There are many similarities between the island countries of Malta and Cyprus – at the first glance, anyway. But the two countries are also very different in many regards.
As someone who’s spent 3 years in Cyprus, and now close to 3 in Malta, I’m looking at the positives and negatives of both places from an expat’s perspective, and hopefully it’ll make the decision easier to those considering whether to move to Malta or to Cyprus.
The two countries are compared in 17 different categories (8 in Round 1), with a winner and a loser (or sometimes, a tie) determined in each.
Let the fight begin!
Climate
Malta and Cyprus are both in the Mediterranean, and therefore quite similar in terms of weather.
Cyprus is a notch closer to the equator, though, and also has more land mass, making it a bit warmer than Malta, but not a whole lot.
The one difference between the two countries is in the number of rainy days per year.
Annual rainfall in Malta is nearly double that of Cyprus, and Malta also tends to get a lot windier, especially during the winter.
Whether that’s a good or a bad thing is up to one’s personal preference, though. Even though rain and wind can be “nasty”, it also means more greenery and more local fruits and vegetables.
One major plus for Cyprus is in the regard of weather diversity. Being quite mountainous, one can head to the top of the Troodos mountain and even experience thick snow, whilst being able to swim and sunbathe down in Limassol.
Yes, Cyprus is one of few places in the world where you can ski and swim in the sea at the same time of the year! (… but don’t go expecting Alps-style skiing experience :-))
Winner: TIE!
Cost of Living
The daily cost of living tends to be somewhat cheaper in Malta, especially when it comes to “everyday convenience” items and dining out. In Malta, one can still find cafes that fix you a cappuccino for €1. In Cyprus – it’s not uncommon to pay up to €4 for a cup of Nescafe!
Alcohol, especially at bars, is also significantly cheaper in Malta. In Cyprus, it’s not uncommon to pay €8 – €10 for a cocktail at a nightclub – something that would cost you €2.50 – €5 in most establishments in Malta.
But in other areas, Cyprus is considerably cheaper than Malta. Buying a car can be significantly more expensive in Malta, due to the heavy taxation. Similarly, rental accommodation tends to be more expensive in Malta’s “prime areas” when compared to the sought after towns of Cyprus.
In the centre of Limassol (one of the primary seaside towns in Cyprus), one can find a 2 bedroom flat in a decent condition for around €500 a month. This is something that’s hard to beat in Sliema or St. Julian’s.
So, unless you’re partying every weekend or drinking 10 cups of coffee per day, your overall monthly expenses will likely be a bit lower in Cyprus.
Winner: CYPRUS (but not by a big margin)
Partying
Both countries have one “primary” party area – Paceville in Malta and Ayia Napa in Cyprus, respectively. These areas are quite similar to each other – in both the good and the bad.
But where Malta excels at is the proximity of the party area to most urban centres. Paceville is a 10-minute drive from Sliema and 30 minutes (without traffic) from nearly everywhere else on the island.
Ayia Napa, on the other hand, is 112km from Limassol, 61km from Larnaca and 178km from Paphos, requiring a long trip for most. The area itself has a permanent population of only 3,000 and little to no establishments other than hotels, bars, restaurants and nightclubs, so moving there is not an option, either.
There are, of course, several bars and clubs in all major towns of Cyprus, so one doesn’t need to go all the way to Ayia Napa just to have a few cocktails, but overall the party options (that don’t require extensive travelling) are more plentiful in Malta, compared to Cyprus.
Winner: MALTA
Beaches
To many, moving to a Mediterranean country means spending a lot of time on the beach.
In this regard, Malta and Cyprus differ a lot, with the beaches in Cyprus being generally larger (Cyprus itself is a lot larger than Malta!), and there are many more sandy beaches to be found.
In most of the popular towns in Cyprus*, there’s a long (several kilometres or more) stretch of sandy beach running from the town centre to the outskirts, and those beaches don’t usually get overly crowded. This is something that Malta, unfortunately, can’t compete with, as even though there are beaches nearly everywhere, the ones in key population centres are usually small, and mostly rocky.
Whilst there are nice sandy beaches in Malta as well, most of these are away from the main population centres, making them difficult to reach for expats who lack transportation options, and unviable for a quick dip.
* Nicosia (the capital) is a notable exception. Being inland, there is no sea anywhere near.
Winner: CYPRUS
Expat Community
Due to Malta and Cyprus both being iGaming and Finance hubs, as well as popular tourist destinations, both have a significant expat community.
Whilst exact and up to date figures are hard to come by, according to some reports there are close to 23,000 foreigners living in Malta, and around 150,000 in Cyprus (if you exclude the 31,000 Greek nationals), of which around 26,000 are from the UK and around 54,000 from other EU countries.
Even though the number of expats is much larger in Cyprus – both in terms of the total number, as well as the percentage of overall population, expats tend to be scattered around the island. And with distances between Limassol, Larnaca, Paphos and Nicosia being significant, one is mostly limited to communicating with people who are based in the same area.
