Moving to Malta from Romania

moving to

What to Expect

Considering a move from Romania to Malta? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.

If you moved from Romania to Malta, you would find that Malta is 75.9% more expensive than Romania overall. A RON360,000 salary in Romania would need to be roughly €119,000 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 63°F in Bucharest, making it significantly warmer.

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How Far Will Your Money Go?

A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Romania and Malta.

What does your salary buy?

RON360,000 → €119,000

To maintain the same standard of living in Malta

Calculate with your salary →

How key spending categories compare

Restaurants

pay 58.9% more

Groceries

pay 70.0% more

Transportation

pay 21.8% more

Housing

pay 2.6 times more

Childcare

pay 0.8% more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 44.1% more

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 RON = 0.1873 EUR (October 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.

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 53% more than cities in Romania.

Romania

Brasov 39%
Timisoara 37%
Bacau 34%

Malta

Gzira 59%
Mosta 57%
Msida 57%
San Gwann 52%
Gozo 52%

Compare cities head-to-head

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

What the data shows about people moving from Romania to Malta.

Living there in 2020
2,046 ↑ 118% vs 2015

people born in Romania 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

The numbers behind daily life in Malta compared to Romania.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate World Bank, 2023

per 100,000 people per year

RO
1.1
MT
0.6
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

RO
9.6
MT
1.9

Malta performs significantly better than Romania across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2023

annual government + private spending per person

RO
$2,614
MT
$5,706
Doctors per 10,000 people World Bank, 2022

affects wait times and access to care

RO
36.2
MT
45.1

Malta generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Romania 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

RO
46.0
MT
21.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

RO
3.7t
MT
3.2t

Malta performs significantly better than Romania across all environment metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people World Bank, 2024

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

RO
35.8
MT
44.5
Water stress level World Bank, 2022

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

RO
7.6%
MT
72.6%

Malta generally does better on infrastructure, though Romania leads in water stress level.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate World Bank, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

RO
6.0%
MT
2.9%
GDP per capita World Bank, 2025

a broad measure of economic output per person

RO
$22,538
MT
$47,907

Malta generally does better on employment & economy, though Romania leads in top income tax rate.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy World Bank, 2024

average years of life at birth

RO
76.5 yrs
MT
83.0 yrs
Infant mortality World Bank, 2024

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

RO
6.0
MT
4.7

Malta generally does better on family life, though Romania leads in literacy rate.

Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), National Agency for Fiscal Administration (ANAF) (2016), Government of Malta - Inland Revenue (2016), The World Factbook (2021). How we calculate this

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Bucharest Rain: 23.4 in/yr (594 mm)
63° / 41°F

Avg. annual high / low

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

Avg. annual high / low

Months Bucharest Valletta
Jan–Mar 44°/27°F (7°/-3°C) 60°/49°F (16°/10°C)
Apr–Jun 74°/49°F (23°/9°C) 74°/59°F (23°/15°C)
Jul–Sep 83°/57°F (28°/14°C) 85°/70°F (30°/21°C)
Oct–Dec 51°/34°F (10°/1°C) 69°/57°F (20°/14°C)
View all months
Month Bucharest Valletta
Jan 37°/23°F (2.8°/-4.8°C) 59°/49°F (15.2°/9.2°C)
Feb 42°/25°F (5.5°/-4.0°C) 60°/49°F (15.5°/9.3°C)
Mar 53°/32°F (11.4°/0.1°C) 62°/50°F (16.7°/10.1°C)
Apr 64°/41°F (18.0°/4.9°C) 66°/53°F (19.1°/11.9°C)
May 75°/49°F (24.0°/9.6°C) 74°/59°F (23.3°/14.9°C)
Jun 82°/56°F (27.7°/13.6°C) 82°/65°F (27.5°/18.4°C)
Jul 86°/60°F (29.8°/15.4°C) 87°/70°F (30.7°/21.0°C)
Aug 86°/59°F (29.8°/14.9°C) 87°/71°F (30.7°/21.8°C)
Sep 76°/51°F (24.6°/10.5°C) 82°/68°F (28.0°/20.1°C)
Oct 64°/42°F (17.9°/5.4°C) 76°/63°F (24.2°/17.1°C)
Nov 50°/33°F (9.8°/0.6°C) 68°/57°F (20.1°/13.9°C)
Dec 39°/26°F (3.8°/-3.4°C) 62°/52°F (16.7°/11.0°C)

Data: National Meteorological Administration National Meteorological Administration, Meteorological Office Meteorological Office

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Romania 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.

Romania passport

Romania passport holder visiting Malta

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

Malta passport holder visiting Romania

Visa Free
Malta passport holders can enter Romania 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 Romania?

On average Malta is around 76% pricier than Romania, with notable variation by city.

How much money do I need to move to Malta?

Budget about €29,750 for 3 months in Malta (based on a RON360,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.

Can I work remotely from Malta?

Connectivity is usually fine (Malta: 44.5 fixed broadband per 100). What actually decides it is legal: does Malta offer a digital nomad visa, will your employer permit overseas work, and where are you tax-resident?

Is Malta safe for expats?

Malta performs significantly better than Romania across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Malta is 0.6 per 100,000 people, compared to 1.1 in Romania.

How is healthcare in Malta compared to Romania?

Malta generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Romania leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 45.1 doctors per 10,000 people in Malta, compared to 36.2 in Romania. Malta scores 85 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Romania: 78).

What's the weather like in Malta compared to Romania?

The average high temperature in Valletta is 72°F, compared to 63°F in Bucharest. Valletta receives around 21.8 in of rainfall per year, while Bucharest gets 23.4 in.

What language do they speak in Malta?

The official languages in Malta are English and Maltese. In Romania, the official language is Romanian.

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At a Glance

RO MT
Population 19,020,271 579,704
Currency Romanian Leu (RON) Euro (€)
Languages Romanian English, Maltese
Driving side Right Left
Calling code +40 +356
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 112 112