EUROCOSTSCOUNTRY COMPARISON · UPDATED 2026-07-15
Ireland vs Malta: taxes, salary and cost of living
The practical contrast between Ireland and Malta becomes clearest when monthly income is tested against rent, food and mobility rather than viewed in isolation.
Ireland vs Malta at a glance
| Indicator | Ireland | Malta |
|---|---|---|
| Standard VAT | 23% | 18% |
| Income tax | 20-40% | 0-35% |
| Social contributions | 19.05% | 20% |
| Tax burden | 27.5% | 29.8% |
| Average monthly salary | €5,180 | €2,250 |
| Studio rent | €1,500 | €1,037 |
| Monthly food estimate | €400 | €350 |
| Gasoline | 1.72 €/L | 1.34 €/L |
| Electricity | 0.35 €/kWh | 0.13 €/kWh |
Income comparison in context
Ireland records the higher listed monthly salary. The gap is €2,930, approximately 130.2% relative to the lower figure. Within the numeric EuroCosts sample, Ireland ranks 6 of 27 for salary and Malta ranks 16 of 27. The nominal advantage should be tested against local housing before it is treated as additional purchasing power.
Rent, food and the monthly budget
Malta has the lower listed studio rent by €463, a 44.6% difference relative to the higher rent. Ireland sits 35 of 37 and Malta 29 of 37 in the available low-to-high rent ranking. Malta also has the lower food estimate, so the housing result is reinforced by groceries.
After subtracting only the listed rent and food estimates, the simplified remainder is €3,280 in Ireland and €863 in Malta. This leaves €2,417 more in Ireland, before utilities, transport, healthcare, childcare or personal taxes not already reflected in salary.
Headline taxation: what differs
Ireland has the lower listed tax burden by 2.3 percentage points. Standard VAT is 23% in Ireland versus 18% in Malta. Effective taxation depends on income level and household circumstances.
A practical transport check
Malta has the lower listed gasoline price by €0.38 per litre. For a driver buying 50 litres a month, that headline difference is about €19 monthly, before insurance, parking and road charges.
Who may prefer each country?
A single professional comparing Ireland with Malta should stress-test rent and take-home pay, while a family should give more weight to food, utilities and services that are not fully represented here. A company founder must separately review corporate and dividend taxation.
The most useful conclusion
Ireland produces the stronger simplified monthly remainder in this dataset, while Malta leads on listed rent. The trade-off is more informative than a blanket cheapest-country label.
Sources and data references
- PwC standard VAT rates
- PwC personal income tax rates
- PwC corporate income tax rates
- EuroCosts data scope and generation process
Explore Ireland comparisons · Explore Malta comparisons