A fortified baroque capital where English is an official language and the whole island is within half an hour. Beautiful, dense and increasingly discovered.
What it costs to live in Valletta
Rent here sits close to the national baseline for Malta, at roughly EUR 900 a month for a one-bed. Across the 60 EU cities we profile, that lands Valletta in the middle of the range.
Set against a typical net salary in Malta of about EUR 1,400, that single rent would swallow roughly 64% of it, which is why flat-sharing and longer commutes are the norm here rather than the exception.
What the economy runs on
iGaming, finance, tourism.
Valletta suits remote and freelance workers, since the country is set up for them, but the rent means you want income that is already established rather than a first freelance year.
How far English gets you
English is effectively a working language in Valletta: work, healthcare, banking and a social life are all available in English alone. English is an official language here, which removes the paperwork problem newcomers hit almost everywhere else in the EU.
Valletta rates 95/100 for English, broadly in line with Malta as a whole at 95/100. There is a fuller breakdown on the English in Malta page.
What day-to-day life leans on
The sea is part of ordinary life rather than a holiday here: Malta scores 98/100 for coastal access in our model, which shows up in weekends, food and how people spend summer.
Public transport is the weak point, at 45/100 for Malta, so budget for a car unless you plan to live centrally in Valletta.
Worth weighing
Construction everywhere and summer crowds.
Valletta is the cheapest of the cities we cover in Malta. For comparison: Sliema & St Julian's (about EUR 1,040 a month).
City picked, country still open? See the full Malta overview including cost of living, safety, healthcare and the path to residence, or compare Malta with other EU countries.