Central Malta · Investment Guide
Investing in St Julian's
Malta’s entertainment and business hub, where a dense mix of offices, hotels and nightlife keeps rental demand running all year and new towers keep adding stock.
32New homes approved, Q1 2026
26Promise of sale, Jun 2026
22Final deeds of sale, Jun 2026
38Busiest month for sales, Mar 2024
The case
Why investors buy in St Julian's
St Julian's carries more commercial gravity than almost anywhere else on the island. Paceville, Portomaso and the office blocks along the coast road put employers, hotels and restaurants within walking distance of the apartments above them, which is what keeps a rental market moving here when quieter towns slow down.
The tenant pool skews towards people who came to Malta to work: gaming and finance staff, hospitality workers on seasonal contracts, and the professionals a business district attracts. Turnover is higher than in a family town, but so is the speed at which a well-placed apartment re-lets.
The trade is noise and density against liquidity. Seafront and Portomaso stock commands the strongest prices and the most reliable interest, while the streets behind Paceville are cheaper to enter and let readily, provided a buyer is comfortable with an address that is busy at night.
Find me an investment in St Julian'sA few questions, then we do the looking.
The numbers
Market activity in St Julian's
Final deeds of sale
Completed sales in St Julian's have ranged from 14 to 38 a month since 2024. The past twelve months carried 329 in total, up from 299 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 17 to 47 a month. The past twelve months carried 321, down from 348 in the twelve months before that.
Source: National Statistics Office (Malta), residential property transactions.
The supply pipeline
How St Julian's compares
32 new dwellings were approved in St Julian's this quarter, 34th 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
St Julian's
32
Source: National Statistics Office (Malta), residential building permits, Q1 2026.
Rental demand
Where the tenants are
St Julian's holds 4.4% of all active residential rent contracts in Malta, the 5th-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 St Julian's
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 St Julian's
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 St Julian's, answered
Is St Julian's a good buy-to-let?
It is one of the island’s most active letting markets, with year-round demand from people who moved to Malta for work rather than for a season. St Julian's accounts for 4.4% of Malta’s active residential rent contracts.
How active is the St Julian's property market?
Between January 2024 and June 2026 the National Statistics Office recorded 824 final deeds of sale and 834 promise of sale agreements in St Julian's, a monthly range of 14 to 38 completed sales. The busiest month in that window was Mar 2024, with 38.
Is much new build coming to St Julian's?
32 new dwellings were approved in St Julian's in the first quarter of 2026, 34th 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 St Julian's?
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 St Julian's.
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.