Finding appropriate digital nomad housing can be quite challenging at times. This is because remote workers and location-independent individuals have specific needs when it comes to accommodation. These include fast and reliable Wi-Fi, somewhere they can work from, and the chance to build friendships or join existing digital nomad communities for social activities.
Now that the Malta digital nomad visa is available, many people are looking at the possibilities offered by the favourable tax regime and temperate climate that Malta offers. Finding the best place to stay in Malta can be tough and how you define the “best” place is largely determined by your own specific requirements.
Many different types of digital nomad housing have all the amenities you might desire. An easy way to hook yourself into the Malta digital nomad community is to choose to stay at a coliving property such as Evolve.
Coliving means you have your own bedroom but share other facilities. You are encouraged to take the time to get to know your fellow guests and form a community and friendships with them. You won't become best friends with every single person, but it is a great way to meet many new people from around the world and is an easy introduction to other people in the same position as you.
At Evolve Coliving, for example, there are usually around 15 people there at any one time, which is a manageable number. The setting is a large mansion house in San Gwann, so there is plenty of room for everyone to move around, and it never feels cramped. There are excellent and luxurious facilities, such as a beautiful swimming pool and a rooftop hot tub. There is also an outdoor gym and laundry facilities onsite. The rooftop space is also great for fitness classes such as yoga.
The minimum stay is one month and this is to give people time to form lasting friendships and relationships. There is a real focus on community-building, and many people have made friends for life from the experience and have subsequently travelled to other places with them.
Although Coliving is an understandably popular option, finding a solo apartment is often popular as well. There are many reasons that people may not want to be part of a coliving environment, and some of these are introversion, a desire for privacy, or perhaps feeling that they are too old for the crowd who frequent coliving spaces. Evolve, for example, has an upper age limit of 45.
It is easy to find apartments in Malta through popular booking platforms such as Booking.com or AirBnB, and the island is well-served for this type of accommodation. There are options to suit most budgets. Some of those on the lower end may be a little more remote and require a car to access. This should be a factor in choosing where to stay, as many people don’t want to hire a car but would prefer to use Malta’s excellent public transportation system.
The main benefit of having a private apartment is having your own space to do what you want, when you want. Most apartments will have a good workspace where remote workers can get their work done. Malta, in general, has excellent internet connectivity and there shouldn’t be any problems working online from most apartments.
The major aspect that people miss out on when they are in private apartments is the company of other remote workers, in the way that it is always on hand in a coliving situation. This can be remedied by going to a coworking space during the day or joining one of the many networking opportunities on the island.
Many residents in Malta will let out a spare bedroom in their own home to make some extra money during the tourist season and these can often be found through the major websites or through local Malta facebook groups.
The advantage of staying in a local person's house is that it is possible to get to know them and form long-lasting friendships. They will be able to give you valuable information about island life and will usually know all of the best local places for shopping.
This option also tends to cost less than many of the others and can be a great way to live on the beautiful island of Malta relatively inexpensively. The private rooms will often be self-catering so you will probably have the use of the kitchen facilities. This means you can choose how expensively you eat and don’t have to rely on expensive options such as eating out or takeaway meals.
One of the more traditional ways to spend short periods of time in a destination, hotel rooms are plentiful in Malta. They are probably better suited for shorter stays as they don’t tend to come with kitchen facilities.
Exploring some of the hotel booking websites can lead to decent deals for Malta throughout the year. Like everywhere, hotel prices in Malta have spiked since the end of the COVID-19 pandemic and the return of mass tourism.
Demand has risen, and costs have risen with it. Some hotels are now prohibitively expensive for many digital nomads and are often no longer the preferred option.
There are many different options for digital nomad accommodation in Malta and some of these offer easier integration with the local community than others. Each accommodation type has pros and cons, and what one person considers perfect is what another considers their idea of hell.
Finding your perfect accommodation is a very individual thing, but remote workers are resourceful and typically internet-savvy, so they will usually be able to find a great deal on whichever option is right for them.
If you are looking for easy immersion into the community, there is no doubt that coliving is an excellent option, but if you are looking for a quieter time, a private apartment may be the option for you.
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