Living in St. Julian's, Malta: about $2,600 a month for one
Rent, safety, the bus question, and who Malta's Paceville-and-Spinola-Bay town suits, written for Americans weighing a move.
- 15,208
- Population (2024)
- $2,600/mo
- Monthly budget · single
- 67°F / 19°C
- Avg temperature
Budget around $2,600 a month in U.S. dollars if you're living alone in St. Julian's, and expect most single people to land somewhere between $2,100 and $3,100. Rent is the big line: a one-bedroom in the center runs about $1,350 a month, or about $1,100 a little farther out. Those are 2026 figures.
St. Julian's is a town of about 15,200 people (2024) wrapped around Spinola Bay, with restaurants on the water, Paceville's bars and clubs on the hill, and a growing cluster of high-rise apartments behind the seafront. It suits younger remote workers and anyone who wants dinner, the sea and a bus stop all a short walk from home.
It's a poor match if you need quiet nights. Weekends in Paceville run late and loud, and the main roads through town stay jammed for much of the day.
Reviewed and updated October 9, 2026 · 4 min read
At a glance
$2,600
Monthly budget · single person
$1,350/mo 1-bed rent, center
66/100
Safety index
$35
Internet / month
67°Fannual average
Feb 55° · Aug 81°
Climate
15,208
Population (2024)
Expatsi estimates, updated Oct 2026, based on rental listings, government statistics, and local reporting.
Cost of living
What it costs to live in St. Julian's
Single person
$2,100–$3,100/mo
about 15% below Austin, TX
Couple
$3,000–$4,400/mo
about 20% below Austin, TX
Family of four
$4,600–$6,600/mo
about 30% below Austin, TX
Compared with Austin, TX (Expatsi estimate, 2026).
- $16 −20%
- Inexpensive meal
- $1,100–$1,600/mo −31%
- 1-bed rent, center
- $900–$1,300/mo −19%
- 1-bed rent, outside
- $35/mo −46%
- Internet
- $0/mo −100%
- Transit pass
- $604/sq ft −7%
- Buy price, center
Expatsi estimates, updated Oct 2026, based on rental listings, government statistics, and local reporting.
Daily life
How St. Julian's lives
- B+ grade, 60th percentile among the cities we track
- Dining & cafésstrong
- B- grade, 29th percentile among the cities we track
- Arts & culturetypical
- A grade, 88th percentile among the cities we track
- Parks & outdoorsstandout
- B- grade, 40th percentile among the cities we track
- Schools & educationtypical
- B- grade, 39th percentile among the cities we track
- Healthcare accesstypical
- B- grade, 33rd percentile among the cities we track
- Bike infrastructuretypical
- B grade, 53rd percentile among the cities we track
- Public transittypical
- A grade, good physical accessibility
- Accessibilitygood
Graded on OpenStreetMap amenity density relative to the 298 cities we track. Accessibility is the exception: it's graded against a fixed standard (terrain steepness and sidewalk surfaces), not a curve.
Climate
Weather through the year
Annual average 67°F (19°C) · 21 in of rain a year · Source: Meteostat station normals (16597, 1991-2020)
On the ground
Scenes from St. Julian's
Getting around
Transport in St. Julian's
Most people here walk. The town is compact, and the seafront carries on into neighboring Sliema, so groceries, cafés and the gym are rarely far. Buses cover the rest of the island.
The good news is that Malta's buses are free for citizens and residents who hold a personalized Tallinja card, a scheme that started in October 2022. You register for the card, then tap it on the reader by the driver when you board. The government's page doesn't define "resident," so confirm with Malta Public Transport that your residence permit qualifies before you plan your budget around it.
Here's the catch with a car: Malta drives on the left, and the State Department describes the roads as narrow, congested and often in need of repair, with local drivers more aggressive than visitors expect. St. Julian's adds its own all-day traffic on the main roads. If you live near the bay, you can skip owning one.
- 29/sq mi
- Transit stops
- 1.2/sq mi
- Bike infrastructure
- 11/sq mi
- Wheelchair-accessible places
Mapped features per square mile from OpenStreetMap.
Keep exploring
Places like St. Julian's
Community
Community & practical notes
Community: English is one of Malta's two official languages, so daily life works without Maltese. Paceville and Spinola Bay pull in a steady crowd of younger remote workers, so meeting people is mostly a matter of showing up.
