In short
Madrid and Valletta cost about the same — about €2,150 and €2,140 a month for a single person with a central 1-bedroom. Spain offers Americans a digital nomad visa and a retirement visa. Malta offers Americans a digital nomad visa, a retirement visa and a golden visa. Citizenship takes about 10 years of residence in Spain and 5 in Malta. Every figure below is checked against official sources.
The verdict
Which Country Fits You?
Where one side is clearly better for most Americans, it gets the point — the rest depends on your plans.
Choose Spain if…
- You live on a pension or savings: Non-lucrative visa — €2,400 a month; no work at all, not even remote.
- Healthcare matters most: public SNS for workers; others can buy in after 1 year — €60 a month under 65.
- You want English widely spoken: 36th in the world, "moderate" (EF 2025).
Choose Malta if…
- You live on a pension or savings: Malta Retirement Programme — pension at least 75% of income; 15% tax, minimum €7,500.
- You want a special tax regime for retirees: non-dom: foreign income taxed only if brought to Malta (€5,000 minimum tax).
- You want citizenship sooner: naturalisation after 5 years at the minister's discretion; dual citizenship allowed.
- You want residence through investment: Permanent residence (MPRP) — about €99,000 in fees plus €375,000 property or rent. Spain's is closed.
Retirement Visa
Both Offer Retirement Visas
| Spain | Malta | |
|---|---|---|
| Retirement / passive-income visa | SpainNon-lucrative visa — €2,400 a month; no work at all, not even remote | MaltaMalta Retirement Programme — pension at least 75% of income; 15% tax, minimum €7,500 |
| Public healthcare | SpainPublic SNS for workers; others can buy in after 1 year — €60 a month under 65 | MaltaFree public care if you pay Maltese social security; nomad, retiree and MPRP holders need private cover |
| Special tax regime | SpainBeckham regime — 24% flat up to €600,000 for 6 years (incl. digital nomads) | MaltaNon-dom: foreign income taxed only if brought to Malta (€5,000 minimum tax) |
Cost of Living
Madrid and Valletta Cost About the Same
| Spain | Malta | |
|---|---|---|
| 1-bed apartment, city centre | Spainabout €1,332 (Madrid) | Maltaabout €1,263 (Valletta)✓ |
| 1-bed apartment, outside centre | Spainabout €1,066 (Madrid) | Maltaabout €993 (Valletta)✓ |
| Everyday costs, single person (no rent) | Spainabout €820 (Madrid)✓ | Maltaabout €880 (Valletta) |
| Total a month — single, central 1-bed | Spainabout €2,150 (Madrid) | Maltaabout €2,140 (Valletta) |
Living costs: Numbeo estimates for the capital (2026), as shown with sources on each city guide and in the key facts below.
Settling In
Malta Leads to Citizenship Sooner
| Spain | Malta | |
|---|---|---|
| Permanent residence | SpainLong-term residence after 5 years | MaltaEU long-term residence after 5 years; MPRP gives it from the start |
| Citizenship | Spain10 years for Americans, plus A2 Spanish and civics exams | MaltaNaturalisation after 5 years at the minister's discretion; dual citizenship allowed✓ |
| Public healthcare | SpainPublic SNS for workers; others can buy in after 1 year — €60 a month under 65 | MaltaFree public care if you pay Maltese social security; nomad, retiree and MPRP holders need private cover |
Tax & Business
Taxes & Company Rules
| Spain | Malta | |
|---|---|---|
| Special tax regime | SpainBeckham regime — 24% flat up to €600,000 for 6 years (incl. digital nomads) | MaltaNon-dom: foreign income taxed only if brought to Malta (€5,000 minimum tax) |
| Usual company | SpainSL — capital from €1; online formation through CIRCE | MaltaLtd — €1,164.69 capital (20% paid up); no notary |
| Corporate tax | Spain25% (23% or less for smaller companies, 15% for new ones) | Malta35% headline, about 5% net after shareholder refunds✓ |
| US tax treaty | SpainSigned 1990, 2013 protocol; Social Security agreement since 1988 | MaltaTreaty since 2011; no Social Security agreement |
US citizens & Green Card holdersThe US still taxes you
Wherever you live, the US taxes its citizens on worldwide income. You keep filing a US return, and an FBAR once your foreign accounts total more than $10,000 at any time in the year.
