Whether you’re located in the Yorkshire dales, the midlands, the busy suburbs around London, the high rises of La Defense outside Paris or in central Switzerland, winter in Malta presents a fantastic opportunity to relax, have a meaningful winter getaway without breaking the bank. Winter starts around November practically when we stop wearing t-shirts and shorts and replace it with a cardigan till about March when we bring the t-shirts out again. That’s our yard stick. Chances are that if you place a bet on sunny winter days, you stand a chance of pocketing a tenner if you place it on Malta! €770 should get you here from any major city including an apartment in a top location for a week for 2 persons, that’s €375 per head or about €1350 for a month for 2 persons including flights.

Few countries enjoy the entire package Malta offers in just 2 hours flight from all major European cities. The most compelling reason to visit in the low season remains the favourable temperatures. Below you can see the high and low temperatures on the Maltese islands through out the year as well as the number of rainy days in winter (barely visible😊)
A short overflight on the island will quickly reveal that rain and fresh water are not our resources. Surprisingly however, the island still enjoys a brushstroke of verde in winter, just enough to remind you that winter has set foot on these Mediterranean shores. The picture below was taken in May when the temperatures start rising and turn the green shrubs to dry straw-like colours remnant of French impressionist paintings. The island remains rather humid and along the coast can get pretty windy – strong enough to give wind and kite surfers a run for their money.

Winter Gateway

Winter getaways in Malta remain one of the top reasons to visit the 360km2 island south of Sicily. With all major airlines and low-cost carriers stretching their wings here, Malta is probably one of the best-connected islands in Europe by air traffic. A quick search on www.skyscanner.com or www.edreams.com will reveal tens of opportuni es to get here at some of the best prices - from as li le as €35. Five day stays in winter remain very popular normally preceding a bank holiday weekend for UK travellers as well as quick getaways during the long and icy Scandinavian winters. Coincidentally, the large number of Scandinavian online companies present in Malta meant that the Viking community here is thriving, a curious sight in a Mediterranean island 300km off the North Africa coast.

Relocation

Relocation to Malta appeals to young and old alike. The fantastic climate as well as good standard of living and a bilingual population remains a strong pull factor for many nationalities. Numerous are the British expats on the island as well as retired British service men. In recent years Malta has become home to many other nationalities particularly Scandinavian retirees, German semi-retired executives and retired Italians who feel their pensions go a mile further living in Malta. Noticeable is the numerous Italian speaking people on the island as well as a growing Italian community serving numerous industry sectors.  Numerous South Africans have in the last years moved here lured by the possibility to live in safer environments and acquiring Citizenship by investment which enables them to have the same rights as other EU citizens. Citizenship by investment remains a controversial subject on the island namely because many still believe that citizenship and passports should not be acquired as a transaction and generally speaking even though it puts a noteworthy amount of FDI in the coffers of the Maltese government, it does not create an industry which the average worker can avail himself of. Nonetheless TimesofMalta reported that it has generated over €400million or so which enabled the island to balance its sheets.

Jobs in Malta

As more people migrate to Europe and online jobs, the possibility to live in Malta and work for international companies like Hotjar have also improved bringing some of the best talent right here. That means that your move on the island also provides enough steam to propel your career to new heights. Not bad for 360m2 of rock in the middle of the Med isn’t it?  Thousands of young professionals move to the islands every year to find new work opportunities in international tech firms mainly in the i-gaming sector and newly emerging fintech for which the island has become a hub. These range from some of the top names like William Hill, Betfair Paddy power, Tipico, Videoslots, GIG, Pay360 and Betsson all offering fantastic career opportunities matching European salaries. A salary review report for these companies can be viewed here www.salarysurvey.bettingjobs.com

Attending interviews in Malta

You may stay at any of our apartments in Sliema if you are attending an interview here. We have a minimum 3-night stay policy which normally is great to attend a few interviews on the island or even stay a few weeks until you settle in here. Normally with a decent budget you can move into a permanent apartment on the island within 2-weeks. If you have a relocation allowance, that means you can practically pay off your monthly rent to come with your relocation allowance rather than spending most of it in hotels until you move into a permanent place. Numerous guests over the last years found it convenient to spend one month at our Sliema apartments in November looking for jobs and permanent accommodation. Some have split this venture with other friends of theirs looking to make the same move. You may also find it amusing that tax rates here are very competitive and friendly towards higher income earners. You may easily find how much you owe the tax man if you moved to Malta by visiting www.maltasalary.com

Cost of Living

Cost of living in general remains very competitive although it has increased exponentially over the last years. Your biggest expense will be rent which compares to other big cities in central Europe. Expect to pay around €800- 1000 for a 1 or 2 bedroom studio apartment of 75m2 and €1000- €1800 for a 2-3 bedroom apartment in a good central area on a yearly contract. Most apartments in Malta are ready furnished and some may have internet as well included. Utility bills are excluded from the monthly rental price but consider anywhere between €80-€150 to keep a place cool or warm.  Central heating is non existent so normally houses are warmed up or cooled down using the same Air condition units. The average apartment in areas like Sliema is about 75-90m2. Further out you may find apartments that are 130m2 renting at approximately €1100-1350 and some unique penthouses that measure over 200m2. These are few and far between and cost anywhere between €2800-€5000 a month to rent, may include sea views, jacuzzi or infinity pool depending on location.

Sliema

Stay at Sliema Penthouse with 3 Terraces, 2 minute walk from promenade

In an island the size of a small city overseas, location may not initially sound so crucial however make no mistake, Malta changes significantly from one town to another. The areas around the coast and shoreline are significantly built up with the harbour area being the most heavily built up area. For many years in the past, it was the workforce that propelled the dockyards that inhabited the area. Seaside Towns like Sliema are among the most wanted locations offering a cocktail of lifestyle, entertainment, work opportunities and networking in a very family friendly environment. Numerous services, facilities, hotels, restaurants and Spas are located here. Yet you can do everything you want within a ten-minute walk. They’re also relatively scooter and bike friendly.Electric scooters have picked up in popularity in the last few years as well as pay as you go bike rental. For about €750 you can buy an electric scooter which enables you to cross town to town within 10mins. This coupled with an excellent bus network and cab services ensure that within 10km of this area, you do not need to take a car rental and can take a cab for about €8-15 if you need one. Below you may see a commuter using one of the electric scooters that have become popular commuters.

Mellieha Village and Mellieha Bay

Stay at Mellieha Bay Apartment

Mellieha up north west, lies about 20km from central towns like Naxxar.  Mellieha enjoys open spaces, rural landscapes with beautiful rolling hills in the background as well as cliffs jutting out into the sea in the distance. Hill top towns and fortifications initially remind you of some Italian villages, yet the flat roof tops are a sobering reminder you’re in a different geographic location altogether.

Mellieha Bay apartment

The yellowish palette of Maltese limestone colours a large portion of the Maltese islands and reflects the warmth of the sunshine that shines upon us all year round. Mellieha enjoys a distinct villa area known as Santa Maria Estate with terraced villas leading to the shoreline. Further into the village, apartments pepper the area as we drive towards some of the highest vantage points in Malta before we descend the hill towards Mellieha Bay apartment just 200yards from the sandy beach and rocky shoreline adjacent to it.