Moving to Malta from Panama
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Panama to Malta — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Panama to Malta, you would find that Malta is 31.3% more expensive than Panama overall. A PAB75,000 salary in Panama would need to be roughly €85,363 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 93°F in Panama City, making it significantly cooler.
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How your spending power changes when you relocate from Panama to Malta.
What does your salary buy?
PAB75,000 → €85,363
To maintain the same standard of living in Malta
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 68.3% more
Groceries
pay 1.9% less
Transportation
pay 31.6% more
Housing
pay 16.7% more
Childcare
pay 17.4% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 42.3% more
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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Key Indicator Comparison
How Panama 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
Malta performs significantly better than Panama 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
Panama generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Malta leads in doctors per 10,000 people.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Panama performs better than Malta 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
share of households with internet
Malta generally does better on infrastructure, though Panama 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
share of people below the poverty line
Malta generally does better on employment & economy, though Panama 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 Panama leads in literacy rate.
Data: General Directorate of Revenues, Panama, 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 | Panama City | Valletta |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 94°/65°F (34°/18°C) | 60°/49°F (16°/10°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 94°/69°F (35°/21°C) | 74°/59°F (23°/15°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 92°/70°F (34°/21°C) | 85°/70°F (30°/21°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 91°/68°F (33°/20°C) | 69°/57°F (20°/14°C) |
View all months
| Month | Panama City | Valletta |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 92°/65°F (33.4°/18.5°C) | 59°/49°F (15.2°/9.2°C) |
| Feb | 94°/65°F (34.2°/18.4°C) | 60°/49°F (15.5°/9.3°C) |
| Mar | 95°/65°F (34.8°/18.4°C) | 62°/50°F (16.7°/10.1°C) |
| Apr | 96°/67°F (35.4°/19.5°C) | 66°/53°F (19.1°/11.9°C) |
| May | 94°/70°F (34.5°/21.1°C) | 74°/59°F (23.3°/14.9°C) |
| Jun | 93°/70°F (33.8°/21.3°C) | 82°/65°F (27.5°/18.4°C) |
| Jul | 93°/70°F (33.9°/21.0°C) | 87°/70°F (30.7°/21.0°C) |
| Aug | 93°/70°F (33.9°/20.9°C) | 87°/71°F (30.7°/21.8°C) |
| Sep | 91°/70°F (32.9°/21.0°C) | 82°/68°F (28.0°/20.1°C) |
| Oct | 91°/69°F (32.6°/20.8°C) | 76°/63°F (24.2°/17.1°C) |
| Nov | 91°/69°F (32.9°/20.3°C) | 68°/57°F (20.1°/13.9°C) |
| Dec | 92°/67°F (33.3°/19.2°C) | 62°/52°F (16.7°/11.0°C) |
Data:
IMHPA - Instituto de Meteorología e Hidrología de Panamá,
Meteorological Office
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Panama 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.
Panama passport holder visiting Malta
Visa Free
Malta passport holder visiting Panama
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 Panama?
Day-to-day costs in Malta run about 30% higher than Panama on average; specific cities can swing further.
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 PAB75,000 comparable salary, that's around €21,341 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 Panama and Malta.
Is Malta safe for expats?
Malta performs significantly better than Panama across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Malta is 0.6 per 100,000 people, compared to 11.3 in Panama.
How is healthcare in Malta compared to Panama?
Panama generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Malta leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 42.8 doctors per 10,000 people in Malta, compared to 17.3 in Panama. Malta scores 85 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Panama: 78).
What's the weather like in Malta compared to Panama?
The average high temperature in Valletta is 72°F, compared to 93°F in Panama City. Valletta receives around 21.8 in of rainfall per year, while Panama City gets 75.1 in.
What language do they speak in Malta?
The official languages in Malta are English and Maltese. In Panama, the official language is Spanish.
