Moving to Malta from Malaysia
What to Expect
Considering a move from Malaysia to Malta? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Malaysia to Malta, you would find that Malta is 2.0 times more expensive than Malaysia overall. A MYR310,000 salary in Malaysia would need to be roughly €138,000 in Malta to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Valletta averages 72°F vs 90°F in Kuala Lumpur, making it significantly cooler.
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A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Malaysia and Malta.
What does your salary buy?
MYR310,000 → €138,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Malta
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 3.7 times more
Groceries
pay 33.5% more
Transportation
pay 62.4% more
Housing
pay 3.0 times more
Childcare
pay 37.1% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 44.7% 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 41% more than cities in Malaysia.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
What the data shows about people moving from Malaysia to Malta.
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Malta compared to Malaysia.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Malta performs significantly better than Malaysia 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
Malaysia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Malta leads in doctors per 10,000 people.
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 Malaysia 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
Malaysia 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
Malaysia 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
percentage of adults who can read and write
Malta generally does better on family life, though Malaysia leads in literacy rate.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Inland Revenue Board of Malaysia (2016), Government of Malta - Inland Revenue (2016), The World Factbook (2021). 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 | Kuala Lumpur | Valletta |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 91°/73°F (33°/23°C) | 60°/49°F (16°/10°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 91°/75°F (33°/24°C) | 74°/59°F (23°/15°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 90°/74°F (32°/23°C) | 85°/70°F (30°/21°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 89°/74°F (32°/23°C) | 69°/57°F (20°/14°C) |
View all months
| Month | Kuala Lumpur | Valletta |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 90°/72°F (32.1°/22.5°C) | 59°/49°F (15.2°/9.2°C) |
| Feb | 91°/73°F (32.9°/22.8°C) | 60°/49°F (15.5°/9.3°C) |
| Mar | 92°/74°F (33.2°/23.2°C) | 62°/50°F (16.7°/10.1°C) |
| Apr | 92°/75°F (33.1°/23.7°C) | 66°/53°F (19.1°/11.9°C) |
| May | 91°/75°F (32.9°/23.9°C) | 74°/59°F (23.3°/14.9°C) |
| Jun | 91°/74°F (32.7°/23.6°C) | 82°/65°F (27.5°/18.4°C) |
| Jul | 90°/74°F (32.3°/23.2°C) | 87°/70°F (30.7°/21.0°C) |
| Aug | 90°/74°F (32.3°/23.1°C) | 87°/71°F (30.7°/21.8°C) |
| Sep | 90°/74°F (32.1°/23.2°C) | 82°/68°F (28.0°/20.1°C) |
| Oct | 90°/74°F (32.1°/23.2°C) | 76°/63°F (24.2°/17.1°C) |
| Nov | 89°/74°F (31.6°/23.2°C) | 68°/57°F (20.1°/13.9°C) |
| Dec | 89°/73°F (31.5°/22.9°C) | 62°/52°F (16.7°/11.0°C) |
Data:
Malaysian Meteorological Department,
Meteorological Office
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Malaysia 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.
Malaysia passport holder visiting Malta
Visa Free
Malta passport holder visiting Malaysia
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 Malaysia?
On average Malta is around 104% pricier than Malaysia, with notable variation by city.
How much money do I need to move to Malta?
Budget about €34,500 for 3 months in Malta (based on a MYR310,000 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 Malaysia across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Malta is 0.6 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.7 in Malaysia.
How is healthcare in Malta compared to Malaysia?
Malaysia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Malta leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 45.1 doctors per 10,000 people in Malta, compared to 23.4 in Malaysia. Malta scores 85 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Malaysia: 76).
What's the weather like in Malta compared to Malaysia?
The average high temperature in Valletta is 72°F, compared to 90°F in Kuala Lumpur. Valletta receives around 21.8 in of rainfall per year, while Kuala Lumpur gets 95.6 in.
What language do they speak in Malta?
The official languages in Malta are English and Maltese. In Malaysia, the official languages are English and Malay.
