Eastern Malta · Investment Guide
Investing in Cospicua
The largest of the Three Cities: harbour frontage, period stock and a regeneration that has reached some streets and not others.
7New homes approved, Q1 2026
4Promise of sale, Jun 2026
8Final deeds of sale, Jun 2026
21Busiest month for sales, May 2025
The case
Why investors buy in Cospicua
Cospicua, or Bormla, is the largest of the Three Cities, set at the head of the creek between Senglea and Vittoriosa. Its housing is period and dense, much of it built for the dockyard that shaped the town.
The regeneration of the Cottonera waterfront has been the story here for years: restoration, the university campus and the marinas below have lifted parts of the town considerably while others are untouched.
That unevenness is the opportunity and the risk together. Prices remain low by harbour standards, the period stock is genuinely good, and the difference between one street and the next is larger here than almost anywhere else.
Find me an investment in CospicuaA few questions, then we do the looking.
The numbers
Market activity in Cospicua
Final deeds of sale
Completed sales in Cospicua have ranged from 4 to 21 a month since 2024. The past twelve months carried 105 in total, level with the 106 recorded in the twelve months before that.
Promise of sale agreements
Promise of sale agreements, the deals in progress ahead of a deed, have ranged from 3 to 16 a month. The past twelve months carried 106, level with the 106 recorded in the twelve months before that.
Source: National Statistics Office (Malta), residential property transactions.
The supply pipeline
How Cospicua compares
7 new dwellings were approved in Cospicua this quarter, 55th of the 68 localities the National Statistics Office reported. That is among the smallest pipelines in the country, so almost everything that sells here is existing stock.
Sliema
322
St Paul's Bay
171
Birkirkara
154
Mosta
149
Qormi
126
Msida
120
Marsaskala
112
Cospicua
7
Source: National Statistics Office (Malta), residential building permits, Q1 2026.
Rental demand
Where the tenants are
Cospicua holds 0.41% of all active residential rent contracts in Malta, the 47th-highest of any locality, a small share, so the rental market here is thin next to the towns that dominate it.
St Paul's Bay
13.76%
Sliema
6.96%
Msida
6.03%
Marsaskala
4.46%
St Julian's
4.4%
Birkirkara
4.25%
Gżira
4.17%
Cospicua
0.41%
Source: Housing Authority (Malta), Malta Rent Calculator, H1 2026. Reconstructed from the published tool's own chart, not a downloadable table - see data/README.md.
Run the numbers
What it costs to buy in Cospicua
Enter a price and see the deposit, stamp duty and notary costs a Maltese purchase actually carries.
€
25%
The regulatory minimum for this buyer type is 20% - adjust the slider to match your own lender's terms.
Deposit€75,00025%
Stamp duty€15,0005% of the price
Notary fees€3,000-€10,500
Monthly repayment€1,07430-yr term at 4%
Cash to complete€93,000 -€100,500
Open the full finance calculator →Indicative figures based on standard Malta rates and a 30-year term at 4% - not a mortgage offer or financial advice. For income-based affordability, joint applicants and a shareable scenario, use the full finance calculator.
Buy-to-let
Investment-grade homes in Cospicua
Homes on the market now that suit a rental or resale strategy.
Costs & incentives
Tax, costs and residency
The rules and schemes that shape the return on a Maltese property investment.
Rental income tax
Rental income can be taxed at a flat 15% final withholding rate in Malta, a simple and competitive regime for landlords.
Residency by investment
Buying or leasing property can form part of Malta’s residency routes for non-EU investors, alongside the other requirements.
Short-let licensing
Short-term holiday letting is possible but licensed and regulated. Long-let is the simpler route for most investors.
Good to know
Investing in Cospicua, answered
Is Cospicua a good buy-to-let?
Increasingly, though it varies street by street: waterfront and restored stock lets well, and the rest is a local market. Cospicua accounts for 0.41% of Malta’s active residential rent contracts.
How active is the Cospicua property market?
Between January 2024 and June 2026 the National Statistics Office recorded 262 final deeds of sale and 257 promise of sale agreements in Cospicua, a monthly range of 4 to 21 completed sales. The busiest month in that window was May 2025, with 21.
Is much new build coming to Cospicua?
7 new dwellings were approved in Cospicua in the first quarter of 2026, 55th of the 68 localities the National Statistics Office reported. Very little new build is approved here, so almost everything on the market is existing stock.
Can foreigners buy property in Cospicua?
Yes. Non-residents can buy in Malta, usually through an Acquisition of Immovable Property permit, though many apartments in designated areas are exempt and Special Designated Areas carry no restriction at all. We can confirm the position for any specific property in Cospicua.
What are the total costs of buying?
As a rule of thumb, budget around 5% stamp duty plus notary fees, searches and any agency or legal fees. Off-plan and first-time purchases may qualify for reduced duty, so check the grants and schemes for the reliefs that currently apply. The calculator above works the figures through for a given price.