Where is the best place to live in Malta?

How long is a piece of string?

I have found both Malta and the various towns are like Marmite, people love them or hate them

As you have so much time I would just visit and see what you like, if you can connect with peopel in various towns when you are here that might help you see the non tourist side ;-)

On that note if you come up to Mellieha I'd be happy to meet you for coffee

Many thanks for your prompt reply! 

And I will definitely take you up on your offer of a coffee!  Mellieha is somewhere I was very interested in! 

I totally understand what you are saying and that it is going to be a case of personal taste but I suppose I'm just trying to get an idea of places that people live in and recommend!  And also if there are any areas to avoid!

Hi sarso7,

I also live in Mellieha as socialwhirl, and to be honest, I would recommend this village to anyone who would like to move to Malta.

Mellieha is in the north of Malta has a lot to offer. From what I heard, it has one of the best sandy beaches in Malta, too. The only issue is if you have to travel regularly to the center of Malta, to places like Valletta, Sliema or Saint Julian's. You can get a straight bus from here to any of those places, but will take some time for you to get there.

Unfortunately, as my wife got a job in Attard, I will be moving to another place near to her job, coz she starts really early in the morning and she has to wake up much earlier as she needs to take 2 buses to get there. If it wasn't for that, I wouldn't defo move from Mellieha, as I really like this area.

As socialwhirl said, come over and take your time to try to find somewhere where it would be easier for you to commute from your home place to your work.

Best of luck
Antonio

Hi

I have to totally agree that it depends on ones tastes and what you are looking for. On the job you will be getting and the whereabouts you need to travel to and from every single day.

Think the best way to do is to come here and get an idea of where you will be working and see the times you will be starting and finishing and work around that and see what sort of transport you can opt.

I have to say I love Mellieha.  Used to live there for two years .  Likewise in Xemxija, St. Paul's Bay and outskirts of Bugibba.  They are all next to each other in the northern part of the island.  There are lots of tourists and maltese people are amazing.  The fact that you can go out of your apartment and reach the sea in a few minutes walking is a bliss However I am now living, for a few years now, in B'Kara which is in the center part of the island, and I still deeply miss the surroundings I was used to before.

I would never think of moving towards the south i.e. Birzebbugia, M'scala...but saying so I have never lived there so I cannot give you a true opinion of those places.  However there are lots of expats who live in these areas and I have lots of friends too who would never even think of leaving M'Scala or B'Bugia to go and live in Mellieha or St. Paul's Bay.

So guess this is totally one's decision, not only depending on what you are looking for in a village, but also what made you fall in love with such a place

Wish you all the luck and if you need anything PM me.  Will be happy to take you round Xemxija, St. Paul's Bay and Bugibba and Qawra

Thanks for your reply Mari and your info - its greatly received!  I've never really considered Bugibba, Xemxija or St Pauls so will send you a message when I am over in the summer and it would be great if you have a spare half an hour or so to show me around! 

I am open to suggestions and don't mind a long commute in the morning as some days here in Madrid my commute can be well over an hour!

There were a few places I was hoping people could give me an idea about

1.  Valletta - is it an option to live here?  I've stayed here before and it appears to me it becomes a ghost town after 7pm!

2.  Marsaxlokk - Again I've stayed in a small guesthouse here - anyone any experience of living here?

3.  Gozo - I absolutely love Gozo!  But is it realistic to live here and commute to Malta daily?  I'm thinking probably not but anyone know of anyone who does this??  Anyone any thoughts on this?

Many thanks

Hi Sarso,

Yes sure, just send me a message when you are here and we meet and take you around no problem at all.

Regarding the places you mentioned:

1.  Valletta - there are people who live there and love it.  I don't think that you find anything for rent however saying that you need to go to the real estate agency there - CityPro and check with them. Well I tend to agree with you that it is a ghost town after a certain time however all Malta is during Winter.  It's different in Summer though and since Valletta is the capital city there are lots of things going on late in the evening.

2. Marsaxlokk - never stayed there however don't recall anything happening there in the evening, but might be wrong.  If you would like to stay at the Northern part of the island I would give M'Scala or B'Bugia a shot

3.  Gozo - it is a very nice island with nice quiet villages however to commute to Malta everyday is a bit of a hassle.  It can be done, nothing is impossible, but it will be tiring. Most of the Gozitans who work and/or study in Malta rent an apartment and use it during the week as simpler for than rather than doing all the travelling.  They go back to Gozo in the weekend.

