Living in Malta

Malta is one of the rare corners of Europe where English does all the work, so you can build a career here without ever picking up another language. The pay sits on the higher side and tax leaves most of it in your hands, though life on a small Mediterranean island is genuinely expensive. What remains once the bills are covered is still solid, enough to live comfortably rather than just keep pace. Hiring leans toward finance, IT, and the tourism that keeps the island busy, and breaking in takes some effort without being closed off.

Malta's foreign-born population has grown faster than almost anywhere — up 279% over the past decade, to 190.4K, now a third of everyone on the islands. The United Kingdom is the leading origin (54.7K), ahead of Australia and Canada.