Spain vs Malta differences and why we chose one over the other:
Having resided in both countries for a quite a bit, we feel qualified to weigh in on the option of choosing one over the other. If you are ever in the fortunate position of which one to pick, hopefully, this post will help you nail it down. Both countries are wonderful to live in, but we ultimately decided on Spain, chiefly because Malta is extremely small and island fever set in. Here are the differences between Spain and Malta that we noticed and that ultimately helped us decide which one to settle in.
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Is Malta in Spain?
This is a question we get asked often, especially from people in the U.S. as most have never even heard of Malta. Malta was a former United Kingdom colony that gained its independence in 1964. The island is part of European Union and is only about 50 miles from Sicily. Since we moved from Malta to Spain, some of our friends assumed wrongly that they were both in the same country.
Since we have spent even more time in Spain, I notice changes between our former home in Malta and our new home of Spain (Malaga, Seville and now Valencia). The differences are subtle since they are both Mediterranean climate. There is however quite a big difference between Malta, Spain and the U.S, mostly in cost and quality of life. Here are the main differences so far between Spain and Malta as an expat destination. Things that you would have to get used to in your day to day life experience and those that warrant careful thought.
Siesta in Malta vs Spain :
It is taken very seriously here in both Malta and Spain, but definitely more so in Spain! The cities in Spain become ghost towns between the hours of 2.00 and 5.00PM. There are very few stores open (only one big department store and mall that l know of). Even our nearest grocery store shuts down for siesta. Malta did that to a much lesser extent.
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Here in Valencia, the city has forced stores to observe siesta hours during the winter (some try to sneak it in past the Christmas season). This of course would be unheard of back in the States. In Malta, the grocery stores stay open all day long, but a lot of the independent stores will close for siesta. This has made for a few mishaps in the beginning of our time here.
Sundays in Malta and Spain:
The Lord rested, and so do the Spaniards. Being so used to grocery shopping on a day to day basis in Malta, it has been a hard adjustment. We can’t seem to remember that the grocery stores are closed, so we have had just to make do with whatever we had at home. A lot of the tapas places around here are also closed. We have had to get Domino’s once. Imagine that! We didn’t even eat it in Texas! In Malta, the big grocery stores were open on Sundays.
Update: Some grocery stores are now open on Sundays in Valencia at least. Supercor being one of them, but still best to check. Tip: Just shop on Saturdays and assume the stores will be closed Sundays.
Slowing down and Dining Out:
Also known as the long, long lunches. No matter how hard we try, we can’t seem to slow down enough to make eating out last 3 hours. People in Spain love to sit, relax, talk on the phone etc..etc.. when they sit at the cafés and restaurants, even when they are alone. Malta’s pace seemed even faster compared to here, and we thought that was already slow enough. The quick turnover of tables in the U.S make you feel guilty for occupying the space, but no one seems to be in a rush here. I guess we will get used to it eventually.
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In Malta, despite the slower pace of life, going out to eat for instance is shorter. The attitude of the servers is definitely similar. No one will rush you out of there. Malta wins in that they are more attentive and do try to turn the tables. In Spain, where most restaurants are open for lunch at about 2PM, the same party that gets the table first tend to stay till the restaurant closes at about 4:30-5PM.
Without a doubt, eating out is cheaper in Spain than Malta. Most restaurants in Spain, at least in the cities that we have been offer a lot more on the menu and at a cheaper price. The menu of the day usually will top out at about €8-10 and will include appetizer, main dish, desert and a glass of wine or beer or soda, and in generous portions. In Malta, a soft drink might be offered and the cost is usually higher. If it involves seafood, expect an even higher price.
Television in Malta and Spain:
In Spain, you have the option of watching the programs either in Spanish, or in the original language, which is often English. Yes, yes..l know l need to learn the language, and l try, but often l find myself watching the shows in English. There was no such luxury in Malta. The shows were either in Maltese or Italian, which was good for my husband, not so good for me, so l rarely watched TV. Malta also had very few local stations, think 2 and they were more news than anything. Think Murder she Wrote in Italian. No new programs, so you are forced to get cable basically.