In Malta, on the other hand, everywhere is close, and it’s therefore easy to meet up with nearly any one of the 23,000 without having to travel much. Don’t quote me on this, but from personal experience, probably around 85-90% of young professionals tend to live in the Sliema area.
Winner: MALTA
Cars & Driving
Traffic is often fairly chaotic both in Malta and in Cyprus – both are, after all, Southern European nations with a similar overall temperament and mentality. Being former British colonies, both countries also drive on the left.
That said, Cyprus does have a significantly more advanced road infrastructure, with most roads generally in good condition, and most major towns linked with motorways.
Needless to say, due to Malta’s small size, motorways aren’t really needed here, but the overall poor road condition is something that can be felt every day.
Traffic also tends to get worse during rush hours in Malta, than it does in Cyprus, which probably has to do with both the overall road conditions, and the fact of Malta scoring among the highest in the EU in the number of vehicles per capita.
Winner: CYPRUS
Nature
It would be easy to assume that, both Malta and Cyprus being Mediterranean countries, the overall “looks” of them would be quite similar. But apart from having an abundance of palm trees, one couldn’t be more wrong.
Due to the significantly less rainfall that Cyprus gets, there’s much less greenery there (unless you go up to the mountains, that is). Most of the Cyprus countryside resembles a desert, and with a few exceptions, the predominant colour is brown.
Malta, on the other hand, gets a lot more water, which allows for a far greener “overall feel”, at least during the winter and spring months. But on the flipside, due to the small size of Malta and the extreme overdevelopment, secluded areas where one can actually enjoy nature are few and far between.
As with many things, it comes down to what one prefers, and there’s therefore no clear winner.
Winner: TIE!
Language
Despite both Malta and Cyprus being former British colonies and English being widely spoken in both countries, in Malta English also enjoys the status of an official language, alongside Maltese. In Cyprus, the official languages are Greek and Turkish – the latter rarely used since the division of the country.
For tourists, this makes very little difference, as the overall English proficiency in Cyprus is exceptionally good, and probably at the same level with Malta, but as an expat living in the country, it can often make a world of difference.
The fact that English is an official language in Malta means that nearly all official communication – be it with the government, banks, or any other institution – can always be done in English. And more importantly – the majority of instructions and forms are provided either in English or both English and Maltese.
In Cyprus, it’s common to find forms that are purely in Greek, requiring someone to help translate, and sometimes leading to signing documents that one has no idea what they’re even saying.
In this sense, unless you speak Greek, Malta makes for a much easier life.
Language is also a big topic for foreigners looking for jobs, but we’ll talk about that separately in Part 2.
Winner: MALTA
To Be Continued …
This is it for today, but check back soon for a Part 2 of the Malta vs Cyprus match, where I’ll cover topics like bureaucracy, jobs for expats, public transportation, salaries, tolerance and many others!
UPDATE: Round 2 has now been published! Check it out here!
Sign up to our mailing list on the right-hand side and you’ll get a quick note the moment Part 2 is released!
Let us know in the comments below whether your experience has been similar to mine, or if you have anything to add!
Whilst exact figures are hard to come by, according to some reports there are close to 23,000 foreigners living in Malta, and around 25,000 in Cyprus (if you exclude the 145,000 Greek nationals).
Only Russians in Cyprus is living over 40 000 (16 000 in Limassol
Thanks for pointing this out, Robert!
It was in fact taken from a source that itself had messed the numbers up, and the numbers have since been adjusted to reflect the Cyprus 2011 census.
The low number did seem very odd to me, but others pointing out the same made me do a little bit more digging.
Thanks again!
yes but don’t forget there are 270.000 greek cypriots currently living in the UK… over 60.000 in Greece… 50.000 in USA…. 35.000 in Canada.. 25.000 in south africa And 10.000 in Australia… and in some more countries
Yes, the greek cypriots can return back anytime they want; but they are not. There are 600,000 Albanian migrants in Greece. These Albanians are taking over Greece from inside. Let us not forget the revival of the Arvanites who claim that they are Albanians. What remains of true Greek blood is the cypriots.
I live in Cyprus and have visited Malta for Holidays last month. Malta has some strong points but I don’t really think it can be compared to Cyprus overall. Cyprus has some stunning sandy beaches whereas Malta has mostly rock beaches at which you can barely walk or swim. Malta has really nice food and some nice historic architecture. There are some really clean and unique places but there are many others, especially in St.Julians area that are VERY dirty. I wouldn’t say that Malta is cheaper. Especially Taxis which are kinda like a gang, they charge 20 euros for a 10 minute drive. It cost me 40euros to go from St.Julians to Valetta and back (total 15 minutes drive). Something noticeable is that in Malta there are many beautiful harbors! There are also some huge churches. Oh also you can find only very few parking places in the city.
I liked Malta, i’m probably gonna be visiting again, but I think Cyprus is way more developed as a country.
probably the most unconvincing article ever written as a comparison to the two islands..It would be better if the writer did some more homework before posting.
