Market Intelligence · Locality comparison
Marsaskala vs St Paul's Bay
Two of the largest seaside rental markets on the island, one in the south-east and one in the north.
The short answer
Marsaskala or St Paul's Bay?
St Paul’s Bay is the larger market on every measure. It completes far more sales than Marsaskala, has more promise of sale agreements, a bigger new-build pipeline and the largest share of Malta’s rent contracts of any locality, far above Marsaskala’s. Marsaskala is still one of the island’s leading rental towns. For scale and tenant depth, St Paul’s Bay; for a quieter southern bay, Marsaskala.
The figures for St Paul’s Bay cover the whole council, including Buġibba, Qawra, Xemxija and Burmarrad, and its demand splits between holiday letting and year-round tenants. Marsaskala’s market is more uniformly year-round and domestic. Both carry heavy recent building, so in either the specific block matters a great deal.
Head to head
Marsaskala: 7th of 68 · St Paul's Bay: 2nd of 68
Marsaskala: 4th of 68 · St Paul's Bay: 1st of 68
Sources: National Statistics Office (Malta), residential property transactions and residential building permits; Housing Authority (Malta), Malta Rent Calculator.
Month by month
Sales in Marsaskala and St Paul's Bay
Final deeds are completed sales. Promise of sale agreements are the deals signed on the way to a deed, so they show where the market is heading a few months early.
Source: National Statistics Office (Malta), residential property transactions.
Who each suits
Choosing between Marsaskala and St Paul's Bay
Marsaskala
Marsaskala suits a buyer who wants a seaside apartment in the south, let to Maltese families and working tenants, in a town that is busy but less crowded than the northern bays.
Read the Marsaskala investment guideSt Paul's Bay
St Paul’s Bay suits a buyer who wants the deepest pool of tenants in Malta and the choice of letting long term or to holiday visitors. Quality varies widely between blocks, which is where the work lies.
Read the St Paul's Bay investment guideGood to know
Marsaskala vs St Paul's Bay, answered
Which has more property sales, Marsaskala or St Paul's Bay?
From July 2025 to June 2026, the National Statistics Office recorded 564 final deeds of sale in Marsaskala and 1,160 in St Paul's Bay. By completed sales, St Paul's Bay is the busier market of the two.
Which has more sales in the pipeline, Marsaskala or St Paul's Bay?
A promise of sale agreement is the deal signed ahead of the final deed. From July 2025 to June 2026, 585 were recorded in Marsaskala and 1,270 in St Paul's Bay. St Paul's Bay has more sales on their way to completion.
Where are more new homes being approved, Marsaskala or St Paul's Bay?
In the first quarter of 2026, 112 new dwellings were approved in Marsaskala, 7th of the 68 localities the National Statistics Office reported, and 171 in St Paul's Bay, 2nd. St Paul's Bay has the larger pipeline of new supply: competition for a resale seller, and choice for an off-plan buyer.
Which has the bigger rental market, Marsaskala or St Paul's Bay?
Marsaskala holds 4.46% of Malta’s active residential rent contracts, 4th of the 68 localities on the register, and St Paul's Bay holds 13.76%, 1st. On the Housing Authority’s register, St Paul's Bay has the deeper tenant pool.
Is St Paul’s Bay or Marsaskala better for holiday letting?
St Paul’s Bay, with Buġibba and Qawra, is the more tourist-driven market and has a large holiday letting trade. Marsaskala’s demand is mostly long-term tenants.
Do the St Paul’s Bay figures include Buġibba and Qawra?
Yes. The published figures are for the San Pawl il-Baħar council, which takes in Buġibba, Qawra, Xemxija and Burmarrad as well as St Paul’s Bay itself.
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