Our Guide to Malta on a Budget

Research and Budgeting

We always recommend that you get the research and budget sorted out before setting off on your trip. As well as making sure you’ve got enough spending money, it also helps get ideas for your trip. You can discover activities you might want to do, foods for you to try and places to visit!

But, if you're not keen on diving deep into the numbers, don't worry, I'm all about it. I've recorded our spending in key categories for our Malta trip, so you can adjust the budget to suit your preferences and length of stay. Our total spend for our 7-night trip was £593 per person.

Flights  and Carbon Offsetting £90

Accommodation £289

Transport £10

Activities £131

Food £44

Airport transfers £29

  £593

As always, don’t forget to budget in the cost of airport transfers. These will vary depending on where you’re setting off from in the UK and where you’re staying in Malta, so make sure to have a rough idea of cost before your trip. You don’t want to be stung with a last minute expense! Our airport transfer costs include £23.05 each for a return train from our home to Gatwick plus £6.40 each for a transfer from the airport to our hotel in Malta. 

We chose to offset the carbon for our flights with a company called Sustainable Travel International and cost us £8.32 each.

If you’re wanting to tailor our budget to your travel style and needs, then it’s important to note that we opted for a half board hotel option. Our accommodation cost was high, but this meant our food spends were low. If you want to trim the budget in the accommodation area then check out our recommendations in the Accommodation Section below. Just don’t forget this will add breakfast and dinner costs, which you will need to account for in your food budget.

Another important element to adjust when personalising the budget is the transport category. Because we opted for the Malta Pass, we were able to use the hop-on hop-off bus for most of our transport needs, without any additional charges. We just paid for a couple of transport day passes during our stay, costing a total of €12 (£10).

Getting to Malta

2. Train and Ferry

If you’re not in a rush and want to make the journey part of your adventure, consider travelling by train and then catching a ferry to the island of Malta. Starting from London’s St Pancras International, take the Eurostar to Paris or Brussels, then continue through France and Italy by rail. From there, you can board a ferry to Malta.

The journey can take two to three days, depending on layovers and connections, and costs upwards of £250 per person, depending on how far in advance you book. While this is neither the quickest nor the cheapest way to reach Malta, it’s an excellent option for train enthusiasts or those seeking a sustainable travel alternative.

3.  Driving and Ferry

If you’re up for a long road trip, driving to Malta is another scenic option. The journey involves crossing the Channel to France, then driving through France, Switzerland, and Italy before taking a ferry from southern Italy to Malta.

This route allows you to explore several stunning destinations along the way, but it’s a significant commitment in terms of time and cost. The journey will probably take you 3-5 days, depending on stops. This will be a more expensive option than flying as you’ll have to consider budget for fuel, tolls, accommodation, and ferry tickets (starting at around €60 one way).

Getting around in Malta

1. Airport Transfer

When arriving in Malta, ensuring a smooth transition from the airport to your accommodation is key to starting your adventure hassle-free. 

Therefore, we opted for a pre-booked airport transfer, particularly as our hotel was located along the north coast in St Paul’s Bay, rather than the capital Valletta. When researching our options, we discovered that while a public bus involves a 1-hour journey, a transfer coach would take us to our hotel in just 30 minutes. Our transfer, arranged through GetYourGuide, cost £6.40 per person. With just your hotel address and flight details provided, a representative greets you with a sign, ready to take you away to your accommodation. 

2. Public Bus

During our stay, the public bus system became our top choice for getting around the island. Google Maps was useful in identifying routes and bus numbers, although we found the scheduling shown wasn’t very accurate. We recommend you either scout out the bus stop ahead of time and get a photo of the schedule posted there or just turn up and be willing to wait as long as it takes for the next one. Buses typically arrive every 30 mins, so even if you just miss one, the longest you’ll ever have to wait is 30 mins. Costs were €2.50 per journey or €6 for a day pass, with exact change required if paying on board. We did notice a few buses had contactless as a payment option, but it was visa only.

While we also used the hop-on-hop-off bus, as it was included in our Malta Pass, we found the public bus system to be quicker, if you just want to go directly to your destination.

3. Taxi

For a personalised tour of Malta's sights, taxi tours offer a flexible and comfortable option. Rates range from €75 for a 2-hour tour to €175 for 5-hours. These costs are per taxi so will obviously work out cheaper per person the more people you have in your group. 

4. Walking

Although many of the cities on Malta are walkable and exploring by foot is a great way to see these, getting between cities will not be possible by walking. Instead, we recommend you consider the other options above for inter-city travel!

Accommodation

Malta offers a variety of accommodation with options available along its stunning coastline or nestled in one of its vibrant towns, catering to every type of traveller. Here’s what we discovered while planning our stay:

St Paul’s Bay

We chose to stay in St Paul’s Bay, a quieter area compared to the bustling streets of Valletta. By booking about 6 months in advance, we secured a fantastic deal: £286 per person for 7 nights in a double room, which included half board. Staying in this area offered a peaceful retreat while still providing easy access to Malta’s top attractions. Double or Twin rooms in hotels in this area typically range from £250-£350 per person for a week, depending on amenities like board options or proximity to the waterfront.

St Julian’s

For those seeking a more lively atmosphere, St Julian’s is the perfect choice. Known for its nightlife, this area is buzzing with activity and is centered around a picturesque harbour with colourful boats. Accommodation in St Julian’s tends to be pricier though, with hotels and apartments averaging £300-£400 per person for 7 nights, and luxury options available for a much heftier price tag for prime locations or sea views.

Sliema

This area used to be a quiet fishing village, but has now been transformed into a bustling residential area with shops and plenty of entertainment options. It’s a great choice if you want to have both a seaside escape and the conveniences of urban living. Sliema is perfect for shopping, dining, and exploring Malta’s contemporary side. Accommodation here ranges from £275-£350 per person for 7 nights for mid-range hotels or apartments, with high-end options pushing £500 or more.

Airbnb

If you prefer a more homely vibe or simply want to have access to your own kitchen to keep food costs down, there are plenty of options available across Malta, from cosy airbnb guesthouses or private apartments. These can range from £200-£400 per week for budget to mid-range options, depending on the location and amenities.

Things to Do in Malta

For our top recommendations of things to do in Malta, check out our Malta Things to Do page!

Food in Malta

During our stay in Malta, dinner was included as part of our hotel accommodation, which helped reduce food costs. However, this didn't stop us from trying the delicious cuisine that Malta has to offer!

We quickly learned that the Maltese diet shares many similarities with the Mediterranean diet, which is no surprise given the island's proximity to Sicily. We sampled some Mediterranean classics at our hotel and enjoyed a pizza lunch during one of our outings. Across the island, pizzas typically ranged from €11 to €15 if you’re interested in this type of cuisine. 

While exploring Malta, we also discovered lots of familiar UK and USA chains such as Costa, Starbucks, McDonald's, and Wagamamas, catering for those seeking a taste of home comforts. However, for those eager to sample the local traditional dishes, here are some top recommendations from our trip:

Widow’s Soup

While we didn't have the chance to try it ourselves, Widow's Soup was frequently mentioned during our stay. This popular vegetable soup gets its name from the tradition of neighbours supporting widows after bereavement by delivering them this soup dish.

Aljotta (Fish soup)

Though we didn't have the chance to sample it, we were intrigued by the garlicky aljotta. We were told it’s best enjoyed in coastal villages where the fish is caught fresh and we spotted it on many restaurant menus in Marsaxlokk, a fishing village on the southeast coast, priced around €8.50 as a starter.