Thanks! We always welcome constructive criticism!
Any comparison will undoubtedly reflect to some extent the subjective point of view of its author. Nevertheless, as a Cypriot, I have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed reading this. Both lovely countries with their ups and downs! An interesting read so thanks!
Well, we all know Cyprus is the island of love but in Malta if you dive on a rock you can bet … so I ll go with Cyprus
The article is too superficial. Malta in terms of business culture, environment is more european, Cy is some kind of mixture of russian robust and cypriot apathy with middle east culture (grey business with schemes). State institutions are more developed in Malta, in one week I handled all documentation – in Cy it is a nightmare, takes months to get work permit, or handle other issues. Internet connection in Limassol takes from few weeks to month. Banking system is more easy than in Malta, but Maltese banks are more developed. Job opportunities – definitely Malta, Cy is far behind the Malta. Malta has history, architecture – for me like a little Italy – Cy only blocks and few monasteries. In Cy its very boring to see only Cypriots and Russians (and british but minority), whereas here in Malta a lot of nationalities and tourists. Women – Malta – you can meet hot girls from dozens of countries. Definitely Cy has more beaches, majority are rocky but you can find sand ones as well. Living cost – Cy is ahead: fruits, food, rental costs; water and electricity is the same level. Cy also has high tax ratio for cars, old rubbish over there costs a lot, very huge annual tax for cars with high engine capacity. From my point of view Cy has better nature than Malta – Trodos, Cedar valley, Akamas etc. Party areas Paceville vs Aya Napa = same zoo, no difference. Cuisine: in Cy only pork chops, kebabs, grilled food in general, there are some good restaurants and better choice of seafood – overall Malta definitely is better. Be prepared that in Cy you are a monkey with wallet, every white person is considered as rich russian who is going to spend loads of euros just for every crap cyprots offer. Cy is very spoiled in last 20 years, thanks to russian grey money flows; financial sector and other basic services are in low level. In 2010-2012 in cy crisis hit the banks very hard, while Malta stood its ground. Even now Cy is feeling consequences of irresponsible management of country’s finances and supervision of banking/FI sector.
P.s. only subjective opinion, no offence to anyone.
I am a Cypriot and couldn’t agree more with the above.
Janar K – thanks, it’s a good comparison. What about parts 2 and 3?
Thanks Bart! The next one will be published shortly – most likely in about a week or two, so watch this space 🙂
Nice article indeed. But also as an expat having lived in both mentioned countries I cannot avoid but comment:
In the Nature section Malta is by far less than Cyprus as you have also pointed out – in Cyprus you can ski and go to the beach at the same time-its a matter of size, Cyprus is indeed more desert looking but yet have things that small Malta doesn’t in terms of Nature. They have mountains-rivers-lakes something you can’t find in Malta. Also in the same section I will put Pollution. I find Malta much more polluted in all terms compared to Cyprus. Even the statistics of air quality in EU levels you can see that Malta is very polluted – not to mention noise pollution…
And a final comment that I think is a bit sensitive, I personally find Maltese much more racists towards foreigners living in Malta -if you are a tourist its a bit better-
I also agree on your comment “personally, I believe there’s no winner or loser to be declared” after all is a personal decision and no place is Paradise.
Some people consider 1.5euro per beer more important than Nature. Its all a matter of taste 🙂
No offence to anyone, personal opinion.
Nice article and keep up the good job.
Cyprus has a lot more sandy beaches than Malta for sure. The thing is Malta has a lot of inland sea ( little Venice). Nice coves and best for diving. Malta has always something going on , like festivals, specialy the local church saints. carnival, fireworks etc etc. Malta has a lot of cultrue , at Medina alone surpass any thing what you can see at Cyprus. While renting is cheaper at Cyprus, one has to pay ….drainage tax, council Tax, property tax and on bank interests Defence tax. Another thing at cyprus you need a car for sure as the buses do not cover the whole of the island. Cyprus in summer it is really more hotter than Malta as at Malta a lot of days you get the sea breeze.Malta is more noisier than Cyprus that is for sure , but as i said before at Malta there is always something happening.Another important thing is that Malta has always been safer than Cyprus, as all know Cyprus has always been divided between the Christians and the Muslims…. the Cypriot Greeks and the Cypriot Turkish. There are no Cypriots as such at Cyprus.
Nature: TIE
I had to start to laugh. I was living fpr 4 years in Malta and now I am living in Cyprus. In Cyprus you have Mountains and Forrests. Which Nature is in Malta? The whole Island is unfortunately full with buildings and it got much worse in recent years.
As someone leaving in Cyprus for that oast 2 yeara I have to correct you on the cost of life. In the last years rents in Cyprus and Limassol especially are higher, while 500€ is a common price for a 1 bedroom in less popular than Limassol cities, and in Limassol that would be for at least 600€
Cyprus has a quite large russian ethnic minority which some ppl I know considers as a disadvantage. The fact that English is an official language in Malta is also a big advantage specially for expats and foreigners.