Moving to Malta from Bulgaria
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Bulgaria to Malta — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Bulgaria to Malta, you would find that Malta is 77.3% more expensive than Bulgaria overall. A BGN130,000 salary in Bulgaria would need to be roughly €118,000 in Malta to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English and Maltese. You’ll also switch from driving on the right to the left. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Valletta averages 72°F vs 59°F in Sofia, making it significantly warmer.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓Is Malta cheaper than Bulgaria?
Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 51.9% more
Groceries
pay 41.9% more
Transportation
pay 20.8% more
Housing
pay 2.8 times more
Childcare
pay 18.8% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 64.1% more
Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.
What salary do you need in Malta?
What does your salary buy?
BGN130,000 → €118,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Malta
Calculate with your salary →Cost of living by city
Cost of living varies a lot by city. Each figure is a city's overall cost of living as a percentage of New York City (the priciest, = 100%).
On average, cities in Malta cost about 50% more than cities in Bulgaria.
Compare cities head-to-head
Get free moving quotes to Malta
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
How many people actually move from Bulgaria to Malta, based on official data.
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Bulgaria to Malta.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Malta performs significantly better than Bulgaria across all safety metrics.
How's the healthcare?
annual government + private spending per person
affects wait times and access to care
WHO index from 0–100 measuring essential service access
share of adults with obesity
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Malta generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Bulgaria leads in healthcare spending per person.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Malta performs significantly better than Bulgaria across all environment metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work
higher means greater strain on freshwater supply
annual consumption — reflects grid capacity
share of households with internet
Bulgaria generally does better on infrastructure, though Malta leads in broadband per 100 people.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
the highest marginal rate on personal income
share of people below the poverty line
Malta generally does better on employment & economy, though Bulgaria leads in top income tax rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better
government spending on education as % of GDP
percentage of adults who can read and write
Bulgaria generally does better on family life, though Malta leads in life expectancy.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook (2021), National Revenue Agency, Bulgaria (2016), Government of Malta - Inland Revenue (2016). How we calculate this
Weather in Malta vs Bulgaria
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Sofia | Valletta |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 42°/28°F (6°/-2°C) | 60°/49°F (16°/10°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 68°/48°F (20°/9°C) | 74°/59°F (23°/15°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 77°/55°F (25°/13°C) | 85°/70°F (30°/21°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 50°/34°F (10°/1°C) | 69°/57°F (20°/14°C) |
View all months
| Month | Sofia | Valletta |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 36°/23°F (2.2°/-4.9°C) | 59°/49°F (15.2°/9.2°C) |
| Feb | 41°/27°F (4.9°/-2.9°C) | 60°/49°F (15.5°/9.3°C) |
| Mar | 50°/33°F (9.8°/0.3°C) | 62°/50°F (16.7°/10.1°C) |
| Apr | 60°/41°F (15.7°/4.8°C) | 66°/53°F (19.1°/11.9°C) |
| May | 69°/48°F (20.3°/9.0°C) | 74°/59°F (23.3°/14.9°C) |
| Jun | 74°/54°F (23.5°/12.1°C) | 82°/65°F (27.5°/18.4°C) |
| Jul | 79°/57°F (25.9°/13.8°C) | 87°/70°F (30.7°/21.0°C) |
| Aug | 79°/56°F (26.0°/13.4°C) | 87°/71°F (30.7°/21.8°C) |
| Sep | 73°/51°F (22.6°/10.4°C) | 82°/68°F (28.0°/20.1°C) |
| Oct | 62°/42°F (16.6°/5.7°C) | 76°/63°F (24.2°/17.1°C) |
| Nov | 49°/34°F (9.6°/1.2°C) | 68°/57°F (20.1°/13.9°C) |
| Dec | 39°/27°F (4.1°/-2.7°C) | 62°/52°F (16.7°/11.0°C) |
Data:
National Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology,
Meteorological Office
Can you move from Bulgaria to Malta?
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Bulgaria and Malta. To live, work, or study long-term in Malta, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Malta's immigration authority.
Bulgaria passport holder visiting Malta
Visa Free
Malta passport holder visiting Bulgaria
Visa FreeData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Malta than Bulgaria?
No — Malta is on average about 77% more expensive than Bulgaria. City-level variation matters.
How much money do I need to move to Malta?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly €29,500 in Malta on a BGN130,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).
Can I work remotely from Malta?
Internet is rarely the blocker — Malta has 44.5 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people. The real questions are legal: digital nomad visa eligibility, your employer's overseas-work policy, and tax residency in both countries.
Is Malta safe for expats?
Malta performs significantly better than Bulgaria across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Malta is 0.6 per 100,000 people, compared to 1.1 in Bulgaria.
How is healthcare in Malta compared to Bulgaria?
Malta generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Bulgaria leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 45.1 doctors per 10,000 people in Malta, compared to 43.3 in Bulgaria. Malta scores 85 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Bulgaria: 73).
What's the weather like in Malta compared to Bulgaria?
The average high temperature in Valletta is 72°F, compared to 59°F in Sofia. Valletta receives around 21.8 in of rainfall per year, while Sofia gets 22.5 in.
What language do they speak in Malta?
The official languages in Malta are English and Maltese. In Bulgaria, the official language is Bulgarian.
