Moving to Malta from Iceland
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Iceland to Malta — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Iceland to Malta, you would find that Malta is 33.2% cheaper than Iceland overall. A ISK9,423,000 salary in Iceland would need to be roughly €37,164 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 45°F in Reykjavik, making it significantly warmer.
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How your spending power changes when you relocate from Iceland to Malta.
What does your salary buy?
ISK9,423,000 → €37,164
To maintain the same standard of living in Malta
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 35.2% less
Groceries
pay 34.8% less
Transportation
pay 33.9% less
Housing
pay 34.1% less
Childcare
pay 13.7% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 44.2% less
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
How Iceland and Malta stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Malta performs significantly better than Iceland 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
Iceland generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Malta 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
Iceland generally does better on environment, though Malta leads in co₂ emissions per capita.
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
Iceland 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
Iceland generally does better on employment & economy, though Malta leads in unemployment 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
Iceland performs better than Malta across all family life metrics.
Data: Directorate of Internal Revenue, 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 | Reykjavik | Valletta |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 37°/28°F (3°/-2°C) | 60°/49°F (16°/10°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 48°/38°F (9°/4°C) | 74°/59°F (23°/15°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 54°/45°F (12°/7°C) | 85°/70°F (30°/21°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 39°/31°F (4°/-1°C) | 69°/57°F (20°/14°C) |
View all months
| Month | Reykjavik | Valletta |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 35°/27°F (1.9°/-3.0°C) | 59°/49°F (15.2°/9.2°C) |
| Feb | 37°/28°F (2.8°/-2.1°C) | 60°/49°F (15.5°/9.3°C) |
| Mar | 38°/28°F (3.2°/-2.0°C) | 62°/50°F (16.7°/10.1°C) |
| Apr | 42°/33°F (5.7°/0.4°C) | 66°/53°F (19.1°/11.9°C) |
| May | 49°/38°F (9.4°/3.6°C) | 74°/59°F (23.3°/14.9°C) |
| Jun | 53°/44°F (11.7°/6.7°C) | 82°/65°F (27.5°/18.4°C) |
| Jul | 56°/47°F (13.3°/8.3°C) | 87°/70°F (30.7°/21.0°C) |
| Aug | 55°/46°F (13.0°/7.9°C) | 87°/71°F (30.7°/21.8°C) |
| Sep | 50°/41°F (10.1°/5.0°C) | 82°/68°F (28.0°/20.1°C) |
| Oct | 44°/36°F (6.8°/2.2°C) | 76°/63°F (24.2°/17.1°C) |
| Nov | 38°/30°F (3.4°/-1.3°C) | 68°/57°F (20.1°/13.9°C) |
| Dec | 36°/27°F (2.2°/-2.8°C) | 62°/52°F (16.7°/11.0°C) |
Data:
Icelandic Meteorological Office,
Meteorological Office
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Iceland 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.
Iceland passport holder visiting Malta
Visa Free
Malta passport holder visiting Iceland
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 Iceland?
Generally yes: Malta runs about 43% cheaper than Iceland on average, though it depends heavily on the city.
How much money do I need to move to Malta?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a ISK9,423,000 comparable salary, that's around €9,291 in Malta for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Malta?
With 43.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Malta can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Iceland and Malta.
Is Malta safe for expats?
Malta performs significantly better than Iceland across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Malta is 0.6 per 100,000 people, compared to 1.1 in Iceland.
How is healthcare in Malta compared to Iceland?
Iceland generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Malta leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 42.8 doctors per 10,000 people in Malta, compared to 45.2 in Iceland. Malta scores 85 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Iceland: 89).
What's the weather like in Malta compared to Iceland?
The average high temperature in Valletta is 72°F, compared to 45°F in Reykjavik. Valletta receives around 21.8 in of rainfall per year, while Reykjavik gets 31.4 in.
What language do they speak in Malta?
The official languages in Malta are English and Maltese. In Iceland, the official language is Icelandic.
