Southern Malta · Investment Guide
Investing in Marsaxlokk
Malta’s fishing village: a working harbour, the Sunday market and a waterfront that draws visitors all year.
24New homes approved, Q1 2026
6Promise of sale, Jun 2026
15Final deeds of sale, Jun 2026
25Busiest month for sales, Dec 2024
The case
Why investors buy in Marsaxlokk
Marsaxlokk is the island’s best-known fishing village, built around a harbour still full of luzzijiet and busiest on a Sunday when the market runs along the front. It has kept its character in a way few coastal towns have.
That character is the asset. Waterfront property here is genuinely scarce, and the visitor traffic supports both hospitality and the kind of short-stay letting that depends on somewhere being worth visiting.
Away from the front it is a small southern village with a modest local market. The premium is tightly concentrated on the harbour, so where a property sits matters more here than in most towns.
Find me an investment in MarsaxlokkA few questions, then we do the looking.
The numbers
Market activity in Marsaxlokk
Final deeds of sale
Completed sales in Marsaxlokk have ranged from 5 to 25 a month since 2024. The past twelve months carried 144 in total, down from 196 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 22 a month. The past twelve months carried 141, level with the 139 recorded in the twelve months before that.
Source: National Statistics Office (Malta), residential property transactions.
The supply pipeline
How Marsaxlokk compares
24 new dwellings were approved in Marsaxlokk this quarter, 39th of the 68 localities the National Statistics Office reported. That is a modest pipeline: most of what sells here will be existing stock rather than new build.
Sliema
322
St Paul's Bay
171
Birkirkara
154
Mosta
149
Qormi
126
Msida
120
Marsaskala
112
Marsaxlokk
24
Source: National Statistics Office (Malta), residential building permits, Q1 2026.
Rental demand
Where the tenants are
Marsaxlokk holds 0.5% of all active residential rent contracts in Malta, the 41st-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%
Marsaxlokk
0.5%
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 Marsaxlokk
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.
Off-plan & new build
New developments in Marsaxlokk
Off-plan and newly built developments, often the strongest play for capital growth and low maintenance.
Buy-to-let
Investment-grade homes in Marsaxlokk
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 Marsaxlokk, answered
Is Marsaxlokk a good buy-to-let?
On the waterfront especially, where visitor demand supports short lets as well as year-round tenancies. Marsaxlokk accounts for 0.5% of Malta’s active residential rent contracts.
How active is the Marsaxlokk property market?
Between January 2024 and June 2026 the National Statistics Office recorded 405 final deeds of sale and 367 promise of sale agreements in Marsaxlokk, a monthly range of 5 to 25 completed sales. The busiest month in that window was Dec 2024, with 25.
Is much new build coming to Marsaxlokk?
24 new dwellings were approved in Marsaxlokk in the first quarter of 2026, 39th of the 68 localities the National Statistics Office reported. New build is a modest part of this market, so most of what trades here is existing stock.
Can foreigners buy property in Marsaxlokk?
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 Marsaxlokk.
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.