Market Intelligence · Locality comparison
Mqabba vs Żurrieq
Two southern villages close to one another: a small quarrying village inland, and the larger coastal one by the Blue Grotto.
The short answer
Mqabba or Żurrieq?
Żurrieq is the more active market on every measure. It completes far more sales than Mqabba, has far more promise of sale agreements, more approved homes and a considerably larger share of Malta’s rent contracts. Mqabba is small and firmly local. For more choice and an easier resale, Żurrieq; for a quiet village house, Mqabba.
Both are a real commute from the harbour area, and a buyer in either is trading that distance for a quieter place to live. Żurrieq adds the coast, with the Blue Grotto and cliffs below it, and a rural feel. Mqabba sits inland among the quarries, closer to the airport. Neither has a deep letting market, so both suit a buyer who intends to live there or hold.
Head to head
Mqabba: 32nd of 68 · Żurrieq: 20th of 68
Mqabba: 58th of 68 · Żurrieq: 26th 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 Mqabba and Żurrieq
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 Mqabba and Żurrieq
Mqabba
Mqabba suits a buyer who wants a compact village, a quiet street and a low entry price, within easy reach of the airport and the south. It is a local market with few outside buyers.
Read the Mqabba investment guideŻurrieq
Żurrieq suits a buyer after space and a rural setting near the southern coast, usually a house rather than an apartment. It is one of the larger southern villages, with a busier market than Mqabba’s.
Read the Żurrieq investment guideGood to know
Mqabba vs Żurrieq, answered
Which has more property sales, Mqabba or Żurrieq?
From July 2025 to June 2026, the National Statistics Office recorded 112 final deeds of sale in Mqabba and 261 in Żurrieq. By completed sales, Żurrieq is the busier market of the two.
Which has more sales in the pipeline, Mqabba or Żurrieq?
A promise of sale agreement is the deal signed ahead of the final deed. From July 2025 to June 2026, 78 were recorded in Mqabba and 292 in Żurrieq. Żurrieq has more sales on their way to completion.
Where are more new homes being approved, Mqabba or Żurrieq?
In the first quarter of 2026, 33 new dwellings were approved in Mqabba, 32nd of the 68 localities the National Statistics Office reported, and 54 in Żurrieq, 20th. Żurrieq 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, Mqabba or Żurrieq?
Mqabba holds 0.22% of Malta’s active residential rent contracts, 58th of the 68 localities on the register, and Żurrieq holds 1.05%, 26th. On the Housing Authority’s register, Żurrieq has the deeper tenant pool.
Is Żurrieq close to the sea?
Yes. Żurrieq sits on the south coast, with the Blue Grotto and the cliffs below it. Mqabba is inland, set among the quarries, so a buyer who wants the coast within reach should look at Żurrieq.
Which is better for a house rather than an apartment?
Both markets lean towards houses. Żurrieq has more of them and more change hands, which gives a buyer more to choose from. Mqabba’s village houses come up less often.