Moving to California from Malta

moving to

What to Expect

A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Malta to California — from daily expenses to quality of life.

If you moved from Malta to California, you would find that California is 69.3% more expensive than Malta overall. A €65,700 salary in Malta would need to be roughly $92,964 in California to maintain the same lifestyle. You’ll also switch from driving on the left to the right.

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How Far Will Your Money Go?

How your spending power changes when you relocate from Malta to California.

What does your salary buy?

€65,700 $92,964

To maintain the same standard of living in California

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 19.4% more

Groceries

pay 58.7% more

Transportation

pay 28.5% more

Housing

pay 2.1 times more

Childcare

pay 3.3 times more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 58.9% more

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 EUR = 1.14 USD (July 2026)

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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We've teamed up with a vetted network of international movers to help MyLifeElsewhere readers plan their move with confidence. Tell us about your move and get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes in under 2 minutes.

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

Real numbers on people moving from Malta to California, and how the trend has changed.

Moved in 2023
40 ↑ 90% vs 2022

people moved from Malta to United States · OECD (latest data available)

Who's moving to United States?

Top countries of origin for United States's foreign-born residents.

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

How Malta and California stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

How's the healthcare?

Adult obesity rate The World Factbook, 2022

share of adults with obesity

MT
28.9%
CA
28.4%

California performs significantly better than Malta across all health & wellbeing metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Internet access The World Factbook, 2023

share of households with internet

MT
87.0%
CA
92.6%

California performs significantly better than Malta across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

MT
3.1%
CA
5.1%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

MT
$57,200
CA
$84,028

California generally does better on employment & economy, though Malta leads in unemployment rate.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

MT
83.2 yrs
CA
79.0 yrs

Malta performs better than California across all family life metrics.

Data: The World Factbook

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Valletta Rain: 21.8 in/yr (553 mm)
72° / 59°F

Avg. annual high / low

Sacramento Rain: 18.5 in/yr (470 mm)
74° / 48°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Valletta Sacramento
Jan–Mar 60°/49°F (16°/10°C) 60°/41°F (15°/5°C)
Apr–Jun 74°/59°F (23°/15°C) 79°/51°F (26°/11°C)
Jul–Sep 85°/70°F (30°/21°C) 90°/57°F (32°/14°C)
Oct–Dec 69°/57°F (20°/14°C) 65°/44°F (18°/7°C)
View all months
Month Valletta Sacramento
Jan 59°/49°F (15.2°/9.2°C) 54°/39°F (12.1°/3.8°C)
Feb 60°/49°F (15.5°/9.3°C) 60°/41°F (15.7°/5.2°C)
Mar 62°/50°F (16.7°/10.1°C) 65°/44°F (18.4°/6.7°C)
Apr 66°/53°F (19.1°/11.9°C) 71°/46°F (21.7°/7.9°C)
May 74°/59°F (23.3°/14.9°C) 80°/51°F (26.6°/10.6°C)
Jun 82°/65°F (27.5°/18.4°C) 87°/56°F (30.6°/13.2°C)
Jul 87°/70°F (30.7°/21.0°C) 92°/58°F (33.4°/14.7°C)
Aug 87°/71°F (30.7°/21.8°C) 91°/58°F (32.9°/14.4°C)
Sep 82°/68°F (28.0°/20.1°C) 87°/56°F (30.7°/13.2°C)
Oct 76°/63°F (24.2°/17.1°C) 78°/50°F (25.3°/10.1°C)
Nov 68°/57°F (20.1°/13.9°C) 64°/43°F (17.7°/6.0°C)
Dec 62°/52°F (16.7°/11.0°C) 54°/38°F (12.2°/3.6°C)

Data: Meteorological Office Meteorological Office, National Weather Service National Weather Service

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Malta and United States. To live, work, or study long-term in United States, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check United States's immigration authority.

Malta passport

Malta passport holder visiting United States

Electronic Travel Authorisation
Malta passport holders need an electronic travel authorisation (ETA) to enter United States.
United States passport

United States passport holder visiting Malta

Visa Free
United States passport holders can enter Malta without a visa.

Data: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to live in California than Malta?

Day-to-day costs in California run about 24% higher than Malta on average; specific cities can swing further.

How much money do I need to move to California?

A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a €65,700 comparable salary, that's around $23,241 in California for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.

Can I work remotely from California?

Working remotely from California's major cities is generally feasible. The legal layer matters more — visa category, employer policy on overseas employees, and tax residency in Malta and California.

How is healthcare in California compared to Malta?

California performs significantly better than Malta across all health & wellbeing metrics.

What's the weather like in California compared to Malta?

The average high temperature in Sacramento is 74°F, compared to 72°F in Valletta. Sacramento receives around 18.5 in of rainfall per year, while Valletta gets 21.8 in.

What language do they speak in California?

The official language in California is English. In Malta, the official languages are English and Maltese.

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At a Glance

MT
Population 464,186 37,253,956
Currency Euro (€) United States Dollar ($)
Languages English, Maltese English
Driving side Left Right
Calling code +356 +1
Time zones 1 11
Emergency number 112 911