Daily Life
Daily Life in Madrid and Valletta
| Spain | Malta | |
|---|---|---|
| Population (capital) | SpainAbout 3.5 million; 7.1 million in the region | MaltaMalta about 588,000, 31% foreign nationals |
| Public transport (capital) | SpainZone A monthly pass €32.70 (2026) | MaltaFree buses for residents with a personalised card |
| Nonstop flights to the US | SpainIberia nonstop from 8 US cities, plus American, Delta, United | MaltaDelta nonstop from New York June–October; otherwise connect in Europe |
| English | Spain36th in the world, "moderate" (EF 2025) | MaltaEnglish is an official language |
| Currency | SpainEuro | MaltaEuro |
FAQ
Spain or Malta? Your questions
Is Madrid or Valletta cheaper?
They cost about the same: a single person with a central 1-bedroom spends about €2,150 a month in Madrid and €2,140 in Valletta (Numbeo, 2026). Rent for a central 1-bedroom is about €1,332 in Madrid and €1,263 in Valletta.
Can I retire in Spain or Malta as an American?
Spain: Non-lucrative visa — €2,400 a month; no work at all, not even remote. Malta: Malta Retirement Programme — pension at least 75% of income; 15% tax, minimum €7,500.
How long until I can get citizenship?
Spain: 10 years for Americans, plus A2 Spanish and civics exams. Malta: Naturalisation after 5 years at the minister's discretion; dual citizenship allowed.
Do I still pay US taxes if I move?
Yes. The US taxes its citizens on worldwide income wherever they live. You keep filing a US return, and an FBAR once your foreign accounts total more than $10,000. Foreign tax credits and the treaties usually prevent paying twice on the same income.
Spain vs Malta: key factsLast verified 2 October 2026
| Spain: 1-bed apartment, Madrid | about €1,332 a month in the centre, €1,066 outside (Numbeo, October 2026) estimate Source: Numbeo – Cost of Living in Madrid |
|---|---|
| Spain: Living costs, single person (Madrid) | about €820 a month without rent — about €2,150 with a central 1-bedroom estimate Source: Numbeo – Cost of Living in Madrid |
| Malta: Rent | 1-bedroom in Valletta about €1,263 a month in the centre (€993 outside); Sliema about €1,564; Gozo about €813 (Numbeo, 2026) Source: Cost of Living in Valletta (Numbeo) · Cost of Living in Sliema (Numbeo) · Cost of Living in Gozo (Numbeo) |
| Malta: Living costs | A single person spends about €880 a month without rent in Valletta (Numbeo, June 2026) — about €2,140 with a central 1-bedroom Source: Cost of Living in Valletta (Numbeo) |
| Spain: Non-lucrative visa | Passive income or savings of 400% of IPREM — €2,400 a month or €28,800 a year in 2026 — plus €600 a month (€7,200 a year) per dependant; no work of any kind, including remote work Source: Consulate General of Spain in New York – Non-Working Residence Visa · Consulate General of Spain in Chicago – Non-Lucrative Residence Visa |
| Malta: Malta Retirement Programme | Pension at least 75% of your taxable income; 15% tax on pension remitted to Malta, minimum €7,500 a year (+€500 per dependant); €2,500 fee; at least 90 days a year in Malta (rules until end-2026) Source: CSB Group: MRP · CSB Group: Malta tax residence programmes from 2027 |
| Spain: Healthcare | Workers and the self-employed are covered by the public SNS; others can buy in through the Convenio Especial after 1 year on the padrón — €60 a month under 65, €157 from 65 Source: Convenio especial de prestación de asistencia sanitaria (Ministerio de Sanidad) |
| Malta: Healthcare | Free public healthcare for people paying Maltese social security; permit holders on the Nomad, GRP, retirement and MPRP routes need private health insurance Source: Malta EESSI healthcare info |
| Spain: Beckham regime | 24% on employment income up to €600,000 (47% above) for the year of arrival plus 5 years, if you were not resident in the previous 5 years and move for a job, remote work (incl. the digital nomad visa), a directorship or an innovative business — not for non-lucrative visa holders. Optional: file Modelo 149 within 6 months of starting work Source: Artículo 93 Ley del IRPF (Iberley – consolidated text) · Modelo 149 – Instrucciones para cumplimentar la comunicación (Agencia Tributaria) |
| Malta: Non-domiciled residents | Foreign income is taxed only if brought to Malta; a €5,000 minimum tax applies if foreign income is €35,000 or more Source: PwC Tax Summaries: Malta — individual taxes |
| Spain: Long-term residence | After 5 years of continuous legal residence (no absence over 6 months, 10 months in total), with health insurance and sufficient resources; card renewed every 5 years Source: Hoja 50 – Autorización de residencia de larga duración UE (Ministerio de Inclusión) |
