Malta
A solid all-round choice. Ranked 19 of 40, strongest on expat community, softest on retiree visa.
Key facts
Visa & residency
No fixed monthly income figure, but the programme carries a minimum annual tax of 7,500 euro per beneficiary plus 500 euro per dependant, plus a qualifying property (purchase from 275,000 euro in Malta / 220,000 euro in Gozo or South Malta, or rent from 9,600 euro/year in Malta / 8,750 euro/year in Gozo or South Malta), which effectively places the practical income need in the high band.
The Malta Retirement Programme is a Maltese national special tax status for pensioners (open to EU and non-EU nationals), not EU freedom of movement. A pension must form at least 75 percent of chargeable income and be remitted to Malta, a qualifying property must be held (purchase or rent minimums), and Malta- and EU-compliant health insurance is mandatory.
Healthcare
Malta has a publicly funded system that is free at the point of delivery, modelled on the British system with GP-led primary care and public hospitals (notably Mater Dei, one of Europe's largest medical buildings) for secondary and tertiary care. In 2000 the WHO ranked Malta's health system 5th in the world; more recent assessments place it lower but still solid.
The Ministry of Health recommends that foreign residents obtain private medical insurance, and Malta- and EU-compliant health cover is a mandatory condition of the Malta Retirement Programme.
Cost of living
Numbeo shows US cost of living including rent about 26.5 percent higher than Malta; a single retiree can generally budget in the range of roughly 1,300 to 1,800 US dollars per month.
Numbeo reports US rent prices about 36.1 percent higher than in Malta, so housing is noticeably cheaper than in the US, though rents in prime Sliema/St Julian's areas are higher than the island average.
Safety & climate
Malta carries a Numbeo Safety Index of about 57 (2026), indicating a generally safe environment with low violent crime; petty theft in tourist zones is the main concern.
Malta has a Mediterranean climate with mild, rainy winters and hot, dry summers, giving long sunny seasons that appeal to retirees, though heat waves are intensifying.
Community & language
English is an official language of Malta, so retirees can manage everyday life, healthcare and administration in English, and there is an established international and retiree community drawn by dedicated residence and retirement programmes.
Two official languages: Maltese (the national language) and English, so day-to-day life and administration are widely accessible in English.
Taxes
MRP beneficiaries pay a flat 15 percent rate on foreign pension income remitted to Malta, subject to a minimum annual tax of 7,500 euro per beneficiary plus 500 euro per dependant; income arising in Malta is taxed at standard rates.
Under the Malta Retirement Programme, foreign pension income remitted to Malta is taxed at a flat 15 percent, and Malta's network of double taxation treaties (including with the US and UK) can allow relief against double taxation on that income.
Compare Malta with its closest rivals
The three countries whose RetireScore sits nearest.
