Moving to Malta from South Africa
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from South Africa to Malta — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from South Africa to Malta, you would find that Malta is 84.8% more expensive than South Africa overall. A ZAR1,218,000 salary in South Africa would need to be roughly €117,904 in Malta to maintain the same lifestyle.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
How your spending power changes when you relocate from South Africa to Malta.
What does your salary buy?
ZAR1,218,000 → €117,904
To maintain the same standard of living in Malta
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 2.1 times more
Groceries
pay 60.0% more
Transportation
pay 51.9% more
Housing
pay 83.5% more
Childcare
pay 2.6 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 82.4% 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.
Get free moving quotes to Malta
We've teamed up with a vetted network of international movers to help MyLifeElsewhere readers plan their move with confidence. Tell us about your move and get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes in under 2 minutes.
- ✅ Up to 5 quotes from screened movers
- ✅ Licensed and insured providers only
- ✅ 100% free — you choose who contacts you
Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from South Africa to Malta, and how the trend has changed.
Key Indicator Comparison
How South Africa 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 South Africa 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
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Malta generally does better on health & wellbeing, though South Africa 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
Malta performs significantly better than South Africa 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
Malta generally does better on infrastructure, though South Africa 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
Malta performs significantly better than South Africa across all employment & economy metrics.
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
South Africa generally does better on family life, though Malta leads in life expectancy.
Data: South African Revenue Service, 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 | Pretoria | Valletta |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 83°/64°F (28°/18°C) | 60°/49°F (16°/10°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 72°/48°F (22°/9°C) | 74°/59°F (23°/15°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 72°/47°F (22°/8°C) | 85°/70°F (30°/21°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 79°/60°F (26°/15°C) | 69°/57°F (20°/14°C) |
View all months
| Month | Pretoria | Valletta |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 84°/65°F (29.0°/18.1°C) | 59°/49°F (15.2°/9.2°C) |
| Feb | 84°/64°F (28.7°/18.0°C) | 60°/49°F (15.5°/9.3°C) |
| Mar | 81°/62°F (27.3°/16.6°C) | 62°/50°F (16.7°/10.1°C) |
| Apr | 77°/56°F (24.8°/13.1°C) | 66°/53°F (19.1°/11.9°C) |
| May | 72°/48°F (22.4°/8.7°C) | 74°/59°F (23.3°/14.9°C) |
| Jun | 67°/41°F (19.6°/5.2°C) | 82°/65°F (27.5°/18.4°C) |
| Jul | 68°/42°F (19.8°/5.3°C) | 87°/70°F (30.7°/21.0°C) |
| Aug | 72°/47°F (22.3°/8.2°C) | 87°/71°F (30.7°/21.8°C) |
| Sep | 76°/53°F (24.4°/11.8°C) | 82°/68°F (28.0°/20.1°C) |
| Oct | 77°/57°F (25.2°/14.0°C) | 76°/63°F (24.2°/17.1°C) |
| Nov | 79°/60°F (26.0°/15.4°C) | 68°/57°F (20.1°/13.9°C) |
| Dec | 82°/63°F (27.9°/17.0°C) | 62°/52°F (16.7°/11.0°C) |
South African Weather Service
Meteorological OfficeVisitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between South Africa 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.
South Africa passport holder visiting Malta
Visa Required
Malta passport holder visiting South Africa
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 South Africa?
Day-to-day costs in Malta run about 83% higher than South Africa 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 ZAR1,218,000 comparable salary, that's around €29,476 in Malta for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, deposits, 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 South Africa and Malta.
Is Malta safe for expats?
Malta performs significantly better than South Africa across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Malta is 0.6 per 100,000 people, compared to 45.5 in South Africa.
How is healthcare in Malta compared to South Africa?
Malta generally does better on health & wellbeing, though South Africa leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 42.8 doctors per 10,000 people in Malta, compared to 8.1 in South Africa. Malta scores 85 on the WHO universal health coverage index (South Africa: 71).
What's the weather like in Malta compared to South Africa?
The average high temperature in Valletta is 72°F, compared to 77°F in Pretoria. Valletta receives around 21.8 in of rainfall per year, while Pretoria gets 27.0 in.
What language do they speak in Malta?
The official languages in Malta are English and Maltese. In South Africa, the official languages are Afrikaans, English, Northern Sotho, Southern Ndebele, Southern Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa and Zulu.
Compare further: South Africa vs. Malta
At a Glance
ZA
|
MT
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Population | 57,516,665 | 464,186 |
| Currency | South African Rand (ZAR) | Euro (€) |
| Languages | Afrikaans, English, Northern Sotho, Southern Ndebele, Southern Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa, Zulu | English, Maltese |
| Driving side | Left | Left |
| Calling code | +27 | +356 |
| Time zones | 1 | 1 |
| Emergency number | 10111 | 112 |