Best places to Live in Malta: Southern Harbour District

The Southern Harbour District is where Malta stops posing and gets on with it. This is the island’s working heart, built around the Grand Harbour, the capital, and the daily routines that make life actually function, not just look good on a brochure.

If you’re less interested in beach clubs and more interested in getting places on time, living centrally, and knowing where the nearest ferry goes, this part of Malta tends to make a lot of sense.

Quick Overview

Rent reality: generally better value than Northern Harbour, though restored properties in prime locations can still command a premium.

Expat Snapshot

By the end of 2024, foreign citizens made up 29.4% of Malta’s total population, but the split across districts is uneven. The Southern Harbour District sits at around 19.0% foreign citizens, compared with 42.3% in the Northern Harbour and 36.9% in the Northern District, making it one of the most locally rooted areas on the island.

In practice, this translates into fewer expat bubbles, more long-term residents, and neighbourhoods shaped around everyday Maltese life, while still offering excellent central access.

Town Pics

La Valette

Living in the capital means choosing intensity and access over space, with most of daily life unfolding on foot. Beyond culture and cafés, Valletta also acts as a major transport hub, offering a fast ferry to Gozo and direct ferry connections to Sicily, which makes both island-hopping and international travel unusually easy. Properties here are mostly historic apartments and townhouses, often beautifully restored but typically smaller, with limited outdoor space, and rents reflecting the capital’s demand rather than square metres.

Reality check: compact homes, older buildings, and limited private outdoor space are part of the deal.

Floriana

Floriana provides breathing room just outside the capital, with quieter streets and more greenery while keeping Valletta within short walking distance. It’s often chosen by people who want central living without being fully immersed in city intensity.

The Three Cities (Birgu, Bormla, Isla)

The Three Cities are rich in cultural landmarks, from maritime museums and historic palazzos to waterfront promenades that feel lived-in rather than staged. This area is much less expat oriented, and tend to be quieter than Valletta and the Northern Harbour areas, with a housing stock that leans more toward townhouses and converted historic homes than modern apartment blocks, often offering better value rents for character properties. Regular ferry connections link Birgu, Isla, and Bormla to Valletta in minutes, making them one of the few places in Malta where heritage, calm, and daily practicality genuinely align.

Bonus: regular ferry connections make access to Valletta fast and practical.

Paola (Raħal Ġdid)

Paola is unapologetically practical, built around everyday needs rather than aesthetics. A key draw is the presence of MCAST’s main campus, making it particularly attractive for students and families connected to vocational or tertiary education, alongside strong transport links and local services.

Fgura

Fgura is one of the Southern Harbour’s most dependable residential bases, dominated by apartment living and everyday convenience. The housing stock is mostly modern or mid-age apartments, avec rents typically ranging from €900 to €1,200 per month, which explains why many people move here “temporarily” and then somehow never leave.

One underrated perk is Fgura Garden, a small but very real green escape that makes dense living feel more human, especially if your balcony view is another balcony.

Marsa

Marsa is not here to impress, it’s here to get you where you need to be. Property options include older townhouses, converted units, and no-nonsense apartments, avec rents often sitting between €800 and €1,100, making it one of the more budget-friendly central choices if you’re willing to prioritise function over flair. Its real selling point is connectivity: if your morning starts with “I just need to get there,” Marsa quietly delivers.

Luqa

Despite its proximity to the airport, Luqa remains largely Maltese in character, with relatively low expat concentration and a strong local rhythm. It suits people who want practicality and access without living in an expat bubble, and yes, most residents stop noticing the planes surprisingly quickly. Housing here includes older townhouses and straightforward apartment blocks, with rents generally in the €850 to €1,150 range, offering solid value for a central location without harbour-area premiums.

Who the Southern Harbour District Suits

The Southern Harbour District suits expats who prioritise character and walkability, with Valletta and the Three Cities offering a strong sense of place and an easy, largely car-free lifestyle. Floriana works well for those who want to stay central without the intensity of the capital, while Fgura, Paola, and Luqa appeal to families looking for practical day-to-day living. For commuters and access-first routines, Marsa and Luqa stand out for their connectivity and strategic positioning across the island.

This are rewards expats who look beyond the obvious and choose function over hype. If your priority is being well-connected, rooted in local life, and close to the island’s real centre of gravity, this is one of the most practical and quietly rewarding places to live in Malta.

Living in the Southern Harbour District is less about escaping Malta and more about understanding it. As many long-term residents will tell you:

Once you live close to the harbour, everything else on the island feels far away.

Au Expatax Malte, we look beyond postcodes and property listings. We help expats align where they live with how they work, their residency status, and their tax position, so the move makes sense on paper as well as in real life.

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