Moving to Latvia from Malta
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Malta to Latvia — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Malta to Latvia, you would find that Latvia is 3.2% cheaper than Malta overall. A €64,304 salary in Malta would need to be roughly €48,039 in Latvia to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Latvian. You’ll also switch from driving on the left to the right. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Riga averages 50°F vs 72°F in Valletta, making it significantly cooler.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
How your spending power changes when you relocate from Malta to Latvia.
What does your salary buy?
€64,304 → €48,039
To maintain the same standard of living in Latvia
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 27.2% less
Groceries
pay 20.8% less
Transportation
pay 2.9% more
Housing
pay 1.4% less
Childcare
pay 31.8% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 5.2% 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.
Get free moving quotes to Latvia
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from Malta to Latvia, and how the trend has changed.
Who's moving to Latvia?
Top countries of origin for Latvia's foreign-born residents.
- 116,771
- 42,251
- 32,262
- 14,209
- 5,651
- 3,712
- · · ·
-
67.23
Malta
Key Indicator Comparison
How Malta and Latvia 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 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
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 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
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
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
Malta generally does better on family life, though Latvia leads in education spending.
Data: Government of Malta - Inland 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 | Valletta | Riga |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 60°/49°F (16°/10°C) | 31°/20°F (0°/-7°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 74°/59°F (23°/15°C) | 60°/42°F (15°/6°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 85°/70°F (30°/21°C) | 67°/51°F (20°/11°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 69°/57°F (20°/14°C) | 41°/31°F (5°/0°C) |
View all months
| Month | Valletta | Riga |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 59°/49°F (15.2°/9.2°C) | 28°/18°F (-2.3°/-7.8°C) |
| Feb | 60°/49°F (15.5°/9.3°C) | 29°/18°F (-1.7°/-7.6°C) |
| Mar | 62°/50°F (16.7°/10.1°C) | 37°/24°F (2.7°/-4.7°C) |
| Apr | 66°/53°F (19.1°/11.9°C) | 50°/34°F (9.8°/1.0°C) |
| May | 74°/59°F (23.3°/14.9°C) | 61°/43°F (16.2°/5.9°C) |
| Jun | 82°/65°F (27.5°/18.4°C) | 68°/50°F (20.1°/10.0°C) |
| Jul | 87°/70°F (30.7°/21.0°C) | 71°/54°F (21.7°/12.3°C) |
| Aug | 87°/71°F (30.7°/21.8°C) | 70°/53°F (21.0°/11.8°C) |
| Sep | 82°/68°F (28.0°/20.1°C) | 61°/46°F (16.3°/8.0°C) |
| Oct | 76°/63°F (24.2°/17.1°C) | 51°/39°F (10.4°/4.0°C) |
| Nov | 68°/57°F (20.1°/13.9°C) | 39°/31°F (3.9°/-0.5°C) |
| Dec | 62°/52°F (16.7°/11.0°C) | 33°/24°F (0.3°/-4.4°C) |
Data:
Meteorological Office,
Latvian Environment, Geology and Meteorology Centre
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Malta and Latvia. To live, work, or study long-term in Latvia, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Latvia's immigration authority.
Malta passport holder visiting Latvia
Visa Free
Latvia passport holder visiting Malta
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 Latvia than Malta?
Generally yes: Latvia runs about 25% cheaper than Malta on average, though it depends heavily on the city.
How much money do I need to move to Latvia?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a €64,304 comparable salary, that's around €12,010 in Latvia for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, deposits, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Latvia?
With 26.4 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Latvia can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Malta and Latvia.
Is Latvia safe for expats?
Malta performs better than Latvia across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Latvia is 3.6 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.6 in Malta.
How is healthcare in Latvia compared to Malta?
Malta generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Latvia leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 33.8 doctors per 10,000 people in Latvia, compared to 42.8 in Malta. Latvia scores 75 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Malta: 85).
What's the weather like in Latvia compared to Malta?
The average high temperature in Riga is 50°F, compared to 72°F in Valletta. Riga receives around 24.9 in of rainfall per year, while Valletta gets 21.8 in.
What language do they speak in Latvia?
The official language in Latvia is Latvian. In Malta, the official languages are English and Maltese.
