Why We Left Malta? | Advice Before Moving to Malta
Вставка
- Опубліковано 10 бер 2022
- hey dudes! in this video we talk about reasons why we decided to leave Malta 🇲🇹 after living there for 2 years! :)
Join us on Patreon for more exclusive content - / harvestingdreams
Ask us questions for Q&A Video!
Gear I use in videos - www.amazon.co.uk/shop/rihards...
My Instagram - @rihardsbereza
My Facebook - @rihards.bereza
My Twitter - @RihardsBereza
I am also a foreigner (been raised and lived all over US and Europe all my life) and have been living in one of Sliema’s quiet street for the last 8 years. This is a key to liking it here, one area, full of locals who, with time, treat you as their own. As for the prices and rent, before coming here l checked those and knew what l’m getting into.
You guys are young with no kids, you wanted to experience the world and you did just that.
In comparison with you, l have a 9 year old son, and l strongly believe there is no better place (English speaking country) to raise your child than here. When looking at the cost of living, in my case the single most important factor was a free child care. So, instead of dishing out £1000 min a month for a childcare, here it was free. Another factor is a close proximity to work and school. Good work life balance. Another is the fact that in the local government primary school there are, out of 400 kids, 86 different nationalities, of all cultural, economic, social, religious backgrounds. It is better than any private school.
Malta is extremely safe place for kids. Kids grow up maybe not in green nature but definitely in the sea water and outdoors in general.
My point here is: depending on your situation this place can be a god send.
I consciously chose to ignore bad things and enjoy the good things, again - in my situation these prevailed.
Malta is a small country we are overpopulated malta someday will hit a dead end people have no work people will have no food. Malta will Definetly will hit a dead end. I am Maltese and us the Maltese are seeing that malta is going backwards and sinking fast. We are extremely overpopulated and too many cars. People say malta is beautiful. Stay 1 year and you will see. This man bought a house in Latvia for only 9000 and has fields. With 250,000 in malta you buy a tin can apartment that you are not safe into like other buildings that fell in malta. This is the reality of Malta not how they advertise it. Malta is finished for ever thanks to Europe that I didn't vote for.
@@user-hj9um3pn2w Only a fool would want to live in Latvia, that's why it's cheap. If Malta goes back to what you call the good old days, then you will soon know what it's like to be poor.
Like many Maltese people, you are mixing up ‘free’ with ‘good’. I’m Maltese, left Malta a decade ago and raising my children elsewhere. Education in Malta nowadays is a joke compared to what it was thirty years ago. I shudder to imagine my children having to go through the system there. As for free childcare, I’d rather pay and be in a country with better opportunities - and greener surroundings.
@@georgeleorgebeorge2354 You are exaggerating.
@@libatalklieb5793 of course. That’s why all politicians send their children to public schools hux, because of the high standard.
Malta is a very small country that you could nearly classify it as a country. Yes, it is not cheap but that is attributed to the fact that everything is exported due to the limited amount of land and rain. I think that you missed your planning when it came to culture, places where are not a touristic trap (such elsewhere in the World).
The biggest positive aspect about Malta is that most of the people speak fluent English, people are friendly , schools and health is free to a point, and you will feel quite safe walking the streets. Another positive aspect is that since Malta is situated in the middle of the Mediterranean for vacations, you could actually travel to all Europe within 3 hour flight range. However, the bad side of Malta is that as an island is very small and you might feel claustrophobic from time to time.
I suspect the expensiveness comes from the fact that it is small, it is popular, business leaders are hell-bent on constamt, rapid growth for their personal income and wealth, and the government supports the wealthy. They pursue that at the expense of the quality of life of everyone else. It gets expensive, congested, noisy, and the infrastructure (such as buses and schools) get overwhelmed. That happens in a lot of places. Places where we'd like to live. I live in the same sort of place. The congestion has increased for decades, the infrastructure is strained, and there is construction of houses and apartments and condos and stores and offices and industrial workplaces and roads everywhere all the time. And people are pouring in, and costs go up. Young people in their twenties and thirties struggle. Buying a house seems out of reach. That happens in all popular areas. You have to choose whether to live in a popular, more congested, more expensive area or perhaps a less desirable area with fewer things to do that is less expensive. We are looking for a place to retire abroad. It is very difficult to find a good place that is affordable, has a better climate (for us, a pleasant winter and a bearable summer), and has cultural attrractions. Very difficult. We are looking at Malta now, and yet we are seeing complaints, too. We just have to decide whether 1) those problems apply to us, and 2) we want to even visit to experience it first hand. We do understand that there is an expat community group that has 1200 people and meets onece/twice a month. I think that would be sufficient for socializing and finding some companionship. Also, I understand the three cities area is less congested and less noisy and has a decent expat population. Also, we have worked for decades and so I do not think the expense would matter much to us. And we would also be able to afford to travel around Europe fairly frequently, so we could get away. All those things may make Malta more livable for us than some other people. I don't know. We'll see. We're doing our homework.
You guys are saying you bearly survived with your earnings in Malta, but you also said that you saved enough to buy a property in your country - this is a big contradiction, it does not make sense
That's what i was thinking about, people work in Malta 4 years and they buy houses and cool cars.. Then they say it was bad for living..
and not work for a year, afterwards. At that point, they lost me. I see the sweetness in the whole story but the contradictions are impressive. They are young, we were young, we are all in the same boat experiencing life, with plenty of our own misunderstandings.
@@loubnamadnaoui6195 yes U suffer for 4 year and you build good house back home and nice car 😁 so again complain Malta is bad 😔 it's not 🚫.
Point is they would not have been able to afford to buy in Malta!
Where they say that??? I’m trying to hear where they say that they save money in Malta for flat, at the end of the video? I think that this is dismissing, maybe they save a bit of money 💰 working in Scotland and maybe something in Malta but i don’t think so!
Malta is family oriented. Their lives are around their family and church. If you want to be home then you go home. Once you are older and ready to retire your minds and your needs will be more open to living overseas.
"Their lives are around their family and church" What is this, the 1960s?
Sounds very suspiciously close to "Go back to your country"
I could make that argument about almost every European country I've lived in. Just like in any part of the world you will meet people who have work, home and family responsibilities and that already accounts for their allocation, leaving very little in reserve for other endeavors such as pursuing and maintaining friendships. They did describe Malta as being an inclusive culture, which is absolutely not how I would describe some countries I've lived in, and I would go as far as to describe one as "hard exclusive". But even with this relatively inclusive culture, people only have a certain amount of time to allocate and unless there's some very good reason or actual context other than "Let's just be friends", it's not going to ever happen, not with any Europeans from any country at all (generally speaking). This is why expat bubbles exist and are ultra important - they provide people in this predicament a basic human need (according to Maslow's hierarchy of needs 3rd step) Love and belonging. You can understand where this is going and why the retention for foreigners is what it is in individual European countries because there's a direct correlation. Why most expats just end up returning home in the end, especially in the lower age spectrum where that expat bubble is mostly unstable. If I understood your comment correctly, this is what you're basically saying. That in retired expat communities you will find this basic human need more likely being met.
@@andbor Yeah, I don;t think so. I read "their lives around their family and church" as having family values, which many people have, and which is why it may take special effort to develop relationships. Because people are busy with those things. I suspect one could break through and find companionship in expat communities or by joining in various groups or clubs and their activities, though. You just have to be willing to be a joiner, I guess.
@@andborExactly, that’s typical maltese answer, when they don’t know what to answer to sound smart😂In every country it’s about family, but quality of life as well!!! I live with maltese, trust me, i never meet crazier people in my life, never!!! And i travel from the age of 18, now i’m 45. They were so poor before, many people didn’t even go to school 🏫 Mentality is disaster!!! Imagine that till 15 years ago, 65 % of maltese never been out of malta 😮They don’t know for better, that’s the thing! And they think that they’re something special! For example they’re 100% confident that they have the best fruit 🍉 and they never try fruits from another country 😅They’re so funny! Specially the elder one!!! No knowledge about anything!!! Education zero!!! If you tell them to show you where is Switzerland 🇨🇭 on the map, they will not have a clue where it is😅
Thanks for sharing your experience. I d like to mention that the sliema and vicinity areas are too expensive to live in although they offer a lot of advantages such as close to everywhere and relatively good public transport to that area and a lot of foreigners in that area thus a lot of english speakers over there but it would be much cheaper even half the rent you mentioned in other areas but sacrificing those advantages. Hope to see you again as visitors.