Bazaars:
Just about every building in Spain it seems has a bazaar, a store where you can find everything from clothes to plants to some food items. They look like miniature 99 cent stores. They are called “Chinos”. I am not sure if it’s because they are usually run by people of Asian descent, or because everything is “Made in China”. They have come in handy, especially during siesta time, like the one time we made a beautiful sauce, and realized there was no pasta to go with it 🙁 . Our nearest one is run by a lovely 3 generation family from China. They’ve been here 10 years and l practice my little Spanish with the grandfather mostly. They are lifesavers. I wish Malta had them.
People in Spain vs Malta:
The Maltese people are friendly, but the Spaniards are even friendlier, at least the ones l have met. Every one says “hola” or “buenas ” to you, from kids to adults. I’m just a little frustrated that l can’t take the conversations further for now. The neighborhood is completely mixed, but l have yet to hear any English unless we are in the city center. I have started a language exchange with a Spanish guy, so hopefully my Spanish will improve as time goes by. I have also been doing Duolingo online as well.
Malta or Spain To Live – Expenses:
So far so good. Our grocery bill is roughly about 10-20% cheaper than in Malta by my calculations. I am not sure if it’s because of “la crisis” or not. You can find our latest cost of Valencia living in Spain on this blog post. Our gym membership costs less, our electricity bill is less and the metro covers a lot of ground while Malta only has the bus system.
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Beauty and Personal Space in Spain and Malta:
No one can argue that both places are wonderful. Malta is however, a concrete jungle! There is constant construction and the buildings are very close together and really thin walls so you definitely had your neighbors. That can be a bit hard to take after a while. There is also very little green space, so we often took a breather by visiting the garden of serenity or visited Gozo for some nature.
Spain, on the other hand is such a huge country and you can pick and choose what sort of atmosphere you want to be in. We lived in the city in Malaga, lived in a suburb in Seville for cheap and now we are back in the city life in Valencia, our favorite spot in Spain so far. Was moving to Malta a mistake? Nope. Not for us at all. We loved our time there and if you really enjoy the slow pace of life and island living, it’s a perfect spot to settle. We just felt hemmed in after a year and could not see us living there for years to come. We had pretty much taken every flight from Malta for holiday and were frankly bored. I think if we were maybe 15 years older, we would have happily stayed.
We also love the fact that Valencia is such a green city, with the amazing City of Arts and Sciences and the over 10 mile long Turia gardens which we never get tired of discovering. We didn’t believe there was such a thing as island fever, but we experienced it in Malta after a year there, and made the move because it felt like a fishbowl after a while. In Spain, there are so many places to discover and train travel is so convenient that we can’t picture getting tired of it in our lifetime. On with the adventure with Spain! These are the reasons why we chose Spain over Malta.
How about you? Any changes going on? Any pointers to improve my Spanish? Have you had to learn another language?
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I think if I ate a big lunch that lasted 3 hours I would for sure need a nap too. I kind of love the idea, but would probably have a hard tie adjusting too. I have adopted one thing thing though in that I’ve started to embrace 20 minute afternoon naps. It’s just a nice break from the computer and it’s like hitting the reset button. Any longer than that though and you become a zombie.
A lot of days now, l can sleep for 15-20 minutes also. It does recharge the batteries. We have to go searching for the waiter for the bill…lol!
A euro for a beer?! Yes please. Haha!
Exactly! 🙂 . Can you believe they have the 200cc size too called “Cana” and they are usually 70 cents or thereabouts..yeah!
I’m happy to hear that the Spaniards are friendly. I’ve heard lots of stories about unfortunate encounters with racism in Spain. I’m glad that you guys are settling into your new lives there. I could definitely get used to the slower pace of life!
Yeah.. I’ve read blogs where people had racism problems too 🙁 . There are always idiots in every bunch, but so far, so good..maybe it’s the gray hair.. 🙂 .
I didn’t know that the pace of life is so slow in Spain. It sounds really great though, I could really get used with that :)) Not taking three hours for lunch, but I could certainly squeeze in a nap there too :))
It is slower for sure, but nice. Most days now, l can nap for 15 minutes or so which is a big change for me. I’m sure you would be able to nap as well..lol! How is the new home coming along? Can’t wait to hear more..
