I'll drop you a note too @Almantas
Depends - what are you looking for?
For me:
Virtually tax free.
Great weather 9 months a year, and tolerably decent weather the other 3. Better than the UK's great weather for 2 weeks a year, tolerably decent weather for 3 months, and bad weather the rest of the time. It's hotter than the surface of the sun (yep, literally ) in the summer, which may be a good or a bad thing to you.
Great nightlife.
The government leaves you alone. There's a laissez-faire attitude to life in general. There's a great expat community full of people who appreciate these factors.
People are a lot more respectful than in the UK (although also not as friendly or open).
Life is pretty easy here. If you live in London or the South East, half your productive energy gets sapped just dealing with the daily frustrations and hassles of trying to live there.
But it's a love it or hate it kind of place. I'm much more on the "love it" side, but you're not me, so some cons to consider:
It's noisy. For months on end, people everywhere are setting off fireworks all day and night. When that's not happening, you'll be surrounded by cranes, construction noise, drilling, traffic and hordes of tourists.
The infrastructure sucks. Every time it rains the streets turn into rivers, and the pavements get so slippery in some places you have to walk in the road to avoid falling flat on your face. Power cuts are a semi-regular occurence.
Homes have no central heating or insulation, and tiled floors, and the climate is always humid, so in "winter" it will be cold inside and you'll be constantly fighting damp, mould, and trying to get clothes to dry (FFS why won't you dry already?!?!?!).
Rent in anywhere you'd likely want to live is a lot more expensive than the UK (outside London).
Making local friends is difficult - with the family values culture, and having grown up on the same tiny island with everyone else they've known their entire lives, in general the Maltese are an insular bunch who would rather peacefully coexist with you at arms length.
Casual racism is the norm. Prepare for regular uninvited opinions on "the Arabs", "the Libyans", "the boat people", "the dark people" and "all the Eastern Europeans".
Whenever you do have to deal with the government bureaucracy, it's a mind-blowing experience that might turn you into a ferocious axe-wielding maniac if you can't control your temper.
It can start to feel claustrophobic after a while. The island is pretty damn small.
Pay a visit - it's not far away!
Sorry to crash the thread guys, but it perked my interest!
Pros of living in Malta?
Depends - what are you looking for?
For me:
Virtually tax free.
Great weather 9 months a year, and tolerably decent weather the other 3. Better than the UK's great weather for 2 weeks a year, tolerably decent weather for 3 months, and bad weather the rest of the time. It's hotter than the surface of the sun (yep, literally ) in the summer, which may be a good or a bad thing to you.
Great nightlife.
The government leaves you alone. There's a laissez-faire attitude to life in general. There's a great expat community full of people who appreciate these factors.
People are a lot more respectful than in the UK (although also not as friendly or open).
Life is pretty easy here. If you live in London or the South East, half your productive energy gets sapped just dealing with the daily frustrations and hassles of trying to live there.
But it's a love it or hate it kind of place. I'm much more on the "love it" side, but you're not me, so some cons to consider:
It's noisy. For months on end, people everywhere are setting off fireworks all day and night. When that's not happening, you'll be surrounded by cranes, construction noise, drilling, traffic and hordes of tourists.
The infrastructure sucks. Every time it rains the streets turn into rivers, and the pavements get so slippery in some places you have to walk in the road to avoid falling flat on your face. Power cuts are a semi-regular occurence.
Homes have no central heating or insulation, and tiled floors, and the climate is always humid, so in "winter" it will be cold inside and you'll be constantly fighting damp, mould, and trying to get clothes to dry (FFS why won't you dry already?!?!?!).
Rent in anywhere you'd likely want to live is a lot more expensive than the UK (outside London).
Making local friends is difficult - with the family values culture, and having grown up on the same tiny island with everyone else they've known their entire lives, in general the Maltese are an insular bunch who would rather peacefully coexist with you at arms length.
Casual racism is the norm. Prepare for regular uninvited opinions on "the Arabs", "the Libyans", "the boat people", "the dark people" and "all the Eastern Europeans".
Whenever you do have to deal with the government bureaucracy, it's a mind-blowing experience that might turn you into a ferocious axe-wielding maniac if you can't control your temper.
It can start to feel claustrophobic after a while. The island is pretty damn small.
Pay a visit - it's not far away!