Hi Christian 😎 thanks a lot for watching and the nice comment! You are right, that's probably the reason why we chose Central area in the beginning and just didn't move elsewhere as we started thinking about getting our own place. 👍 We definitely enjoyed our stay in Malta, and would love to visit it again especially because of people like you. Cheers! 😎👍🇲🇹
You are very right on many things! I am a Maltese guide and work with varius foregners and get to get many reactions. One thing or two where you might have failed was one: You lived in Sliema! That is super expensive and really essentially there is nothing much Maltese there, so you could not really get a sense of the place, its traditions and the warmth of a Maltese town/village. It's Festas and its microcosms. You were in the noisiest and alien places on all the Island. Two you where expecting the locals to speak English for you when you should have had tried to integrate, learn the language, customs and so on. I think its part of respecting yourself and the locals too :) About the fact that it is expensive (for no real value at all), noisy and may be alien in such touristy places sure thing! Couldn't be more right ;)
Hi Chris, where will you advice a foreigner to live in?
@rodneyhighwaystar1 I couldn't agree with you more. Like, for me, I could not imagine moving to Malta without making some attempt to learn Maltese. I cannot imagine locals thinking they have to speak English around me when hanging out.
Plus, like you said, they chose to live in a terribly expensive area. I'd look for somewhere in a small town that's far quieter. That's what Alex in Malta did and he's very happy.
Hi Chris, we are Americans looking at the three cities area for retirement. We hear it is less congested and noisy than the Valetta, Silemma, etc. area. Is that true? Is it developing so quickly, too, with lots of construction and noise? We here there is a good expat community there, so we feel we can find friends. And we have money, so we do not think it would be too expensive for us. But we hear the real estate websites are out of date and do not really reflect what is/isn't available. Are there cultural/historical/entertainmentr opportunities? Last, are there places in nature where you can go hiking left in Malta, on both the main island and the smaller surrounding ones? Also, I hear about the busing problems. How long would it take to go the 17 miles from the three cities to the west side of the island? How long to get in to Valette. We are retired, so we have time; just curious how long it takes. What else can you tell us about the three cities area? Thanks. If we visit, perhaps we can visit with you.
Great points!
Sunny (and reasonably developed) destinations are nice if you can afford the premium. Living like a student on 1K a month in Paris worked fine in my early 20s, but my living standards changed a lot once I reached my 30s. I'm not willing to share the living space with other people, or eat bologna sandwiches all day. Plus, healthcare services are becoming somewhat necessary at least on a yearly basis, if not more often. Add all these expenses and one can't go lower than 5K a month for the basics as a grown-up, if talking about sunny and rich countries. DNs and small entrepreneurs really need to up their game if they want to keep on living the dream in touristy locations. Unless they're willing to live like students; but what's the use of working 40 hours a week then?
Hi and thanks for the great comment! Totally agree and that was one of the main reasons that helped us make the decision that living in Malta was not a place for us to settle down forever and rather take some actions so that we don't get stuck working 40+ hours just to pay rent for the rest of our lives 👍
Did you even try to make a connection with the Maltese ? They are very wonderful kind people.
That's what I hear. I think the issue is whether they have time to spend with you, or if they are too busy with their existing groups of family and close friends. I would think focusing on Expat communities and committing to learning the language would make significant differences in meeting people and finding companionship.
That’s it, Maltese have childhood friends and families and a routine, they don’t have time to include foreigners especially knowing that 90% of the time the foreigners will move on…
Living in a tourist area you will always feel like a tourist and disconnected , Everything you say would be the same for a foreigner in your country at lesst most speak English in Malta
Yes indeed. You two are confused.. Malta is not your problem.
You feel like you fit in much much better if you learn Maltese regardless of what people tell you
@@lukeet331 Yes, I would guess learning the language, joining groups, and getting together with the Expat community, which gathers for dinners and social activities twice a month, would make a big difference in finding companionship and feeling socially connected. It just takes some effort to identify and reach out in the right places and be willing to join and participate.
Hey guys just came across your video,I think its all about your expectations and qaulity of life,peace and connecting with nature.I visit Latvia twice a year now.
Hey dude 😎 thanks for the comment! It's great that someone understands the actual message we were trying to convey. 👍😊
It's very important to learn the local language and this it's probably a big problem for us foreigners in Malta (5 weeks in the last 2 years as tourist), when you don't want to integrate yourself.
I want to learn Malti in the next years to get more contact to the Maltese people during my vacations here.
The place there you have you flat make a great diffrence in the price of the rent.
I’m from CA and I think it’ll be a good starter country to live. The prices and cost of living here is outrageous so I think Malta would be a lot more affordable. Crime seems lower in Malta too. Don’t have to watch my back worried about shootings, stabbings, or thievery.
Los Angeles California
Hi. I’m from New York considering moving to malta too. I’m wondering if you ever made the move and if so, how’s it going ?
I'm originally from Oakland, CA. I lived in NYC for 10 years, moved to Los Angeles, and lived there for 13 years. I now live in Wichita Falls, Texas.
After watching multiple videos on Malta, I've decided that it's a great place to visit, but moving there seems a lot like living in both NYC and LA.
I believe that working on Malta for a year or two, and possibly finding the lowest rent in order to save money, might be a good option for saving money, but it seems as if the Cons outweigh the Pros . I left both NYC and LA for the reason of congestion, crime, and politics, and I'll never live in a place similar ever again.
You should take a lengthy visit before deciding to move to Malta. I'd say a month or two.
Very true Malta is good for start up. Ideal for tourists n students but not for families oriented on long term settlement or permanent basis.
@@ulovemex33 good if u are pensioner ❤
Hi, thank you for answering my question. It's very helpful.
I am from Latvia just like both of you, I live in UK for the last 12 years and I guess I was just getting fed up, besides I'd like to get a higher education, but it's just too expensive in England...the life in UK is also expensive and when you don't have a degree renting an apartment can be too expensive...especially if you're alone. Thank you for your video anyway, it was very useful. I'll try applying for University of Malta and moving there for studies and then see for myself if I like it or not.
Hi and thanks for watching ☺️ I agree that renting alone can be very expensive, we would probably not be able to live in Scotland or Malta by paying all bills by just one person's salary. You should definitely try Malta for yourself and decide on your own no matter what anyone else says about their experience. As we said in the video we went to Malta and ignored everything we learned from online and we are glad that we did and experienced it ourselves 😊
Hi jelena ! I appreciate U dear, Malta is good in terms of affordable life with average educational background n for further studies, future development lots to offer also mild weather ☁️ benifit for English speaking expats. UK is good if you have family more people earn n contribute. Weather is too cold n renting is seriously issue now the days. I hope u will enjoy Ur time in Malta. Well come💯
@@WeAreHarvestingdreams Yes, the last time a couple/family was able to live on one income in America was in the 1950's! :) Most young people in their twenties and thirties here in America have difficulty paying for rent and other expenses and saving money. They can't buy a house until their late thirties or forties. That's because more and more of the money is going to the wealthy... In 1979, the top 1% earned 8% of the total income. Today, the 1% takes 25% of the income. The top 3 wealthiest people here now have more wealth than the bottom 90%. Wow! It's created a real problem, especially for young people, even in the so-called middle class. Good luck in your new country!
Every where is expensive you can't compare Scotland with Malta , Scotland cheap at rent because the miserable weather and malta expensive because a nice weather I lived in UK for 12 years we work like donkeys in here all money goes to rent and bills so the bad everywhere at least malta you see the sun every day and enjoy it but here in UK you will see the sun ones a year i lived in malta before I came to UK and I prefer Malta then UK
Hey! I'm also from Latvia, managed to survive here in Malta for 8 years. It's harder to settle here during past 5 years for foreigners, in order to rent house or apartment you need to check if it's quiet neighbourhood or you will have constant construction happening around you. In same time you will want to rent an apartment close to your job to avoid traffic jams. But still i like Malta, but missing Latvia :)
Hi! I guess the keyword here is 'survived'. 😅 We liked many different aspects of living in Malta but in the end we just decided that we want some peace and quiet and to own our own place and it just made sense that property prices for what we were looking were obviously cheaper in Latvia so we came back 😊👍
Hello vespalife did u able to get pr ?? As it has been 8years u r in malta?
@@hellyrastogi6498 i was not doing pr, as i have EU passport, so no point to do it. I have few friends who managed to do pr, so it's possible but takes time.
@@vespalife8251 yes if you already have eu passport than is way better you can survive here in Malta ❤ stay blessed
@@vespalife8251i am trying to move Malta...i have many doubts....what's ur insta❓
Interesting video, I am Maltese and I understand Malta became really expensive. However, I live abroad in Germany and the language issue and the exclusion happen to every expat that move to a foreign country, you just have to accept the fact that you will never be a local where ever you live unless you learn the language. Therefore, I am learning German because I feel the same way here people start talking in English, and then they switch unintentionally which is normal. I am pretty sure if someone will move to Lativa will say the same about your language and behaviour. I think to be honest that you were not open enough for culture difference, being priorly you lived in an English-speaking country also going back home must be the best option for you. Good luck guys!!