| Malta: Long-term residence | EU long-term resident status after 5 years of legal residence Source: EUR-Lex Directive 2003/109/EC |
| Spain: Citizenship | 10 years of legal, continuous residence for Americans (2 for Ibero-American countries, Portugal, Andorra, the Philippines and Equatorial Guinea; 1 if married to a Spaniard), plus the DELE A2 Spanish and CCSE civics exams Source: Código Civil (BOE) arts. 22–23 · Instituto Cervantes – Nacionalidad española (DELE A2 y CCSE) |
| Malta: Citizenship | By naturalisation after 1 year of continuous residence plus 4 years in the preceding 6, at the minister's discretion; dual citizenship allowed Source: Maltese Citizenship Act Cap.188 |
| Spain: SL (limited company) | Minimum capital €1 since October 2022, fully paid in; below €3,000, 20% of profits must go to a reserve and founders are liable for the shortfall up to €3,000 if the company is wound up Source: Uría Menéndez - La Ley Crea y Crece: menos trabas y costes para crear, operar y financiar negocios · Real Decreto Legislativo 1/2010, Ley de Sociedades de Capital (consolidated) |
| Malta: Usual company type | Private limited company (Ltd): minimum capital €1,164.69, at least 20% paid up; 1 director, a company secretary (an individual) and a registered office in Malta; no notary Source: Registering a business in Malta: guide (Mondaq, 2026 update) · The role of the Company Secretary under Maltese Law (BDO Malta) · MBR: Registration and fee structure |
| Spain: Corporate tax | 25% standard; in 2026 companies under €10M turnover pay 23% and under €1M 19% on the first €50,000 and 21% above; new companies 15% for their first 2 profitable years and certified startups 15% for up to 4 Source: PwC Worldwide Tax Summaries - Spain: Taxes on corporate income (reviewed 30 Jun 2026) |
| Malta: Corporate tax | 35%, but shareholders can claim a 6/7 refund of the tax on distributed trading profits — about 5% net; 5/7 for passive interest and royalties (about 10%) Source: Malta Tax Highlights 2026 (Deloitte) · Malta Tax System (KPMG Malta) |
| Spain: US tax treaty | Signed 1990; the 2013 protocol has applied since 27 November 2019 — dividends 15%, 5% (10%+ holding) or 0% (80%+); the US still taxes its citizens Source: Treasury Announces Entry into Force of Tax Treaty Protocols with Japan and Spain (US Treasury) · PwC Worldwide Tax Summaries - Spain: Withholding taxes |
| Malta: US tax treaty | The US–Malta income tax treaty has applied since 1 January 2011; the saving clause keeps US taxation of citizens Source: IRS: Malta tax treaty documents |
| Spain: Madrid population | 3,497,277 (1 January 2026), about 19% foreign nationals; 7.11 million in the Madrid region Source: Ayuntamiento de Madrid – Padrón Municipal: Primeros resultados 2026 · Madrid Economía 2026 (Observatorio Económico, Ayuntamiento de Madrid) |
| Malta: Population | 588,254 at the end of 2025, of whom 31.1% are foreign nationals Source: NSO Malta: World Population Day 2026 · Malta's population rose to 588,254 by end 2025: NSO (MaltaToday, Jul 2026) |
| Spain: Madrid transport pass | Zone A monthly pass €32.70 in 2026 (40% subsidy on €54.60), €10 under 26, free from 65; discounts confirmed to 31 December 2026 Source: Xataka Móvil – Madrid confirma precios del abono transporte para 2026 · Merca2 – La bonificación del transporte público en Madrid extiende su descuento hasta final de año |
| Malta: Public transport | Free buses (and the Valletta ferries) for residents with a personalised tallinja card since October 2022 Source: Free Travel Scheme with effect from 1 October 2022 (Malta Public Transport) · Tallinja Ferry Service (Malta Public Transport) |
| Spain: Flights from the US | Iberia flies nonstop to Madrid from New York (JFK and Newark), Boston, Miami, Chicago, Washington, Dallas, Los Angeles and San Francisco; American, Delta, United and Air Europa add more, and United also flies Newark to Barcelona, Málaga, Palma, Bilbao and Santiago (some seasonal) Source: BoltFlight – Iberia evaluates four new nonstop US routes (21 Jul 2026) · Aviación al Día – United Airlines … new cities in Spain for summer 2026 |
| Malta: Flights from the US | Delta flies nonstop New York–Malta three times a week from June to October (since summer 2026); the rest of the year you connect in Europe Source: Malta International Airport: summer 2026 network with a US link |
| Spain: English | 36th of 123 countries in the EF English Proficiency Index 2025 (moderate) Source: Majorca Daily Bulletin – Balearics fails its English test again (EF EPI 2025) |
| Malta: Language | Maltese and English are both official languages Source: Constitution of Malta (legislation.mt) |
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