Moving to Portugal from Malta
What to Expect
Considering a move from Malta to Portugal? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Malta to Portugal, you would find that Portugal is 10.2% cheaper than Malta overall. A €67,000 salary in Malta would need to be roughly €60,200 in Portugal to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Portuguese. You’ll also switch from driving on the left to the right.
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A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Malta and Portugal.
What does your salary buy?
€67,000 → €60,200
To maintain the same standard of living in Portugal
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 21.8% less
Groceries
pay 18.1% less
Transportation
pay 12.8% more
Housing
pay 11.8% less
Childcare
pay 20.9% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 24.2% 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.
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 Portugal cost about 7% less than cities in Malta.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
What the data shows about people moving from Malta to Portugal.
Who's moving to Portugal?
Top countries of origin for Portugal's foreign-born residents.
- 179,524
- 154,017
- 104,164
- 80,570
- 68,299
- 53,384
- · · ·
-
115.47
Malta
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Portugal compared to Malta.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Malta performs better than Portugal 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
Portugal generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Malta leads in suicide rate.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Malta generally does better on environment, though Portugal leads in air pollution deaths.
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
Portugal generally does better on infrastructure, though Malta leads in internet access.
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 Portugal leads in poverty 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 Portugal leads in infant mortality.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook (2021), Government of Malta - Inland Revenue (2016), Autoridade Tributária e Aduaneira (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 | Valletta | Lisbon |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 60°/49°F (16°/10°C) | 61°/48°F (16°/9°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 74°/59°F (23°/15°C) | 71°/56°F (22°/13°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 85°/70°F (30°/21°C) | 81°/63°F (27°/17°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 69°/57°F (20°/14°C) | 65°/53°F (18°/12°C) |
View all months
| Month | Valletta | Lisbon |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 59°/49°F (15.2°/9.2°C) | 58°/47°F (14.5°/8.2°C) |
| Feb | 60°/49°F (15.5°/9.3°C) | 60°/48°F (15.6°/9.0°C) |
| Mar | 62°/50°F (16.7°/10.1°C) | 64°/50°F (17.6°/9.9°C) |
| Apr | 66°/53°F (19.1°/11.9°C) | 66°/52°F (19.1°/11.1°C) |
| May | 74°/59°F (23.3°/14.9°C) | 71°/55°F (21.7°/13.0°C) |
| Jun | 82°/65°F (27.5°/18.4°C) | 77°/60°F (24.8°/15.6°C) |
| Jul | 87°/70°F (30.7°/21.0°C) | 81°/63°F (27.4°/17.4°C) |
| Aug | 87°/71°F (30.7°/21.8°C) | 82°/64°F (27.9°/17.7°C) |
| Sep | 82°/68°F (28.0°/20.1°C) | 80°/63°F (26.4°/17.0°C) |
| Oct | 76°/63°F (24.2°/17.1°C) | 72°/58°F (22.4°/14.6°C) |
| Nov | 68°/57°F (20.1°/13.9°C) | 64°/52°F (17.8°/11.2°C) |
| Dec | 62°/52°F (16.7°/11.0°C) | 59°/48°F (14.8°/8.9°C) |
Data:
Meteorological Office,
Instituto Português do Mar e da Atmosfera
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Malta and Portugal. To live, work, or study long-term in Portugal, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Portugal's immigration authority.
Malta passport holder visiting Portugal
Visa Free
Portugal 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 Portugal than Malta?
On average Portugal is about 10% less expensive than Malta, with major cities narrowing the gap.
How much money do I need to move to Portugal?
Budget about €15,050 for 3 months in Portugal (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 Portugal?
Connectivity is usually fine (Portugal: 45.2 fixed broadband per 100). What actually decides it is legal: does Portugal offer a digital nomad visa, will your employer permit overseas work, and where are you tax-resident?
Is Portugal safe for expats?
Malta performs better than Portugal across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Portugal is 0.7 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.6 in Malta.
How is healthcare in Portugal compared to Malta?
Portugal generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Malta leads in suicide rate. There are 58.5 doctors per 10,000 people in Portugal, compared to 45.1 in Malta. Portugal scores 88 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Malta: 85).
What's the weather like in Portugal compared to Malta?
The average high temperature in Lisbon is 69°F, compared to 72°F in Valletta. Lisbon receives around 29.6 in of rainfall per year, while Valletta gets 21.8 in.
What language do they speak in Portugal?
The official language in Portugal is Portuguese. In Malta, the official languages are English and Maltese.