I totally agree with you. I am Maltese and live in Northern Italy. Unfortunately both Malta and Italy are extremely expensive. But having said that in Malta you can always find work unlike many other countries. Maltese work hard because they want to live a luxurious life and enjoy themselves. Other cultures might prefer to work less and go out less and buy less stuff they like. About the Maltese being loud - you’re in the Mediterranean! All Mediterranean people are loud!!!! Maltese being mosey is something I hate but it’s a small island and it usually happens with older generations. I agree on some points but I have a feeling that you are not very accepting of cultural differences and that you as a foreigner have to make an effort to fit in. I don’t expect Italians to know Maltese or English, I had to learn Italian and accept their culture. Wherever you go they will have a joke you won’t understand or they’ll say a thing you find silly or funny but then it’s up to you to see if you’re open minded enough to ask questions or just take it personally.
and DON'T say "I'm learning one of Malta's languages" when you mean English
I suppose in general living in a foreign country is always more difficult to adjust. Like you I lived in Scotland, was staying in Edinburgh and my goal was to just build a life there but felt it was not for me so I left after one year. It's nothing really to do with Scotland I suppose but I started to miss home and everything it represented, yeah the bad as well as the good :) The problems you mentioned with having to pay high rent for an apartment pretty much applies to Scotland as well and many of the developed countries were everything tends to be expensive but then it also depends on what kind of job you have as the pay is then better than in Latvia for instance which kind of balances things out.
You left Edinburgh to go back to the Rock? Hahahah
Hey dude 😎 thanks for the comment and your insight! We definitely have zero regrets about our life in Malta, we are glad that we did it and learned a lot from there. Yes because of higher prices we also had higher salaries which gave us this leverage to save and be able to afford something back home. In that sense we are almost lucky that we can explore other countries and save money there and then use it back home where economy isn't as developed 😅 thanks for checking in ☺️
@@WeAreHarvestingdreams Hey dudes, as long as you got something out of it then it was all worthwhile :) My bro's partner is from Latvia (no kidding) and my sister's husband is English and both have been living here for years. Also in my block of apartments there are families from Serbia, Poland, Belgium and Italy who have been living here for years and very much settled here. I suppose it works for some but not for all. Maybe it would have worked better for you if you have moved apartment since you didn't want to stay is such a crowded place. It should have been relatively easy given that you were only renting there and didn't have furniture to move. Also, who knows you could have found cheaper rent...just saying ;)
Wow such a small world eh? 😅 That is true I'm sure there is a lot cheaper apartments and we did consider it for a bit but I guess the priorities for us changed as we decided that we would rather try to find our own place and not rent anymore 🤷♂️😊 probably if we were younger we would've stayed in Malta for a lot longer 😊
What I learn with my 6 years of experience while staying abroad, Every country has its positive n negative it's all depends on you which country suits you as per your age, education,links .... which country you want to chose according to Ur requirements. What U want from ur life Ur planning Goals achievements ? U need to do homework before relocate any country. May be the country Is worse for u is best for me n my worst country might be best for you so don't complain all the time stop comparing countries. No country is perfect
us locals feel it as well and the reason of this inflation is because a lot of people have poured in our tiny island in a short time and the prices skyrocketed ! I myself am planning to move out because its hard for us as well !
Hello sir I was giving admission in school of business and management in Malta pls sir I will love to know much about malt before moving in so I can prepare my mind
Hi but the problem not from people who came to live in malta the problem is from the greedy landlords who always wanted more money and from who owns jobs to pay less salaries
Covid was the time of real change and the cost of bringing things to Malta increased and became evident in the shop prices. Many Maltese people go all around the world and spend many years abroad, so it is not fair to blame people coming on the problems. Landlords and even agents do not take proper responsibility for issues and tenant rights.
@@aliassa2436 no, BOTH are the problem
Yeah pity the Maltese people have to leave because of the foreigners that are coming in
If you only worked 40 hours a week how is it you had no time to do anything? I work over 90 hours a week & still find time to do other things.Yes property is expensive in Malta but that's why we work so hard to buy a house
Property is just as expensive in any other country -- Malta is not worse than other places at all. I sold my 1-bedroom super small apartment in Poland and I had enough for almost half of a 3-bedroom huuuuuge and lovely apartment in Birżebbuġa so it's bull that property in Malta is super expensive compared to other countries.
Exactly? Who can expect to work less than a very normal 40 hours a week? Who can call 40 hours a week a "hamster wheel"? 40 hours a week is nothing. I simply can't fathom how people can grow up to .expect to work less than that or to find that oppressive. My lord, to work 9-5 is a dream. I spent my entire adult life (I'm over sixty now) working 60 or more hours a week. Yes, I became quite comfortable, but I had to sacrifice time and work hard for it. That's just the way it is; I don't think that has changed. You cannot think that you will be able to achieve a more than average standard of living without working a more than average amount time. Superior money and lifestyle (such as being able to afford a home) takes superior talent and effort. I get the work/life balance mindset today. I do. And I respect it, and especially for those who appreciate what they will be sacrificing and accept that. But to prioritize work/life balance AND expect an above average lifetycle is impractical. Expectations need to be in line with reality. Either learn to enjoy less "stuff" and less in the way of costly experiences or work harder to pay for them. That's the choice we all make.
Malta is a beautiful country where I spent 10 years. It's very family oriented country.Family is very important and a safety net for the Maltese people. You go out on Saturday night mainly with your brothers in law sisters in law .And on Sunday it's usually go to your parents home and the whole family gathers for long lunches which last till late evening. This is something this couple obviously missed. It really is difficult for foreigners to adjust to the Maltese way of life. Maltese people are the kindest people I have met in my life. I was sorry I had to leave Malta for personal reasons.But I will always remember Malta and the Maltese with lots of fondness. One thing I liked in Malta the children really respect their parents and grandparents and appreciate what they have done for you. Grazzi Sahha!
What this couple experienced seems to be a common theme in Europe (or anywhere) but Europe has so many vastly different cultures and languages all within close proximity. There's also really hard and serious edges between cultures and languages. Seems like regardless of which European country you go to, there will be predominantly the local language and then some degree of English, but Malta seems like one of the easier countries in this regard (English is an official language). Nevertheless there's no getting around this really, the solution is to find some kind of expat bubble that has a sustainable population of expats that actually live there long term. I actually don't even doubt that the Maltese are accepting and warm people, but language always creates some kind of barrier, but it is a common theme too for Europeans to be mostly family orientated. That is that most people spend their leisure time with family or very close friends that they almost consider like family. That's obviously fine if you have such a connection, but if you don't the problem is you'll never have it, not if you live there for 3 years or 40 years. Living in Europe then for those of us foreigners means accepting the burden is perpetual and unsolvable. At least though it seems Maltese are generally nice and try to be accepting to foreigners. I also want to say it creates a slight logical issue, because the areas that have these "expat bubbles" are usually large and expensive cities where there is less quality of life. I really feel genuine empathy for any foreigner who has to wrestle with this "unsolvable" problem.
😘
I guess this is why many Expats seek out areas where there are other active Expat communities, and then reach out to them and engage. It takes some sacrifice of personal time and some effort to join and participate. I find this a common theme and solution among Expats all over.
Malta 🇲🇹 is disaster!!! Stuck in age!!! Before they use to fuck between family members, no wonder they’re so crazy!!! Always keeping windows closed 😅Knowledge about life and everything else zero!!! You have families in every single country! I live with maltese and i know how they are!!! So obsessed with money, they tries to keep money in the family all the time , that’s why many ladies never got married, that’s why you can see so many building empty, nobodies lives there… Cause mothers have big expectations from daughters, and at the end they never get married! They opened this tiny island 15 years ago, more or less. Imagine before that how many cousins married between them, same blood 🩸 over and over again?! Disaster!!!
Of course u would want to go back home eventually it's what u know & so Malta is just an experience for many people. I'm in the UK at the moment & both my daughter's pay a huge amount of rent..it takes most of their wages (forget living in London..they are in the southwest) everything shuts down at 4 over here (except the food store) & so the streets are empty after that time...eating out cost £80 with a bottle of wine & without it's £50 (BUT no starter!) So we eat out more often in Malta. The weather is completely doing my head in!! I guess everywhere has its problems.
Hey dude 😎 thanks for the comment it was nice reading it. It's true that you can find the good and the bad everywhere and not to say that we didn't enjoy the good parts of Malta, it was just a chapter in our lives that had to change eventually 👍
Wow, not expecting to be that bad to justify that, i had watched like 20+ videos and tons of blogs.
Kudos guys for this great video it has been great help!
it seems like it is just as bad as Singapore. yeah, i am from Singapore Cheers!
😂 that's been great.
