Central Malta · Investment Guide
Investing in Gżira
Sliema’s seafront at a lower entry price, with the university a short walk inland and Manoel Island being argued over alongside.
69New homes approved, Q1 2026
21Promise of sale, Jun 2026
27Final deeds of sale, Jun 2026
38Busiest month for sales, May 2025
The case
Why investors buy in Gżira
Gżira sits in the gap between Sliema and Msida and takes something from each: a seafront strip along the marina, and the university a short walk inland. Its entry prices have historically sat below Sliema’s for an address a few minutes’ walk away, which is most of the investment case.
Tenants are a mix of students, young professionals and people priced out of Sliema who still want to be on that side of the harbour. Smaller apartments dominate and they let quickly, though the town’s older blocks vary a great deal in condition.
The open question is Manoel Island. Its redevelopment has been argued over for years and its eventual shape will matter more to Gżira than to anywhere else, so a buyer here is taking a view on a project as much as on a street.
Find me an investment in GżiraA few questions, then we do the looking.
The numbers
Market activity in Gżira
Final deeds of sale
Completed sales in Gżira have ranged from 13 to 38 a month since 2024. The past twelve months carried 299 in total, level with the 299 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 10 to 39 a month. The past twelve months carried 255, down from 307 in the twelve months before that.
Source: National Statistics Office (Malta), residential property transactions.
The supply pipeline
How Gżira compares
69 new dwellings were approved in Gżira this quarter, 11th of the 68 localities the National Statistics Office reported. It is a real pipeline rather than a token one, and worth weighing against the demand side above.
Sliema
322
St Paul's Bay
171
Birkirkara
154
Mosta
149
Qormi
126
Msida
120
Marsaskala
112
Gżira
69
Source: National Statistics Office (Malta), residential building permits, Q1 2026.
Rental demand
Where the tenants are
Gżira holds 4.17% of all active residential rent contracts in Malta, the 7th-highest of any locality, a sign of how deep the tenant pool already is here.
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%
Swieqi
3.45%
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 Gżira
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 Gżira
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 Gżira, answered
Is Gżira a good buy-to-let?
It lets well, drawing on the same demand as Sliema and Msida from a cheaper entry point. Gżira accounts for 4.17% of Malta’s active residential rent contracts.
How active is the Gżira property market?
Between January 2024 and June 2026 the National Statistics Office recorded 723 final deeds of sale and 708 promise of sale agreements in Gżira, a monthly range of 13 to 38 completed sales. The busiest month in that window was May 2025, with 38.
Is much new build coming to Gżira?
69 new dwellings were approved in Gżira in the first quarter of 2026, 11th of the 68 localities the National Statistics Office reported. That is a genuine pipeline, so new stock is a factor here without dominating the market.
Can foreigners buy property in Gżira?
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 Gżira.
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.