I'm thinking of buying a static on the site near mellieha any info or advice would be welcome x I love buggiba and was going to move there but trying to live as cheap as possible so we thought of this but how easy is it to get over that way regarding buses etc thanks

if its Armier (and it sure does sound like it) its not much a of a regular service to and from it - Armier is mainly an illegal site -  a very controversial one at that - many units have power and water but its all illegally installed. And as others have said its not somewhere i would want to spend winter for sure. even if its was possible.

I have just returned from Malta ..I was in an area called Qaura ...so pretty ..Bugabba is nice also x good luck in malta .

Hey Toon

Would you recommend Mellieha as a good place to live??

Been warned off by a few people their site is very misleading think we'll stick to an apartment thanks for your help.

sarso

I would recommend Mellieha certainly (been trying to stay neutral so you can have a look around!)

Dianneg48

You can rent apartments quite cheaply in Mellieha and Bugibba, certainly if you look from here and use word of mouth as well as agents.

And depending where in Malta you live, I know people renting a 3 bed house for €350 pcm (yes in  a quiet place in the  south, but gives you an idea of what is possible)

Yeah I made a friend in buggiba and she's got a 3 bed there for 350 we are gonna hire a car when we come back and have a look round I spent most of my time in buggiba last time and liked it plus I have a friend there already but we are very open but I think deffo the buggiba area and that could include where you are it depends on the job situation and we don't want anywhere too quiet we both want to just work part time and up for anything really

sarso7 wrote:

Hey Toon

Would you recommend Mellieha as a good place to live??

of course i would thats why i live here..LOL it has everything we need for our lifestyle. we are all different in needs etc but for us its perfect, only 10-20 minutes from all the norths beaches - has a good range of bars cafes restaurants and shops - it has had a lot of money spent on it thanks to the efforts of a good mayor and council and we have seen many changes for the better in the last 5 years..and hopefully will have more to come too.. 

but to be honest it depends on your personal circumstances - if you need to work, where your work is, if you need to use public transport or have your own car - travelling to/from work etc can take time - its only a small island but the roads and traffic can be heavy at peak times.

Dianneg48 wrote:

Yeah I made a friend in buggiba and she's got a 3 bed there for 350 we are gonna hire a car when we come back and have a look round I spent most of my time in buggiba last time and liked it plus I have a friend there already but we are very open but I think deffo the buggiba area and that could include where you are it depends on the job situation and we don't want anywhere too quiet we both want to just work part time and up for anything really

I understand that Buggiba was developed specifically as a tourist area, for the tourist. Plenty of low paid casual service employment but the 'real' Malta it is not. (IMHO)

redmik wrote:

Dianneg48 wrote:

Yeah I made a friend in buggiba and she's got a 3 bed there for 350 we are gonna hire a car when we come back and have a look round I spent most of my time in buggiba last time and liked it plus I have a friend there already but we are very open but I think deffo the buggiba area and that could include where you are it depends on the job situation and we don't want anywhere too quiet we both want to just work part time and up for anything really

I understand that Buggiba was developed specifically as a tourist area, for the tourist. Plenty of low paid casual service employment but the 'real' Malta it is not. (IMHO)

totally agree Red - however we are all different and have different needs and requirements - and we make our choices on that basis.   

on a personal note - we lived in Bugibba/St Pauls Bay for 6 months and realised IMHO it was brash noisy dirty and too many tourists so just wasnt a place where we wanted to live.. Mellieha is somewhere in between noisy and quiet- not perfect but where in the world is.... but its close enough for us...LOL however i still like Mgarr, Attard and Naxxar too. Not realy sampled the South for anything other than a run down now and again - thats probably nearer the real Malta.... tried Gozo and as nice as it is - just too quiet for us. HORSES FOR COURSES AND ALL THAT

I guess there is only one answer to the question - there is no such thing as the best place to live in Malta or Gozo. The old adage would seem to be true - One mans heaven is another mans hell.

Couldn't agree more with Toon, there is no perfect place. I am also living in Mellieha, which I really like, but due to professional reasons, will have to move to either Birkikara, Attard or Bazan in the end of the month. I am still trying to figure it out which of this areas would be better.

needs and wants mate - just have to and way up pros and cons of each place and then that will make your mind up  - maybe have to make a a few concessions here and there - compromises.

San Gwann is a great place to live in my opinion, especially over-looking the valley. It is close to Sliema and St Julians, but not too close and great 'town' for everyday needs. Rent is quite reasonable too.