I think you have mentioned at once (and I know that) your main point when picking on the country was to have NICE weather (i second this so much) and then also the fact that you'd be able to communicate with the language proficiency that is already at your disposition.
I just feel like it could have worked out for you way different if you picked on another country, perhaps with different expense rates and maybe if you as well have considered other factors that eventually backplayed on you like certain compatibility with culture, yet still easily a country with a nice climate as well.
I also understand that you had certain inner longing for 'Latvija' and maybe Latvija too but really, initially, it's a feel other than place.
Anyhow, even if now is that what your choice is, it doesn't need to be ultimate definite either.
I've been in similar situation as you're now and eventually I'm back to estonia and i really own it and plan on next.
The door is always opened
Hey dude 😎 thanks for the comment. Yes I agree with what you are saying but I also think that if we were younger these issues we found in Malta would probably not seem as such deal breakers as now, since we started shifting towards our own place and our goals changed and we weren't as inclined to fight obstacles in Malta. We lived in Scotland for four years and we liked Malta a lot more but since we have were younger it was easier to deal with things we didn't like 😅 that is not to say that this is the definitely our final destination as we can never know where we will end up 😅👍
@@WeAreHarvestingdreams well i can see these obstacles could have been optional if you weren't exposed to them primarily thanks to your then ongoing capability and knowledge of factors that'd come crucial for your willingness to continue with that journey. Its unfortunate that the Malta hasn't been that great of an experience.
in either way, i understand you then got an interest in buying your house and all things together, you've decided to go back to Latvija for it which is for as long as it is a conscious choice, absolutely reasonable.
I personally can't agree with using this 'younger/older' factor. it's a choice and ways you go about and around it, not quite a reason or explanation for anything.
I'm crossing my fingers for both of you and stay supportive of your journey ❤️
Thank you, Thank you, Thank you.
I had started watching your earlier videos on living in Malta, and really enjoyed them. The places you visited while living there are beautiful.
I was looking for an honest video of people who live there, and this video is the truth! I watched many other videos, and it seems as if Malta is very similar to living in New York City and Los Angeles ( two places I've lived for more than 10 years). One video interviewed several people on the street who were foreigners, and I could tell that they were truly happy. Most people moved there for work.
I don't want to work in order to live, I want to live to work.
Thank you again for being real and honest enough to share your experiences. ❤️ ❤️
Hi and thank you for your honest opinion! I think it's hard when you are interviewed to be straight up honest if you are happy or not. We would probably have said yes as well, because if you admit that there are things that you are not happy about, people might perceive it as you failed or made a mistake by moving to Malta. We were happy there and very much enjoyed most of our stay, but it was just not our final destination I guess and could not imagine settling down there 😊
One question: do you think working 40 hours a week is a burden, as these two do? Is that living to work? When I worked 40 hours a week I got nowhere, lived paycheck to paycheck. When I worked harder and developed a real career, I was able to afford a higher standard a living, achieve financial stability, travel, etc. It's a trade-off. I mean no disrespect to people who want the kind work/life balance that apparently only a 40 hour workweek (or less) gives them. It's just that they need to be prepared to sacrifice, appreciate the time off and inexpensive experiences, etc. Expecting light work and above average lifestyles is simply a recipe for disappointment and unhappiness.
@izzytoons life for other people is not about what I think, but rather how the individual feels. I have no judgments in that regard because I live my own life and have nothing to compete or prove to anyone.
As long as I am happy and fulfilled, then that's all that matters. To each it's own.
It appears that your happiness comes from comparisons rather than within. Be blessed in your endeavors
@@Raphalou Apparently you missed this: "I mean no disrespect to people who want the kind work/life balance that apparently only a 40 hour workweek (or less) gives them." I was simply stating a fact of life for most of us. Work/life balance, such as working 40 hours a week or less, is fine. Just don't expect that you can do that without making sacrifices on what you can buy and do. I chose to work more because I preferred sacrificing my time for a better lifestyle. I didn't think I could do the opposite, work less for a more frugal lifestyle. That was my choice. If someone wants more work/life balance, that's their choice. I get it and I respect and accept that. I wasn't comparing, I was just describing two different choices and what the consequences are. I was commenting on the condition when people make the choice to work less, then complain about how much they are working and not being able to buy a house, for example... I thought I was pretty clear about that. So no, my happiness does not come from comparisons, as you judgmentally assume. Read more carefully: "I mean no disrespect to people who want the kind work/life balance that apparently only a 40 hour workweek (or less) gives them." Bless you, too.
@izzytoons I'm not about to hold court with someone who is full of themselves. And I am definitely not about to read a dissertation over UA-cam. Go find someone else to debate and argue with, and have a wonderful life.
Did you get overtime pay for working over 40 hours? May be people worked more hours to get premium pay. Do they take a lot of taxes out of your pay? Paying a lot for rent or housing would be a real deal breaker for moving to any area.
Hi, no we didn't and most office based, yearly salary contracts will have it stated that overtime might arise if company needs it and no additional pay will be added and only after a lot of legal paperwork can be paid for, which companies fight against and make it harder to fill these papers, and once you start the process then you can forget about any additional bonuses or promotions. It's often lose loose situation for employees.
Thanks for this. I am planning to leave Malta and never considered Latvia....I am doing research about Latvia and I might change my mind :)
Hey dude 😎 thanks for watching 😊 you will find that Latvia and Malta ar two very different countries in many ways 😅
@@WeAreHarvestingdreams Are there any work opportunities there?
Malta is a member of the European Union, and its standards are very high. As a Maltese citizen, I am pleased to have been born and raised in Malta. After all, no country is flawless, and what is bad for you does not necessarily mean it is bad for everyone. Malta has become overcrowded with foreigners in the previous five years. Before travelling to work in another nation, do your research before talking about the land of others. We have fresh air, sunshine all day, nice people, and English as a second language, and you're whining about one or two people watching you from the balcony, lol. In any case, I wish you the best of luck wherever you go.🥰😘
Don't pretend that Malta takes on all the mores of the EU because it does not - remember the grey listing?! Standards of politeness and civility are NOT very high either. The perils of renting in Malta and Gozo are well-known as well! Think being part of the EU is hypocritical in the case of Malta...
@@AnnabelleJARankin I must clarify that I do not claim Malta to be the perfect place in the world. When mentioning the greylist, it is important to understand that it has no direct correlation with the Maltese people as a whole. The comments you made about Malta seem to be entirely off-topic and do not pertain to me. As for politeness and civility, I find it unfair to generalize and suggest that they are not highly valued in Malta. Making sweeping judgments about all Maltese people being rude and lacking civility is unfounded and inappropriate. We are not soliciting anyone to come to our island, nor do we consider ourselves as beggars. Malta is what it is, and if you find it unsuitable, I encourage you to explore other countries or places that may better align with your preferences.
Thank you so much for your video!
Tomorrow I'm starting a remote job for a company based in Malta but with the intention of moving there after a probatory period.
I heard it's expensive but I had no idea that as a single, you'll spend most of your salary just on rent!
No, thank you then :D You cleared my doubts.
Also, it's interesting what you're saying because you'd think that since Malta is this Mediterranean island, the culture will be more laid back and relaxed, so hearing from you it is more of a workaholic country is a shock to me.
I remember also when I lived in the UK, and got my job in a corporation in London, I felt like the city and the company just sucked life out of me. I felt constantly overworked, lived in this very expensive city, and spent most of my salary just to be able to survive in London. It was not worth the hassle at all. I moved back to Poland 11 years ago, and even though my country is not as developed as the UK of course, no point in even comparing that, I feel like I live a more balanced life, I have more free time, I get much better weather and food :) And I really can afford to travel, when I was in the UK I couldn't!
Hi thank you very much for sharing your story! Yes, there were many great things about Malta, but in most part I think it is very hard to survive in most countries when renting alone. We enjoyed our stay there but we never felt like it was our end destination. I guess because we belong to millennial generation, we also didn't feel like overworking is more important than good life balance so we had to say goodbye to the sunny and warm Malta and came back to our own country and are trying to make our new life back here . Wishing you a great journey ahead! 😊
@@WeAreHarvestingdreams Best of luck to you too guys!❤
Just watching your video now. I agree with many things you said. Malta and rent are super expensive and you’re right and even me as a Maltese I don’t like that of course. Also construction is too much.
But some other things you mentioned is literally normal and also doesn’t make much sense at all. Do you think if I come to live in Latvia (a country I have visited) I will be excited to be there after 2 years as much as I am during the first month. It’s called the honey moon phase and that happens in everything and everywhere in life.
You also mentioned that we do not speak in English. What do you expect if you are living in a country that has its own language? Can I moan in Latvia about people talking in Latvian? But yeah, I can understand the part when you mentioned the break time at work and maybe colleagues speak in Maltese and you feel like excluded. I can totally understand that.