Very nice kemkem. I loooove the Spanish lifestyle but you know, coming from Germany where hard work is appreciated and ingrained, Spain can be a bit of a shock. Especially, when all the shops are closed. Yeah, I’ve fallen into that trap of thinking that if it’s in “the city,” the shops would be open. Not necessarily so. And I’m rather glad that they haven’t changed their traditions too much.
I almost had the shock of my life (the last time I was in Madrid oh, so many years ago), as I wanted to go to the cinema and it was closed. I was a little anxious as the streets were empty, but at about 21:00, the streets spilled out with people and loads, and loads, of children. Everyone was openingly chattering, tables came out, and the “evening” began. A lovely experience. I think you’re going to enjoy living in Spain.
I’m British. I live in Germany. I had to learn German. It was painful, but I got it in the end LOL!
P.S. I like your Victoria €1.00 beer LOL!
Lol! I mentioned the same thing to him when l saw Victoria.. 🙂 . I had no idea you had a side business..I know it was shocking to me the first time l visited Madrid years ago and found myself with nothing to do at siesta time. Truthfully, l thought maybe they had done away with that. I will get used to it eventually. For now, we use it as a time to go to the gym because it’s quieter . You would have a harder time me thinks.. 🙂
The slowing down eating to last over 3 hours would be SUPER hard for me, too! I’m trying to learn another language too, and wrote a post with some of the things that have been helpful to me so far if you want to check it out!:-) Best of luck! https://www.usedyorkcity.com/2014/08/15/suck-at-2nd-languages-me-too-but-theres-hope/
Lol! Love the title of the post. I’m gonna check it out. I can use all the help. 3 hours is just a bit too much…thanks and good luck in your learning as well.. 🙂
Interesting perspectives, I would have automatically assumed life to be more slower in Malta than in Spain. Malaga seems like a town I would enjoy, I wouldn’t mind having a siesta every afternoon
My husband had more of a shock..lol! He didn’t think anyplace could be slower than Malta. It’s true what they say about mañana …no hurry at all,for,anything. It is kind of nice that they have that little break..the stores then stay open till like 9.00 or even later.
Your food pics always make me hungry =/
I dunno- a siesta sounds great to me. I wish we had that in the U.S., but it will never happen!
Ha! I don’t think it could ever happen in the U.S either. Too fast a pace :-). . Being a mom, l think you would enjoy the siesta too, assuming of course the kids were asleep too..lol
Interesting comparison between Malta and Spain — you can see slight similarities, but the differences are what make it exciting!
Yes, it is probably a good introduction to Spanish living, thanks to the similarities. The other thing l noticed is that the sidewalks here are bigger than the streets in Malta 🙂 . Thanks for dropping by and for the comment. I’m digging your blog!!!
I found the Maltese extremely nice, even more than the Spanish. But maybe that’s a Catalonia thing…
It could very well be. I am just grateful to both the Maltese and now the Spanish for the warm reception…. And the food.. 🙂
Thank you, nice comparison! And what where the reasons that you did not like Malaga?
It was a combination of things. While we really liked the apartment we ended up renting, the barrio itself was not to our liking because we trouble finding people that would rent to us with dogs in the center. It was bone chilling cold in the winter also, plus we found the accent really, really hard to understand. Thanks for reading.
Interesting, I e lived in Malta for about 5 years now and spent 9 months in Spain near Malaga..
I have to say Malta has really changed, like everywhere I suppose but, if you want some sure hard advice, the people let the island down, Maltese folk are nice to start but once you get into them, they’re very rude, devious and really dont give a toss about anyone else except there own family, very devious indeed. The Spanish say hola and goodbye yet you can walk straight passed a Maltese with nothing, it’s quite dirty too.
Saint for me I’m, people , atmosphere, just an all round nice place with alot more going for it rather than a 3rd world island.
I do agree that the older folks in Malta are sort of stuck in their old ways and can be rude and set in their ways, but l found the younger people, at least the ones we interacted with were friendly and helpful. You´re right though, everything everywhere seems to have changed and we haven’t lived there for five years now so l can imagine it´s even more different. The flights from here are cheap, but so far l haven´t had the urge to go back for a visit. I think l prefer to leave it at the good memories. Thanks so much for the comment. It´s nice to have the perspective of someone who lives there. 🙂