Head-to-head · tax residents 2026
Croatia or Malta: which should you move to?
Two of Europe's top relocation targets, both with newcomer regimes. Here is how they compare on the taxes that move the needle.
Tell us your country, income and net worth. The verdict above and the cost, flight time and "who wins" all update for you.
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| Factor |  Croatia ↗ |  Malta ↗ |
|---|---|---|
| Top personal income tax | 33% | 35% |
| Corporate tax | 18%* | 35%* |
| Capital gains tax | Taxed | None |
| Dividend tax | 12% | 0% |
| VAT / sales tax | 25% | 18% |
| Wealth tax | No | No |
| Inheritance tax | Yes | No |
| Foreign income | Worldwide | Partly exempt |
| Headline expat regime | Digital nomad exemption (foreign income) | Non-domiciled remittance basis |
| Cost of living (vs your country) | 53 | 66 |
| Population | 3,876,200 | 579,704 |
| Area | 56,542 km² | 316 km² |
| Population density | 69/km² | 1,835/km² |
| Airports (large + medium) | 9 | 1 |
| Annual tourists | 21,608,000 | 718,000 |
| Flight time from your country | · | · |
| Direct flight likely? | · | · |
| Life expectancy | 78.8 yrs | 83.5 yrs |
| Safety (homicides/100k) | 0.7 | 0.6 |
| Happiness (0-10) | 5.5 | 6.77 |
| Corruption index (higher = cleaner) | 47/100 | 53/100 |
| Double-tax treaties (approx) | ~66 | ~76 |
| Internet speed (median fixed) | 137 Mbps | 210 Mbps |
| Healthcare spend / person | $1,548 | $3,623 |
| Air quality (PM2.5, lower=better) | 15.78 | 10.81 |
| Time zone (approx) | UTC+1 | UTC+1 |
| Digital nomad visa | Yes | Yes |
| Official languages | 1 (Croatian) | 2 (English, Maltese) |
Green = more favourable. Cost of living shown as a percentage of your home country (under 100% = cheaper than home). Tax data: compiled by us, being re-verified; cost of living: World Bank PPP; area & population: GeoNames; life expectancy & homicide rate: World Bank.
* Croatia: 18% standard; 10% for income up to EUR 1,000,000. Default income tax rates are 20%/30%, but each municipality chooses within a range of 15 to 23% on the low band and 25 to 33% on the high band, with Zagreb going up to 23%/33%. · Malta: 35% flat, but full-imputation + shareholder refund system (typically 6/7ths) brings effective rate to ~5% on distributed profits. Optional FITWI 15% final tax from 2 Sep 2025.
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