Also Malta is a 27km by 14km country. Of course you would feel like living in a very small country, cause it is small and yeah I know what you mean … sometimes you can feel bored.
During the part when you mentioned the Maltese jokes it is true that sometime how we joke is funny but when we translate those same exact words in english are not that funny but in Maltese way they are :)
You do not want to pay rent which I agree with cause here it’s super expensive but then you said you don’t want to pay a loan, so what do you want exactly cause I am trying to understand and you confused me :)
By watching this video you made me feel curious about buying a property in Latvia :) maybe one day I will buy a house there 😀
You’re welcome to Malta anytime :) at least for a holiday.
Take care 😊
I agree with you. One thing that really stood out to me in this video is just the fact that they haven't mentioned or even hinted at them actually trying to learn Maltese or make any effort to integrate into the Maltese culture. it really sounded like they complained that "we want to live our life our way and Malta isn't enthusiastically living it with us" mentality
Thanks alot for sharing your experience on living in Malta, very helpful
I know what you’re talking about I was born in Malta but live overseas we went many times for a Holliday but yes rental very expensive now going to be like Hong Kong with all the buildings coming up
I agree with you. For us Malta forever will be a wonderful holiday destination, but living there got bit too much for our values right now 👍
Hey dudes very insightful look into ones mind, sounds like you had a plan which changed and I wish you all the best for the future. On another note did your bid get accepted? My fingers have been crossed for you.
Hey dude 😎 thanks for watching the video and your comment 😊 we have couple of videos already planned but after that we can't wait to make an update video about the bid so stay tuned 😊
This was very insightful for me. I'm Maltese and have been living in Arizona for 7 years, and I could just post a same exact video saying pretty much everything you expressed, about Arizona: Financial 'struggle' (big land but cost of property is insane) , zero time-off and only 24 hours paid sick time in a year, doesn't feel like home (no connections/feeling excluded, whether it's language or non-language related), far from family.. I get it x
I guess the strongest message for me from this is that home is always home, for most of us. Some things are always gonna be better and others will be worse.. wherever you are. Hope you're very happy back home!! =) xxxx
Hi, regarding our language and you sometimes feel cut off because we tend to switch to Maltese while speaking between ourselves, I have worked many years abroad, like 7 seven years in the Netherlands, 6 years in South America and 2 years in Turkey + many other countries and in all these countries you will have the same issue of not understanding the locals when talking to each other in their mother language but you have to understand that is a normal thing and not feel bad about it. I have worked also in Scotland and could never understand one word they said between themselves. I have never been to Latvia but I guess it will be the same situation when locals speak to each other. Saying this I found my experience very positive because I managed to learn to understand and speak Dutch and Spanish so I can feel more at home in those countries. Anyways, wish you guys all the best of luck for the future.
How much were you paying in rent ? And what part of malta where you living ?
I totally agree with Malta being kind of expensive for people with an relatively low income. If you live on your own and have to pay like 700€ and bills and food and all of that needs to be paid out of a 1000€ salary,oh my. You will find yourself in a bad place. Now,with regards to the 40hours a week. Thats a normal amount of hours for a full time. In most european countries. Those are not a lot of hours. I used to work 80hrs/week in my first year of Malta as my salary was very low. And only by that I could afford living a basic life. I would say Malta is pretty much ok if you have a nice and well paid job. A bit limited though in activities.
💯 agree with you if you have good job all countries are very ok for you but job with less salary is worse even in USA UK Canada Australia 🌏
Expensive rent is for sure one of the biggest problems here. They need rent controls but I doubt it will happen
That's in true in most first-world countries. So is working AT LEAST 40 hours a week to get beyond living paycheck to paycheck. If you watch these videos about people leaving various places, the cost of living, esepcially housing, is a common theme. It is a real problem in the 2020s. I've been looking at a lot of countries, even places like Uruguay, and I am surprised. So many of these places are supposed to have inexpensive housing, but not really. Not compared to the U.S., at least.
You should have bought a boat. Lived on it, and sell it again when you decide to leave . Secondly , out of curiosity , would I feel welcome in Latvia? Will everyone start speaking English because I am there ?
Good point about the lanuage. At least most people speak English on Malta, but I would attend classes to learn Maltese if I were to live there long-term. Seems a requirement in most places. The question is: how difficult to learn Maltese?
Keeping this nice and short. Leaving your home country (Latvia in your case) is not for everyone. If you are not ready to accept "rules" of living and working outside of your home country then anywhere else you will be unhappy. Paying 70-90% of your salary to cover bills is very normal in most countries. There is even a special self-employed part-time working scheme in Malta which is a strong signal that you will need to have 2 jobs to have a good life.
Living in a busy touristic area is not a good idea in any country. You could choose Mosta, Mdina or Birżebbuġa for a quiet living conditions and amazing neighbourhood.
Good luck on your journey 👍
Hi i,d like to know when Putin comes knocking atLatvia again are you going to Scotland first or straight to Malta,?
@@mikemuscat6330 My body and mind are not attached to any country, politician and religion. If "devil" will come somewhere I will make sure that my body will not be there to the moment. Latvia, Scotland, Costa Rica, Iceland and so on. Nowadays anyone can opt for any passport from any country under some conditions, so imho this is stupid to die for one country if you can be happy in another one 👍
Thanks for the living area suggestions
@@mikemuscat6330 haha nice question first of all Putin is not coming don't worry second Malta is easy n near bcz of Brexit Scotland is hard.
@@AlexMisarins we should develop new country to live where we make our policy 😁 n desire life
When you land on a country that you don't have to work to live ,or maybe the boss will send you money while yiu stay home,send me a message,i think you two are very entiltled . Imagine Maltese speaking Maltese,how rude of them.
their point is it's expensive for no reason
@@Metarigdoesn't everything have to be imported though? That would drive up expense.
For those who come to live here in Malta must consider the fact that this is a small country that has its limits.
It's nice you shared your experience , even if you hated Malta , people have to understand when you don't like the land It's not them you don't like and they have to accept that the people are not the land, also different and separate the system of the country , the people and the land these things are separate ,sometimes people dont get it , this is not excluded to any other country . I am Maltese and thank you ,People are not the same even as many comments suggest things against your experiences , the rich and the poor are also different , what is expensive if I earn 3000 a month and what is expensive if I earn 720 a month , what if I like to live close to nature and hate buildings and what if I dont mind to live in block buildings , this is your experience and thank you for sharing .I am Maltese and I think like you in many things especially when 25 years ago near my mum was all farmland now I'm surrounded by buildings only (I know how Malta was, I liked it but not now ) . Im sorry that they didnt explain to you the jokes instead of just saying its a Maltese thing , as you were interested to know they should explain to you not just saying its a Maltese thing and thats it , Im sorry you met the wrong People around you as well and you felt excluded , the prices of rent and food are insanely high many Maltese admit it as well .
I have to disagree with some of your points...I moved here with my wife 3 years ago. We both still love it..we have retired here and find that the food prices are very reasonable. We come from UK where the prices are so high for food and general living. If we stayed in UK we would not have been able to retire. Yes Malta is probably not the cheapest place to live in Europe..infact we found Spain very cheap when we stayed there. The one main problem with Malta I would say is the amount of building going on... it's almost everywhere you go on the island.
England where? It is a country of 130,279 km², and there is not only London.
@@carlocampione2384 I come from Sussex..but anywhere in UK is expensive compared to Europe
😢 are you sure food in UK is more expensive than Malta!
In UK you have Poundland where almost everything is a pound, there are so many options even Lidl is budget store in UK. Food prices in Malta is hell is hard to find something that cost a € 1 in contrast in UK a fanta cost around €0.60 while in Malta €1.20
Also in UK you can get cheaper rent outside of London
Did you compare the price of meat or fish in Malta compare to UK!
Please note: UK is not just London outside London you can find very affordable community like Peterborough, Leicester etc…
@Mr.Tito. it's certainly cheaper to eat out in malta..and you don't have to pay to park your car in most areas around malta. So you can enjoy a good meal.
I'm from South Africa and have the option to move to either Malta or Italy, I'm in my late twenties and I really want to build a solid financial foundation. This video has really influenced my perspective. Thank you for all the great information and context!
Thanks for watching and your comment! We also wanted to move to Italy as is a beautiful country, but as far as we understood you have to know Italian, because it's harder to get a job with just English, so we moved to Malta.☺️
Go to Malta instead of Italy.... you should also consider Australia..... it's amazing. Especially Sydney or the Gold Coast/Brisbane.
@@garyhaber6957 Australia is a shit hole. I know i live there.
