Moving to Malta from Costa Rica
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Costa Rica to Malta — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Costa Rica to Malta, you would find that Malta is 13.6% more expensive than Costa Rica overall. A CRC34,152,674 salary in Costa Rica would need to be roughly €74,857 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.
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What to expect for your wallet after moving from Costa Rica to Malta.
What does your salary buy?
CRC34,152,674 → €74,857
To maintain the same standard of living in Malta
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 32.0% more
Groceries
pay 4.4% less
Transportation
pay 4.0% more
Housing
pay 29.0% more
Childcare
pay 2.6% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 19.3% 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.
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Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Costa Rica to Malta.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Malta performs significantly better than Costa Rica 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 Costa Rica 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
Costa Rica performs better than Malta 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
Malta generally does better on infrastructure, though Costa Rica leads in water stress level.
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 Costa Rica 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
Costa Rica generally does better on family life, though Malta leads in life expectancy.
Data: Directorate General of Taxation of Costa Rica, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | San Jose | Valletta |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 75°/60°F (24°/16°C) | 60°/49°F (16°/10°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 78°/62°F (26°/17°C) | 74°/59°F (23°/15°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 77°/62°F (25°/16°C) | 85°/70°F (30°/21°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 76°/61°F (24°/16°C) | 69°/57°F (20°/14°C) |
View all months
| Month | San Jose | Valletta |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 74°/60°F (23.4°/15.4°C) | 59°/49°F (15.2°/9.2°C) |
| Feb | 75°/60°F (23.9°/15.3°C) | 60°/49°F (15.5°/9.3°C) |
| Mar | 77°/60°F (25.1°/15.8°C) | 62°/50°F (16.7°/10.1°C) |
| Apr | 78°/62°F (25.7°/16.4°C) | 66°/53°F (19.1°/11.9°C) |
| May | 79°/63°F (26.1°/17.0°C) | 74°/59°F (23.3°/14.9°C) |
| Jun | 78°/62°F (25.7°/16.9°C) | 82°/65°F (27.5°/18.4°C) |
| Jul | 77°/61°F (24.9°/16.3°C) | 87°/70°F (30.7°/21.0°C) |
| Aug | 77°/62°F (25.2°/16.7°C) | 87°/71°F (30.7°/21.8°C) |
| Sep | 78°/62°F (25.8°/16.5°C) | 82°/68°F (28.0°/20.1°C) |
| Oct | 78°/62°F (25.4°/16.4°C) | 76°/63°F (24.2°/17.1°C) |
| Nov | 76°/61°F (24.2°/16.3°C) | 68°/57°F (20.1°/13.9°C) |
| Dec | 74°/60°F (23.4°/15.8°C) | 62°/52°F (16.7°/11.0°C) |
Data:
Instituto Meteorológico Nacional,
Meteorological Office
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Costa Rica 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.
Costa Rica passport holder visiting Malta
Visa Free
Malta passport holder visiting Costa Rica
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 Costa Rica?
No — Malta is on average about 14% more expensive than Costa Rica. City-level variation matters.
How much money do I need to move to Malta?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly €18,714 in Malta on a CRC34,152,674 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 43.0 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 Costa Rica across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Malta is 0.6 per 100,000 people, compared to 17.4 in Costa Rica.
How is healthcare in Malta compared to Costa Rica?
Malta generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Costa Rica leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 42.8 doctors per 10,000 people in Malta, compared to 26.4 in Costa Rica. Malta scores 85 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Costa Rica: 81).
What's the weather like in Malta compared to Costa Rica?
The average high temperature in Valletta is 72°F, compared to 77°F in San Jose. Valletta receives around 21.8 in of rainfall per year, while San Jose gets 73.5 in.
What language do they speak in Malta?
The official languages in Malta are English and Maltese. In Costa Rica, the official language is Spanish.
