Moving to Malta from Norway
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Norway to Malta — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Norway to Malta, you would find that Malta is 28.2% cheaper than Norway overall. A NOK710,000 salary in Norway would need to be roughly €48,100 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 49°F in Oslo, making it significantly warmer.
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How your spending power changes when you relocate from Norway to Malta.
What does your salary buy?
NOK710,000 → €48,100
To maintain the same standard of living in Malta
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 27.1% less
Groceries
pay 31.4% less
Transportation
pay 39.2% less
Housing
pay 23.4% less
Childcare
pay 18.3% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 42.0% 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 Malta cost about 20% less than cities in Norway.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from Norway to Malta, and how the trend has changed.
Key Indicator Comparison
How Norway and Malta stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Norway generally does better on safety, though Malta leads in homicide rate.
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
Norway generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Malta 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
Norway generally does better on environment, though Malta leads in co₂ emissions per capita.
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
Norway performs better than Malta across all infrastructure metrics.
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
Norway 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
Norway performs better than Malta across all family life metrics.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Norwegian Tax Administration (2017), 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 | Oslo | Valletta |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 32°/22°F (0°/-6°C) | 60°/49°F (16°/10°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 59°/43°F (15°/6°C) | 74°/59°F (23°/15°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 66°/51°F (19°/10°C) | 85°/70°F (30°/21°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 39°/30°F (4°/-1°C) | 69°/57°F (20°/14°C) |
View all months
| Month | Oslo | Valletta |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 29°/20°F (-1.8°/-6.8°C) | 59°/49°F (15.2°/9.2°C) |
| Feb | 30°/20°F (-0.9°/-6.8°C) | 60°/49°F (15.5°/9.3°C) |
| Mar | 38°/26°F (3.5°/-3.3°C) | 62°/50°F (16.7°/10.1°C) |
| Apr | 48°/33°F (9.1°/0.8°C) | 66°/53°F (19.1°/11.9°C) |
| May | 60°/44°F (15.8°/6.5°C) | 74°/59°F (23.3°/14.9°C) |
| Jun | 69°/51°F (20.4°/10.6°C) | 82°/65°F (27.5°/18.4°C) |
| Jul | 71°/54°F (21.5°/12.2°C) | 87°/70°F (30.7°/21.0°C) |
| Aug | 68°/52°F (20.1°/11.3°C) | 87°/71°F (30.7°/21.8°C) |
| Sep | 59°/46°F (15.1°/7.5°C) | 82°/68°F (28.0°/20.1°C) |
| Oct | 49°/39°F (9.3°/3.8°C) | 76°/63°F (24.2°/17.1°C) |
| Nov | 38°/29°F (3.2°/-1.5°C) | 68°/57°F (20.1°/13.9°C) |
| Dec | 31°/22°F (-0.5°/-5.6°C) | 62°/52°F (16.7°/11.0°C) |
Data:
Norwegian Meteorological Institute,
Meteorological Office
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Norway 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.
Norway passport holder visiting Malta
Visa Free
Malta passport holder visiting Norway
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 Norway?
Generally yes: Malta runs about 28% cheaper than Norway on average, though it depends heavily on the city.
How much money do I need to move to Malta?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a NOK710,000 comparable salary, that's around €12,025 in Malta for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Malta?
With 44.5 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Malta can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Norway and Malta.
Is Malta safe for expats?
Norway generally does better on safety, though Malta leads in homicide rate. The homicide rate in Malta is 0.6 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.7 in Norway.
How is healthcare in Malta compared to Norway?
Norway generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Malta leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 45.1 doctors per 10,000 people in Malta, compared to 49.8 in Norway. Malta scores 85 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Norway: 87).
What's the weather like in Malta compared to Norway?
The average high temperature in Valletta is 72°F, compared to 49°F in Oslo. Valletta receives around 21.8 in of rainfall per year, while Oslo gets 30.0 in.
What language do they speak in Malta?
The official languages in Malta are English and Maltese. In Norway, the official languages are Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk and Sami.