I'm having trouble deciding where to go in Malta. I've been reading the blogs, and there seems to be quite a range of possibilities.
I'm self-employed and will be working out of my home, so I don't particularly need excellent transport possibilities. Groceries nearby would be good, a fitness club nearby would be great, but I'm looking for a nice area to live.
Various blogs have suggested St Julian or Sliema, but what about living directly in Valletta ?  One of my big concerns is that I definitely need a good Internet connection… air conditioning and a parking garage would be nice, as well, but those are secondary (well, I suppose that the air conditioning would be a bit more important!).
Is there any downside to living directly in Valletta?
As my timeframe is rather short, I'm probably going to have to go with an estate agent… i can live with that.
I have seen some pretty reasonable prices in St. Julian...
Any suggestions would be much appreciated.

Suggestion: read the information already on here first.
Why are you coming to Malta?
I ask because you seem to be on your way without knowing anything about the place.
Be prepared for a culture shock but no issues regarding internet, which is good.

To be fair we spent 6 yrs in Malta (2008-2014) and largely had a great time, met some fab people and made a few good close friends, maltese and other nationals too.. but we came to Malta only having been there once the previous year (2007) for two weeks holiday and absolutely hated the place... worst holiday we have ever had...but gave it another chance and realised within 6months you have to find the right place for your needs... and that can be hard to do......it takes time to experience life there and find what it is you really want from the Malta experience......as its not always apparent

Toon wrote:

you have to find the right place for your needs... and that can be hard to do......it takes time to experience life there and find what it is you really want from the Malta experience......as its not always apparent

Very wise words. 
All I can add is.............be prepared.

Hi, and thanks for your reply.
As I mentioned, I've been reading the blogs, but had asked rather specifically about any downsides of living directly in Valletta, though I had heard some good things about St. Julian, where I'm told there's a good night-life (not a big attraction for me).
Your assumption that I know nothing about the place or have never been there before are both incorrect, though my experiences have been limited to tourism, which was why I was looking for the viewpoints of residents.
I'm not TOO worried about culture shock, having previously lived (for varying periods) in Moscow, Istanbul, Paris, Tokyo, Toronto and Luxemburg, and since I can speak 6 different languages.
I'm planning to rent initially, so as to give myself time to become properly familiar with the place before deciding if/where to stay permanently.
I need to be in Europe for work purposes, but nowhere central.  Also, I've heard for years about the good scuba diving options in Malta, and that's a big plus for me.

Thank you. Now we have more information our assumptions can be modified.
What else can one do in the absence of such important information?
It's important really because how can anyone expect recommendations when one knows nothing about the person asking for them?
Malta or more significantly in this regard, Gozo, is Europe's No1 diving venue with many opportunities.
Valletta is fine to visit but personally I would not live there.
I would suggest that you rent somewhere central as it doesn't seem to matter where you are, have a look around and decide for yourself.
6 languages, I'm really impressed but after living in 6 cities, I still say you are in for a culture shock.

Valletta isn't really a place to 'live' I lived there for 13 months and although improvements are being made to the nightlife it is still a strange place as a capital. It's bustling in the day and dead at night and I mean a creepy, tumble weed rolling down the street kinda dead. This was about 4 years ago and as I said, they are improving it. It is the only time I felt unsafe in the 11 years I have lived in Malta.
Youngsters are starting to hang out there in the evenings, in the holidays (12-15 years olds.) There are no supermarkets, just local corner shops. I would be very surprised if there was a gym. Also, what might look nice in the day, may well be the 'bronx' at night. There is a lot of poverty there. I personally wouldn't suggest it.
Red suggested central and I would agree. Mosta, Balzan, Attard, Birkikara are all very nice, very well equipped, central places to live.

Thanks very much, Birkirkara sounds like it could work pretty well, and it certainly doesn't seem to be far from Valletta (airport and all that).
The apartment prices look pretty reasonable, too... that might be a good place to start for a few months and then figure out where to go as I become more familiar with the area.
I see that lots of apartments DON'T offer (or mention, anyway) air conditioning.  Could that prove to be an issue ?

Aircon comes down to personal preferences. They can be expensive to run and the Maltese are very economical with their electric and have only recently become popular in the higher end of the market. It has been discussed here in the past https://www.expat.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=386488 I have never bothered...I have more concern over heating in winter, then staying cool in summer!

heating in winter is far more important for sure - there are beaches and pools to cool down.

dont expect to find the properties in the websites to be available  - they generally arent