@@WeAreHarvestingdreams Yes. And lots of young people are leaving Italy because there are few job opportunity. Outside of the popular places like Rome, Florence, Milan, and Venice are inexpensive, but there are few jobs out there.
@@garyhaber6957Have friends who have moved to Sydney. It is now the most expensive city in the world, and it is dreadfully hot. So there's that.
Im confused, in another video u said u saved 60% of salary if im not mistaking, and apparently u saved enough to buy a house in latvia, can u please explain how now u say u work just to live?
That was the point of this video. We enjoyed living in Malta, but there was no long term future for us there. With regular salary you could just afford regular lifestyle and life paycheck to paycheck. Our end goal was to find a place we could own not rent forever, and we also don't believe in acquiring debt. It was impossible for us to save enough to buy property in Malta, but with Maltese salaries we could cut our expenses as much as we could see we could afford property in Latvia because the property prices in Latvia are on avarage 80x times cheaper or more. Hope this explains . Cheers!
As I local I thank you for your honesty. Wishing you a happy future wherever you go.
Hi and thanks for the comment ☺️
Thanks for telling these.nice vid.I wonder if i bring my wife and daughter here ,is it enough for my own salary to support my family? is my wife need to work also? my daughter is 4 month she cant leave her monther too long if my wife working
Hi thank for watching ☺️ it depends on what kind of salary and what are your life expectations. With avarage salary in Malta it might not be sufficient to support a family of 3 unless you choose to live a very frugal life. Hope this helps 👍
@@WeAreHarvestingdreams Thanks for reply, as long as we can leave China, i can do any job no matter its hard or how long i work in a week 🥺
Hope it works out for you 😊
Choose another Asian country instead. In Malta, third-country nationals can only be hired if the company proves that they can't hire a local or European so you will not get a good job.
@@TomaszAndrzejNidecki True..thanks for notice
If you come to Malta for a week or so as a tourist then it would be fun especially if it is the first time. However, if you settle here things can be seen different. Malta is too noisy, construction everywhere you go and very over crowded. People are becoming frustrated, due to cost of living, heavy traffic and it's becoming worse every year. Green areas where one could enjoy some peace and away from all the hastle is becoming more difficult to find.
You made a few good points
Can a single person live in good conditions with 2K net salary? If rent is 650Eur/month. Because shared apartment idea will not good...
It will always depend on how you would spend the rest of the money of course. I think 2k is a good start 👍
There good and bad where every you live, I lived in Madliena for 17 years now live back in UK, if we don’t try these things we will never know if we like or dislike something in anything we do in our lives as we only have one life.
Hi and thanks for the comment! I totally agree! We have zero regrets about living in Malta and moving away either. We love trying different places and learning from them. As you said, life it too short not to try 😊
I am from Latvia and lived in Lisbon, London, and now Aland Islands. To be honest I do not think Malta is something different than other counties, especially if we talk about rent costs. I worked customer service and sales jobs and I would not say my salary was the worst. But not in London and not in Lisbon you can rent on your own as long as you are not in a high position, IT, your own successful business, and so on. At least it is not horrible weather as it was in England. I will visit Malta soon and thinking about moving as we have work office there.
Sandram! Great 👍 of course you should give chance to 'Malta'...
Sandra... Am glad you'll move to Malta again. Am planning of migrating there to work as a nurse. What do you think?
@@gabrielkonlaa3766 Gabriel sister if I m allow to text, medical department is widely in demand every where so u can get nice job ❣️ stay blessed n keep trying. U can do it may God protect you amen
@@zainulabdin1720 Thank you for your feedback. May God be with you too
How the fuck asked you to come to Malta?
Well I live in Malta for almost 5 years 🙂 last year we moved away with my boyfriend and after 5 months we came back as we missed Malta 🇲🇹 a lot 🙂we have here amazing lives ☀️ so grateful that I can live here next to the sea 🌊 even if it has some bugs (like constructions and noise) still it's beautiful here ❤️
Well come to 🏠😊
I'm Maltese born here and lived here my entire life here. I totally agree with you. It's crazy here and I would love to leave here. You're absolutely right
Then do it lol , but you won't ... because we all know that if you were born and lived in Malta , there's a lifestyle that you will not find anywhere else , and it's hard to re-adjust somewhere else .. it sucks that places are expensive :(
I've been looking all over the world for a place to retire. The most desirable places with cultural and entertainment opportunities and good climates (no cold winters, livable summers) are pretty much all crowded and expensive. You have to accept the crowds and traffic and have money, which for most people means you have to be older, to have worked decades to acquire some wealth. Otherwise, you have to desire peace and quite, accept fewer entertainment opportunities, fewer groups to find friends, etc. That's the trade-off. I see it everywhere. It's tough to decide and choose.
Trying to open a bank account as a non Maltese is a pain. Why live in a country where you cannot even do banking? No I don't want to do banking with Revolut but proper traditional banking. So I left no regrets.
They definitely made it more complicated than it had to be 👍
@SomaBru Revolut is not a proper bank! Get a home loan, a car loan from Revolut.
Traditional banking does not take seconds !!!!
Oh if you think opening an account is tough, you wanna try getting a mortgage there if you're not Maltese. 10% deposit if you're Maltese, and 40% deposit if you're not! Yeah, they really make you feel welcome! Not!
That was a very interesting video. I looked at the cost of living on numbio and it's way less than what I'm paying now. I think I live in one of the most expensive countries in the world. Did you finally go back to Latvia, or did you move somewhere else
I think we had the same feeling when we moved to Malta as well because we also checked all the prices online before our move. Eventually we moved back to Latvia 😉
@@WeAreHarvestingdreams yes you know I did a lot of research and it seems to me that a lot of people move there for one reason or another. Either to work in igaming or something like that, and then the allure sort of wears off and they leave. I guess the other thing is because it's a small island you maybe feel claustrophobic? I'm looking at the island of Cyprus as well. Have you heard anything good or bad about Cyprus?
@@WeAreHarvestingdreams Can you describe what the climate is like in Latvia? Are the winters snowy and cold? Are the summers pleasant? Is it humid? Thanks.
@@torontovoice1 Perhaps consider Crete? It's very large, has a variety of about 300 beaches and a varied terrain with mountains and places to hike. The two drawbacks are the sandstorrms from Africa, which can frequently cover your cars and outdoor furniture with dust if you don't have a garage and/or cover them. The other is Greek. I understand it is very difficult to learn, and entirely necessary if you are going to live there, especially if you are going to live outside the tourist ares. I don't know about Cypress, although don't they have some militant group that gets active and scary at times, or is that somewhere else?
@@izzytoons okay well thank you very much. I'll consider it
Well I understand everybody likes their country and especially when you have family there as far as talking Maltese it happens automatically with every country
You lived in the middle of the center but there are many other cities in Malta which are more quiet and offer a good price. Now you also live far away from the city so you cant compare. I could never live in Sliema but there are quiet places in Malta where you could have worked remotely. I think it's more about what you are looking for. I aggree that usually people leave after 2 years. I did as well but now we living again here and we might change again in one year. 😊 Food and clothes are super expensive but I personally could never live in Latvia. Also your routes are there so it's normal to be drawn back. We experience the same.
Many other cities are quiet in Malta??? Is this a joke? Hahhah
@@nikko110782 No it's a fact
Hi, i agree that there could be other cities where we could try to live and would've suited us better. Probably if we would consider living in Malta longer and we wouldn't want to buy our own place we could move to another city in Malta. It's interesting that you left malta and came back again. Who knows maybe we will have a change of mind but at the same time we would probably try another country as there is still so many interesting places to go 😊 thanks for watching and your comment 😊
@@nikko110782 if you read my comment correct I wrote more quiet than Sliema! Yes the areas are still build up to much but much better than Sliema and San Julians.
@@WeAreHarvestingdreams yes I lived in a few countries after Malta but we came only back here as there were no Lockdowns and QR Codes like in the rest of Europe. Then we catched luckily amazing jobs where we could work in home office and hope we can take them with us in the next country where we consider living. 😁
Guys come to London and see how it is working 40 hours….and commute with tube! Obviously the place was not for you perhaps….for me it is just normal working 40 hours because I do. Coming from Scotland of course the rents looked super high….but yes I read that houses prices are cheaper away from the centre…..anyways I wish you all the best and of course home land is better than anywhere else…family & friends there with you but not always is possible to go back to your home country….so I guess you are lucky you could go back home.
Hi, thanks for watching and the comment 😊 I think the 40 hour work week wasn't the real issue. The issue was that even though all things were paid for the worked month but staying in Malta we could never afford buying our own property and would keep renting forever and it was our dream to one day own our home and since living and from paycheck to paycheck wasn't for us we decided to move ☺️
@@WeAreHarvestingdreams Hello definitely you gotta do what is best for you. I guess it all depends on what you do for living. Also London is impossible from that point of view….work work work for being penniless and unhappy.
