Moving to Malta from Latvia
What to Expect
Considering a move from Latvia to Malta? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Latvia to Malta, you would find that Malta is 48.3% more expensive than Latvia overall. A €67,000 salary in Latvia would need to be roughly €99,400 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 50°F in Riga, making it significantly warmer.
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A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Latvia and Malta.
What does your salary buy?
€67,000 → €99,400
To maintain the same standard of living in Malta
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 47.1% more
Groceries
pay 35.6% more
Transportation
pay 2.0% more
Housing
pay 2.4 times more
Childcare
pay 32.0% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 5.9% 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.
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 42% more than cities in Latvia.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
What the data shows about people moving from Latvia to Malta.
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Malta compared to Latvia.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Malta performs significantly better than Latvia 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 Latvia 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 Latvia 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 Latvia 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 Latvia 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
Latvia 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), State Revenue Service, Latvia (2016), Government of Malta - Inland Revenue (2016). How we calculate this
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Riga | Valletta |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 31°/20°F (0°/-7°C) | 60°/49°F (16°/10°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 60°/42°F (15°/6°C) | 74°/59°F (23°/15°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 67°/51°F (20°/11°C) | 85°/70°F (30°/21°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 41°/31°F (5°/0°C) | 69°/57°F (20°/14°C) |
View all months
| Month | Riga | Valletta |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 28°/18°F (-2.3°/-7.8°C) | 59°/49°F (15.2°/9.2°C) |
| Feb | 29°/18°F (-1.7°/-7.6°C) | 60°/49°F (15.5°/9.3°C) |
| Mar | 37°/24°F (2.7°/-4.7°C) | 62°/50°F (16.7°/10.1°C) |
| Apr | 50°/34°F (9.8°/1.0°C) | 66°/53°F (19.1°/11.9°C) |
| May | 61°/43°F (16.2°/5.9°C) | 74°/59°F (23.3°/14.9°C) |
| Jun | 68°/50°F (20.1°/10.0°C) | 82°/65°F (27.5°/18.4°C) |
| Jul | 71°/54°F (21.7°/12.3°C) | 87°/70°F (30.7°/21.0°C) |
| Aug | 70°/53°F (21.0°/11.8°C) | 87°/71°F (30.7°/21.8°C) |
| Sep | 61°/46°F (16.3°/8.0°C) | 82°/68°F (28.0°/20.1°C) |
| Oct | 51°/39°F (10.4°/4.0°C) | 76°/63°F (24.2°/17.1°C) |
| Nov | 39°/31°F (3.9°/-0.5°C) | 68°/57°F (20.1°/13.9°C) |
| Dec | 33°/24°F (0.3°/-4.4°C) | 62°/52°F (16.7°/11.0°C) |
Data:
Latvian Environment, Geology and Meteorology Centre,
Meteorological Office
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Latvia 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.
Latvia passport holder visiting Malta
Visa Free
Malta passport holder visiting Latvia
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 Latvia?
On average Malta is around 48% pricier than Latvia, with notable variation by city.
How much money do I need to move to Malta?
Budget about €24,850 for 3 months in Malta (based on a €67,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Malta?
Connectivity is usually fine (Malta: 44.5 fixed broadband per 100). What actually decides it is legal: does Malta offer a digital nomad visa, will your employer permit overseas work, and where are you tax-resident?
Is Malta safe for expats?
Malta performs significantly better than Latvia across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Malta is 0.6 per 100,000 people, compared to 2.5 in Latvia.
How is healthcare in Malta compared to Latvia?
Malta generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Latvia leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 45.1 doctors per 10,000 people in Malta, compared to 34.0 in Latvia. Malta scores 85 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Latvia: 75).
What's the weather like in Malta compared to Latvia?
The average high temperature in Valletta is 72°F, compared to 50°F in Riga. Valletta receives around 21.8 in of rainfall per year, while Riga gets 24.9 in.
What language do they speak in Malta?
The official languages in Malta are English and Maltese. In Latvia, the official language is Latvian.