Nights out: The State Department specifically tells visitors to be careful in the Paceville nightclub area, where late-night confrontations can turn violent. Living a few streets away from the club strip makes a big difference to your weekends.
Healthcare: Mater Dei Hospital, a short drive away in Msida, is Malta's main public general hospital. It has an emergency department and is the teaching hospital for the University of Malta. Care isn't free for non-citizens who don't pay into Malta's social security. Medicare won't pay for anything abroad, either. Have international health coverage in place before you arrive. ExpatInsure can help with this.
Remote work: Home internet runs about $35 a month. Regus runs coworking centers at Dragonara and at Swieqi Junction, both in St. Julian's. Rates change, so ask for a current quote and a trial day.
LGBTQ expats: Malta placed in the top five of ILGA-Europe's 2026 Rainbow Map, which ranks 49 European countries on LGBTI laws and policies. Spain took first place this year, ending Malta's run at number one, but the legal protections here remain among the strongest in Europe. If you're married, ask an immigration lawyer how your marriage is handled for residence before you file.
Black Americans: We looked for a published, firsthand account of what Black Americans experience living in St. Julian's and didn't find one. One thing we did find: the State Department notes that some of the violence around Paceville's clubs is racially motivated. Talk with Black expats already living in Malta, and spend a weekend night in town before you commit to a lease.
Limited mobility: Malta's law bans discrimination against people with disabilities, but the State Department says to expect limited accessibility in lodging, information and general infrastructure. Ask for an elevator building and a step-free route to the nearest bus stop in writing, and visit before you sign anything.
Retirement: St. Julian's isn't the obvious retiree pick, mostly because of the noise. If you want the sea and walkable dining with winters where January highs average about 60°F, look at streets well away from Paceville, or compare quieter towns in our Malta guide. Our Global Residence Programme page covers Malta's tax-residence route, and our retirement visa page compares countries with a pension visa.
Housing
Renting and buying
- 1-bed rent (center)
- $1,100–$1,600/mo
- 1-bed rent (outside center)
- $900–$1,300/mo
- Buy price (center)
- $604/sq ft
- Buy price (outside center)
- $372/sq ft
Expatsi estimates, based on rental listings, government statistics, and local reporting.
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
Is St. Julian's a good place to retire in Malta?
It can work if you want walkable restaurants and the sea and can live with weekend noise from Paceville. If you want calm, compare other Maltese towns. Malta's main public hospital, Mater Dei in Msida, is a short drive away, but non-citizens who don't pay into social security pay for care, and Medicare doesn't cover you there.
What does it cost to live in St. Julian's, Malta, as a couple or family?
A couple in St. Julian's should plan on about $3,700 a month in U.S. dollars, and a family of four on about $5,600, based on 2026 figures. Rent takes the biggest share. Living a little outside the center trims the rent bill without adding much travel time, since the town is small.
Do people speak English in St. Julian's, Malta?
Yes. English is one of Malta's two official languages, alongside Maltese, so in St. Julian's you can rent, bank, see a doctor and work in English.
Do you need a car to live in St. Julian's?
Most residents don't. The town is walkable, and Malta's buses are free for citizens and residents with a personalized Tallinja card. Driving means staying on the left on narrow, congested roads, and the main roads through St. Julian's are busy for much of the day.
Is St. Julian's good for LGBTQ expats?
Malta is one of Europe's strongest countries on LGBTI rights: it placed in the top five of ILGA-Europe's 2026 Rainbow Map, behind first-place Spain. St. Julian's, with its nightlife and younger remote-work crowd, suits people who want a social base. Married couples should check with an immigration lawyer how their marriage is treated for residence.
Is St. Julian's, Malta safe?
For daily life, yes, with one exception to plan around. The U.S. State Department warns visitors to be careful in Paceville, the nightclub district in St. Julian's, where late-night fights can turn violent and some are racially motivated. Pick an apartment away from the club strip and the town feels very different.
What's the weather like in St. Julian's year-round?
Summers are hot and dry. Average highs reach about 89°F in July and August, and July sees almost no rain. Winters are mild, with January highs averaging about 60°F. Most of the year's roughly 21 inches of rain falls between September and February, with November the wettest month.
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