It's true what you are saying. We have been to London and it seems nice but probably not for long-term for us 😊
It is depressing indeed. It's just about money now, everything else doesn't really matter. It's become sad.
Problem with foreigners is they only look at Sliema, St Julians or Gzira to rent. Even Maltese don’t touch those areas
What's wrong with those areas?
@Xibby I am in bugibba right now, I find it more polluted than sliema. A question , what can you do in Rabat?
@Xibby where do you live? I am looking for friends in Malta
@Xibby hi there! I have been considering relocating with my family in Malta. A couple of questions: is an affordable apartment for 4 pax still possible nowadays let’s say away from the island center? How about the state of public transport? Overall is the cost of living affordable for 2 decent salaries and basic daily needs? Many thanks in advance 🙋♂️
@@Vilatkahang yes Malta is ok but it's depend on your job professional life. Attrad is best for family life. Transport is quite ok. Weather is pleasent. Better for English speaking immigrants. Health care is one of the best free. Social life is reasonable. Only problem is little bit house rent. If your r able to manage with medium size House 🏠 than u can survive. Malta has lots of benifits one of the best European country I alway appreciate. Night life also good even food outdoor activities. Beaches what else u want 💕 stay bless
It would have been helpful if you put a list items with each reason next to it, rather than talking - with a summary.
I can relate to what you said but there's tons of other reasons too, my (Russian) wife and I (I'm British) lived there from early 2015 to the end of 2017 and eventually, we moved back to the UK at the end of 2017 as we just couldn't stand it any more even though we made every effort to integrate and we even attended Maltese classes and could speak a little of the language, what did it for us was the hassle getting anything done/repaired, the poor state of the roads that mean you need not so much a car as a lunar buggy to get around on the island without feeling like your spine is going to break over every pothole - I once got a smart car stuck in a huge pothole the roads are that bad! The hunting of birds, walks in what little countryside there is spoilt by the sounds of "tweet tweet boom!" as moronic Elmer Fudd-esq hunters blast our poor feathered friends out of the sky, the mistreatment of animals we witnessed, overcrowded and unreliable bus services, random power cuts, crumbling infrastructure, appalling building quality and more. Sure the UK has its faults and post-Brexit there's definitely lots to hate here also (the xenophobia that lead to Brexit in the first place being one of the worst things) but we've found a better way of life back here in Greater Manchester than we could ever find in Malta. Sure the weather is not great for much of the year but actually we're getting pretty decent summers now thanks to climate change (hey, sorry penguins, what's bad for you is good for us but while I know it's bad, many of us here in Blighty just don't give a toss if it means warmer sunnier summers!) and our current government is corrupt and they've spent the past 13 years bleeding the country dry and filling their own pockets while running everything down, but, we still find it a better place to live than Malta. The air is cleaner, there's hundreds if not thousands of amazing open green spaces to visit, supermarkets are (mostly) cheaper here than in Malta and the biggie, in 2020 we bought a nice but modest 3 bedroom semi in a quiet suburb of Manchester for £139k, that would have gotten you nothing of any quality in Malta. Here, we live near a river and woods, are a 20 minute walk from the town center and two train stations with regular trains to Manchester City, the lake district, London, Liverpool and elsewhere. No it's not paradise but it doesn't cause us the stress Malta did. And that's the main thing. Finally, I read this back in 2017 jeangalea.com/why-i-left-malta/ and I left my own comments on it during August 2017 if you want to find them there. People in the comments share their own experiences of Malta and mostly they agree: Malta was once wonderful but now ruined. And that is the truly tragic part.
I m agree 💯. Malta it was good before now ruined by over population and crowd. Malta is better for tourism and students not for families for permanent n long term stay 😞..
I stopped reading at climate change… Jackanory.
@@holidaytripsholidaytrips7254 because you don't understand satire? It's true however, some people (not me) don't care about the damage to the planet if summer is warmer. It's an objective truth that UK summers are markedly warmer and drier than they were just a few decades ago. You can deny it if you want but it changes nothing.
@@andrewholland1390 It’s an objective truth that the climate has changed significantly since long before humans inhabited the planet. It’s a natural progression. Stop playing God and get on with enjoying your life ffs
@@andrewholland1390 ua-cam.com/video/T7QI2aM8tEU/v-deo.html
Can you give me update where are you living now and how much you spent for rent there
Ho, we still upload videos on where we are and what we are doing. ☺️
The fact that I don't understand the locals is a plus for me because I don't have to listen to their bullshits.
LOL That's funny good one l like what you said LOL
This is a good point
The fact that Malta is expensive especially the rent you’re right. In Malta the best thing is to have your own home. You can’t have the cake and eat it . We work a lot because it is a must and in this way we can buy our own home. You get a full time job, you get a loan from the bank, you buy a property , rent it and pay the loan with the money you get from leasing the property snd eventually you may not have to work that much. But if you have to pay the rent(all alone because many foreigners share apartments to reduce the costs)you don’t have a full time job that pays decently, if you don’t do some sacrifices at first and not party all the time, it will be hard for you. No pain no gain.As for the language I’m sorry but we are Maltese and we speak Maltese which is our first language, if you live here you have to learn the language. We are already risking of losing our language because of all the foreigners living here who speak English only( and sometimes not even that). In many countries such as France, Italy, Germany you sre obliged to learn the language to live there. In Malta it is not like that, we do more than enough to please the foreigners. Even the monery earned from certain jobs is a shame, to accomadate certain foreigners. Maltese people are not finding jobs because of foreigners who are paid less and are preferred over the Maltese. You have to adapt to the country not the country adapts to you.
There are foreigners who live a good life here but many of them have their own business or they earn good money from well paid jobs such as the gaming industry or propert agents.
Winters here are a blessing, you don’t have to complain about that. Summers are terrible and unbearable for those who hate the heat and the sun like me.
Good luck in finding a country that you fit in and live a happy life😊
Woohoo! Kudos on your decision to return home to Latvia. Maybe we’ll see a tourism surge there!
Hi! Not sure how us moving to Latvia would contribute to tourism surge,but thanks for watching and the comment 😅
Thank you for leaving Malta. We have more than enough foreigners as it is. Hopefully more foreigners follow suit.
I am Maltese living in US for the last 35 years , yes Malta it did change a lot and unfortunately it is overcrowded with so many people from all over the world go to Malta for work . I really find it difficult when I go to visit my family twice a year , I have been finding that you can’t really speak Maltese in stores cause you never know who is Maltese or a foreigner living there . I am a bit sad about that , in my own country that I always look forward to speak my own language with all there but it’s seems everyone else is a foreigner .
I do hope people like you who lives in Malta find the same reason for them too leave Malta so we cut down the population . And bring Malta back to who it belong !! Please continue to share this video ! Thank you !
I have Been on Malta for 20 years and i have noticed a LOT of changes. I do miss my old Malta that i first meet. I have Been living in many areas and i am little bit worried over the lack of parkingplaces and crazy drivning. Too crowdy places many times. But since i from the beginning was welcomed if the locals i have this as my second home. I am an artist and everyone i have meet has Done it with open arms. First i stayed at hotel But they soon offererad their homes to be. Either to Share it or have it for my self. Without spending a cent. They are generous people But you have to respect their culture. I don’t speak maltese But i am always friendly and respektfull. It do helps!
"Have to work 40 hours per week" What? I'm almost 60 years old and have worked full-time since I was 20 years old. I estimate that I averaged 50-70 hours per week over that span. In my twenties and early thirties it could reach 80 hours per week during parts of the year. Now, I am in the U.S. so this is not outrageous. I have European friends who could not believe how much we work here. What these two describe in the video would be a breeze to most Americans, so I guess its all relative.
I born in Malta we here are mixed with British and Italian okay we spoke directly to everyone straight we are small but white a great heart we welcome all good people from around the world, and buy the way in every country u have bad and good things but I'm sure this is the most safe place on earth, still u are welcome
i feel like malta is more of a you have money option. if your reliant on working a job there are lots of cheaper eu nations. if i was a remote worker being paid in euros or dollars and wanted to live abroad I'd lean more toward Poland, Romania, or Bulgaria (where you could live of 1/5 of your income and in a few years start a real nice project). but Malta is more for I already own several investments across eastern Europe (where the economies and currency are gaining more strength each year, meaning property values are far cheaper but will be 3-4x over the next decade or so if trends continue) and I'm going to buy a house in a warm centralized location with zero property tax on the less populated island. its more like where you buy the bigger nicer dream house and accept its expensive asf but you'll pay your self back after a decade or two of not property taxes (a million dollar house anywhere in the is 30-120k a year in taxes).
