Eastern Malta · Investment Guide
Investing in Marsa
A working harbour town at the head of the Grand Harbour, industrial in parts and among the cheapest places to buy on the island.
- New homes approved, Q1 2026
- 6
- Promise of sale, Jun 2026
- 15
- Final deeds of sale, Jun 2026
- 14
- Busiest month for sales, Jan 2026
- 18
The case
Why investors buy in Marsa
Marsa sits at the head of the Grand Harbour and has long been Malta’s industrial and logistics quarter, with the port, the power station site and the racecourse all inside it. Its housing sits among that rather than apart from it.
Prices here are among the lowest in Malta, which is the starting point for any investment argument. The town has a large working population and a correspondingly broad, low-cost rental market.
It is an address that divides opinion, and the reasons are visible on any walk through it. A buyer should be clear-eyed about the industry, the traffic and the specific street, and should treat any regeneration upside as a possibility rather than a plan.
Find me an investment in MarsaA few questions, then we do the looking.
The numbers
Market activity in Marsa
Final deeds of sale
Completed sales in Marsa have ranged from 2 to 18 a month since 2024. The past twelve months carried 128 in total, up from 97 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 15 a month. The past twelve months carried 132, up from 114 in the twelve months before that.
Source: National Statistics Office (Malta), residential property transactions.
The supply pipeline
How Marsa compares
6 new dwellings were approved in Marsa this quarter, 58th 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
Marsa
6
Source: National Statistics Office (Malta), residential building permits, Q1 2026.
Rental demand
Where the tenants are
Marsa holds 1.22% of all active residential rent contracts in Malta, the 24th-highest of any locality, a moderate share, and a tenant pool that is real without being among the largest.
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%
Marsa
1.22%
Source: Housing Authority (Malta), Malta Rent Calculator, H1 2026. Read from the published tool's own chart.
Buy-to-let
Investment-grade homes in Marsa
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 Marsa, answered
Is Marsa a good buy-to-let?
Yes, at the low end of the market, with a broad working tenant base. Marsa accounts for 1.22% of Malta’s active residential rent contracts.
How active is the Marsa property market?
Between January 2024 and June 2026 the National Statistics Office recorded 265 final deeds of sale and 307 promise of sale agreements in Marsa, a monthly range of 2 to 18 completed sales. The busiest month in that window was Jan 2026, with 18.
Is much new build coming to Marsa?
6 new dwellings were approved in Marsa in the first quarter of 2026, 58th 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 Marsa?
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 Marsa.
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.
Compare Marsa
Marsa side by side
The same published figures, set against the towns a buyer is most likely to weigh Marsa against.