautiful evenings
🎆
Village festas (feasts)
Malta's most unique cultural tradition
Every Maltese village has an annual festa honouring its patron saint — a multi-day explosion of brass bands, fireworks, decorated streets, outdoor food stalls and street parties. There are over 90 festas per year across Malta & Gozo. They are genuinely spectacular and completely free. The fireworks are professional-grade and happen at midnight. Mellieħa's festa (August) is one of the best.
Free to attendUniquely MalteseLoud fireworks!
⛪
Religion & culture
Understanding Maltese society
Religion~85% Catholic — deeply embedded in daily life
Public holidays14 per year — many are religious feast days
Sunday cultureVery quiet — most shops closed, church attendance high
DivorceOnly legalised in 2011 — society still fairly traditional
LGBTQ+Malta ranks #1 in Europe for LGBTQ+ rights (2023)
Traditional valuesProgressive laws
🚗 Driving, shopping & practical life
🚗
Driving in Malta — the honest truth
Nothing prepares you for this
Maltese driving has a reputation. Roads are narrow, signage is sometimes absent, and lane discipline is a suggestion rather than a rule. Double parking is common. That said, speeds are low and serious accidents are rare. You adapt quickly. Drive left (British influence). Roundabouts everywhere — and locals treat them creatively.
Chaotic but slowDrive on the leftNarrow roads
🛒
Shopping & supermarkets
Where locals actually shop
Main supermarketsLIDL, ALDI, Pavi, Arkadia, Smart, Scotts
German brandsLIDL & ALDI well-stocked — familiar products
Fresh marketsMarsaxlokk Sunday, Valletta daily market
Opening hoursOften closed 1–4pm and Sunday afternoons
Online shoppingAmazon.it (Italian) or .de — 3–5 day delivery
LIDL/ALDI availableSundays limited
🗣
Language & communication
What to expect day to day
Official languagesMaltese & English — both equally official
Day-to-dayEnglish everywhere in Sliema & Mellieħa
Maltese languageSemitic base + Italian & English influences. Unique.
Maltese-English mixLocals switch between both mid-sentence (Manglish)
German spoken?Rarely — but irrelevant as English suffices for everything
English everywhereNo Maltese needed
🏘
Small island dynamics
The stuff nobody warns you about
Malta has a population of ~550,000 on an island smaller than Berlin. Things to know: everyone knows everyone — word travels fast. Construction is constant — cranes and noise are a fixture of Maltese life. Internet is excellent — fibre broadband widely available, good for remote workers. Weather can affect flights — occasional airport delays in stormy winter. Island fever is real — budget for a trip off the island every few months.
Construction noiseFast internetIsland fever possible
💚 What expats love about Malta
The weather — 300 days of sun genuinely changes your mood and energy. The safety — children play outside freely in ways unthinkable in most European capitals. The pace — life slows down in a good way; you stop rushing everywhere. The sea — having a warm, clean, swimmable sea 10 minutes away never gets old. The community — the expat scene is warm and welcoming, and Maltese people are generally friendly to newcomers.
⚠️ What expats find hard
The traffic and driving — genuinely stressful, especially if you're used to Berlin's public transport. The construction — Malta is building constantly; noise and dust are facts of life. The summer heat — July and August are punishing; some expats leave for a few weeks. Limited cultural diversity in food and entertainment compared to Berlin. Island fever — a real psychological phenomenon on a small island; budget for regular trips to mainland Europe (Ryanair flies from MLA to most European cities cheaply). The bureaucracy — Maltese administration can be slow and requires patience.