Im maltese and yiur certainly right what you have said .. ive lost more friends leaving the island recently .malta not s bad place but it's very limited and getting very expensive
Hi! We are glad that you understood the point of the video. We still have the best memories of Malta and we can't wait to visit it again one day, but for us it just didn't seem feasible to stay there long term
I totally understand as I said in a previous comment , there's a lot of people passing through and leaving the island. Like a stepping stone .
Malta is super expensive for less quality than one should expect. Truth be told - Yes, it has been turned into a concrete jungle. Frustration on the roads is the norm of the day. Feels like a lawless jungle. Agreed with how you felt. Same reason being why so many locals are leaving for better European countries with so much more to offer than just the weather.
40 hours of work a week with everything paid? I work at least 60 hours in Australia but the average is 70 hours. I can’t wait to be in Malta and get an extra day of just having fun or sleep in or go for a hike! 😁
Haha then Malta will be the right place for you 😅👍
I was thinking the same.. to complain that you have to work 40 hours in a week and be able to pay all your bills... try the US... you're gonna miss Malta
@@kayfrank9760 you’re absolutely right, and if I think about how I wanted to first move to the US, it’s next to impossible to immigrate there and the work situation isn’t as good also I imagine!
I work 24 hours a week full time here in Belgium ;).
@@stephf4167 that’s lovely Belgium is a lovely place too it’s just too far from my ideal place to live. I’d just love to live on the Mediterranean.
You two are so right. I live here and have been here for about 18 months and I find the people very unfriendly, there is so much corruption and controlled by greed. It’s noisy, dirty, it smells of cat urine and too dusty. They cut all the trees down to build these ugly buildings and the driving is stupid, unsafe and generally reckless. It is a very unhealthy place to live.
Can’t wait to leave forever.🙏🏽
Oh no, having to work 40 hours a week, how could anyone do that!?
*looks at all of US*
USA ia insane though.... Trouble with Malta is that there are no high-paying jobs available and you are always 'catching up', so to speak.
Any tips on how to find work abroad, If one has no remote work background/IT background
Remote work doesn't need background or experience you just start. Nowadays many different office related jobs offer remote work without any need to have IT experience 👍
Try Dubai with visit visa. You will not disappoint if you belong to IT field it's atleast good for stepping stone.
Wow hope you come back.
Thanks, who knows, we never set anything in stone 👍
Keep all your rent bills, and hope l am the owner of your apartment block.Latter guy.
Thank you for sharing your experience. Your English is so good! Have you studied English in Latvia? Is your native country good for studying English at all?
Hi and thank you for the compliment! Yes we both studied English in Latvia, but I think it only got good after living in foreign countries for a long time because you can only speak English there every day. Personally I wouldn't say it's a great country for learning English, because only younger generations speak English and the ones who are older will have a very broken accent. Hope this helps 👍
@@WeAreHarvestingdreams Thank you! It`s very helpful!
Malta today has many fouriners and we maltese have to work alot for living malta is not the same planty of people in malta from all the country malta was nice in the 80s
@@grail27 E minhabba l barranin gholiet l hajja. Mhux ghax il Malti jrid jsir sinjur millum ghal ghada.
how much did you earn in Malta monthly? I think we need to learn the amount in order to compare
So true. $1,500 a month is very expensive to some people, not others, for example. Working 40 hours a week is a lot to some, not others, too.
St Paul stayed 2-3 months and left and was killed in Rome
In my opinion, those construction workers never interacted with Europeans and were mostly Asian/Indian labors so they were most of times watching and starring at you never sensing how to live in a civilised society
hii. Did you get the hause?
Hi, we will make an update video about it very soon 😊
@@WeAreHarvestingdreams I'm anxious to find out, too. I know it is difficult for young people to buy houses in most places these days. The only places you can do that in America is in places like Detroit. And those are places where it is hard to find a job. Places people want to live and can find jobs are expensive; young people can't buy houses in those places, and spending 50% for housing is now common. I have children 39 and 27 living under those circumstances. The days of living comfortably on one income are long gone for most people. It's sad. But you managed to save money even under the circumstances you describe. Good job! So I am anxious to find out whether you got a house and how the cost of living is so much cheaper in Latvia. Is it because the climate draws in fewer immigrants, who always drive up prices?
Can I ask how much was your rent? I am considering to move there and I see apartments with 1-2 bedrooms go for like 1200 to 1500 euro a month? Is this normal?
Look on Malta Park
Hi, our rent was about 850 for one bedroom apartment, and that was a good deal back then because we signed it in the quiet period (end of autumn) that's when most tourists leave. Together with utilities and electricity we spent about 1250€ just for the bills. Hope this helps 👍
You should have tried gozo
Sliema is the most expensive in malta
Nice Gozo so that there is nothing to do.
Did you try living in Italy?
We traveled to Italy and enjoyed it very much, but to live in Italy you have to speak Italian and we don't. That's why we chose Malta as their second official language is English 👍
You thought about learning Maltese?
I am also from Latvia . Omg you guys are so boring . Please don’t make anymore video or at least label it ( VIDEO TO HELP YOU SLEEP) 🤣
Workaholics? You make me laugh🤣🤣🤣. They close their shops at 13 and reopen at 16.
Really! So you have a problem with that. I'm 74 years old & as long I can remember it's always been that way. But on the other hand I don't want to sound as a horrible guy . But who asked you to come over here in the first place. When you leave your battle land whatever the reason is you been to be prepared to adjust to our culture & obey our culture & rules
@@josephcaruana4829 Why are you frustrated? Did I say something else besides the fact that they are not workaholics? I did not say its good or bad I just pointed out its not true. If that bothers you I think it can be discussed further with a psychologist.
@@alexsmith4453 He demonstrated the small-mindedness of many local people in Malta - although many of them spend years on end in other countries, they think they are better than everybody and their culture 'rules'! Never heard or seen anyone criticise their culture per se, but their manners could improve tenfold as far as I am concerned. The phrase 'Go back to your own country!' is a well-known insult on both Malta and Gozo. Pathetic!
What was your monthly rent ?
Around 800 before bills
Grass is always greener on the other side :) Guys , why don't you go back to your roots where your families and your culture is from? I mean it in a good way... People are moving from country to country looking for a holy grail and do not appreciate their own... Good luck in finding your " holy" place at last
People leave their countries for various reasons. I left my country because of a high crime rate and infrastructure collapsing. Deal with real 3rd world problems then we'll talk again.
One always think that the grass is always greener on the other side ... when going to work in another country its NOT like going on holiday... hoping people who is reading this take your advice and think twice before they leave their own country
You are right, Malta is definitly a nice vacation destination but not so true for a living...
@@stephf4167 Malta is an awful vacation destination
@@GTMarmot It depends where you stay and what you are going there for. IG if you stay in a luxury hotel and eat out and go out in PC every day on a large budget it is great.
@@stephf4167 You are completely wrong. Probably you have never done these things. I am typing this comment from the lobby of Intercontinental Hotel in St Julians. It's awful.
@@GTMarmot Actually, I did and probably many more times than you did… So better think twice before saying I am wrong.
Hi, im Maltese and i want to move to Asia. after 32 year living on an island i feel these are massive problems. Rent and bills you cant just work to pay bills.
Hey dude 😎 I agree that was one of the biggest reasons for us to leave. Not sure if we want to love our lives just to pay bills forever 🤷♂️👍
Everywhere we are working to pay bills.... but Malta's over-crowding, busy roads and crappy building work make it a no-no for peace and quiet on the Med.. The Maltese and Gozitans need to rise up and stop it all happening on Gozo too...
😂 Asian want to move Malta ❤
@@WeAreHarvestingdreamsDid you find you had more spending money in Scotland?
@@loumac9312 Hi, thanks for your comment! Yes I think we had more spending money back in Scotland 😊
Why didn't you try to learn Maltese?
It is very difficult to learn - similar to Arabic.
One year in Malta and don't agree with everything. I will come back to this video in two more years.
How is it going now, honestly? I am in Malta and I like most of it, still, after 2 years.
@@ib777 is going good until now ups and downs as everything in life
Interesting... nice to hear from Latvians... I have never met anybody in person
Hi thanks for the comment! Do you mean in Malta or in general? 😊
@@WeAreHarvestingdreams Latvians.😄
You could’ve moved . Going to the beach is free, take sandwiches don’t eat out. Scotchland is also lovely both countries the people are friendly. An 8 hour day 5 days a week =40 hours that’s normal. You should always learn the language of your host country. Hey you’ve experienced Malta and it’s not for you.
You will always feel like a foreigner in any country where you are a foreigner.
Well come to Dubai/ Pakistan.
@@zainulabdin1720 What drugs are you on?
@@libatalklieb5793 No! Dear. I m working here as security officer,
@@libatalklieb5793 😂
Not true, many times a new country feels like home.