Moving to Malta from Norway

moving to

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 13.3% cheaper than Norway overall. A NOK723,540 salary in Norway would need to be roughly €57,703 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 Far Will Your Money Go?

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

What does your salary buy?

NOK723,540 €57,703

To maintain the same standard of living in Malta

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 25.9% less

Groceries

pay 22.5% less

Transportation

pay 22.5% less

Housing

pay 20.5% less

Childcare

pay 38.4% more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 33.3% less

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 NOK = 0.0906 EUR (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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Who Else Is Making This Move?

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

Living there in 2020
196 ↑ 115% vs 2015

people born in Norway live in Malta · UN DESA

Who's moving to Malta?

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

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

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

Is it safe?

Homicide rate United Nations SDG Indicators, 2023

per 100,000 people per year

NO
0.6
MT
0.6
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

NO
1.5
MT
1.9

Norway performs better than Malta across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2023

annual government + private spending per person

NO
$9,523
MT
$5,706
Doctors per 10,000 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

affects wait times and access to care

NO
51.7
MT
42.8

Norway generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Malta leads in healthcare spending per person.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

NO
8.0
MT
21.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

NO
7.2t
MT
3.2t

Norway generally does better on environment, though Malta leads in co₂ emissions per capita.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

NO
45.9
MT
43.0
Water stress level United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

NO
2.0%
MT
78.3%

Norway performs better than Malta across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2023

percentage of the labour force without work

NO
3.6%
MT
3.1%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2023

a broad measure of economic output per person

NO
$90,500
MT
$57,200

Norway 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

NO
82.5 yrs
MT
83.2 yrs
Infant mortality The World Factbook, 2022

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

NO
2.3
MT
4.5

Norway generally does better on family life, though Malta leads in life expectancy.

Data: Norwegian Tax Administration, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Oslo Rain: 30.0 in/yr (763 mm)
49° / 36°F

Avg. annual high / low

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

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 Norwegian Meteorological Institute, Meteorological Office 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

Norway passport holder visiting Malta

Visa Free
Norway passport holders can enter Malta without a visa.
Malta passport

Malta passport holder visiting Norway

Visa Free
Malta passport holders can enter Norway 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 Malta than Norway?

Generally yes: Malta runs about 12% 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 NOK723,540 comparable salary, that's around €14,426 in Malta for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.

Can I work remotely from Malta?

With 43.0 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 performs better than Malta across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Malta is 0.6 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.6 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 42.8 doctors per 10,000 people in Malta, compared to 51.7 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.

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At a Glance

NO MT
Population 5,553,840 464,186
Currency Norwegian Krone (NOK) Euro (€)
Languages Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk, Sami English, Maltese
Driving side Right Left
Calling code +47 +356
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 112 112