In case any readers don't know, Malta is a group of islands south of Sicily (Italy). You can read more about it here. There are direct flights from Germany, Austria, Italy, the UK, Turkey, Scandinavia (in the summer season) and a whole list of other places. There are also ferry links from Sicily and Tunisia, and a number of cruises stop over in Malta.
Malta is an ex-colony of the UK, so everyone speaks English (although there is a Maltese language, which is 60% based on Arabic, with influences from Italian and other languages). This makes it a popular destination for English speakers from around the world.
Maltese people are friendly and open. I was always made to feel welcome everywhere that I went.
The islands are mainly limestone, and most buildings are made from local stone, so the buildings are mostly all the same colour. The climate is fairly dry, especially in the summer, so the countryside tends to be the same colour as the buildings, which can get a little monotonous. If you want to see green scenery, try the northern island of Gozo.
Malta is a member of the Euro-zone, which makes it very convenient (time the UK took the same step!). There are several banks where you can get cash with your cash-cards and credit cards, and most shops and restaurants accept credit cards.
Because of the British connection, Malta has many of the high-street shops that are familiar to Brits: M&S, Next, Dorothy Perkins, Mothercare, etc. In addition, since Italy is next door, there are a number of Italian clothes and shoe shops, and most of the European standard shops. Some supermarkets carry British standards like baked beans, branston pickle, marmite, andrex toilet paper, etc. One thing that you might notice is that the Maltese are not so into cheese (the local cheese is not very exciting), and you will need to shop around to find a good selection. I have found that Scotts Supermarket has a good selection of cheese.
From May to October the climate is warm, with maximum temperatures up to the low 30s (°C) in July and August, and minimal rain in the summer months. That means that, for people like me, air-conditioning is an essential, although the being close to the sea keeps it cooler than it would otherwise be. You can swim in the ocean comfortably for about 6 months of the year. You can eat and drink outdoors for about 9 months of the year. You won't need a jacket even at night during the summer.
Public transport is OK in the built-up areas, as long as you want to go where the busses go: for example, there was no bus option for me to get to work, but no problem to get to Valletta.
Maltese busses now have a pre-paid electronic card system for tickets (similar to the Oyster Card in London). This makes it fairly easy on the busses.
Because of the limitations with public transport, you are likely to need to drive, if you are working in Malta. The roads are pretty bad: lots of potholes, badly designed junctions, and variable quality of signposts (I used Google Maps a lot in Malta to navigate while driving). The other thing to beware of is Maltese drivers: driving standards are low (no-one indicates, keeping in lanes seems to be beyond most of them and they seem to find roundabouts especially challenging), and drink-driving is rife. You can easily rent cars and motorcycles (scooters actually), but I am not brave enough to ride a scooter on Maltese roads.
Restaurants are cheap and plentiful in Malta. Some places can be rather busy during the holiday season, so it may be a good idea to book a table. There are options to suit most palettes and budgets: a lot of places do fish (very good in Malta), many have Maltese style rabbit, and there are lots of Italian restaurants and pizzerias. My favourite restaurant is the Peperoncino, at the Balluta Steps in Saint Julian's. Another very good restaurant, specialising in fish, is the Fumia. I also had a fantastic dinner at Chukkas, at the Malta Polo Club, which does Argentinian cuisine: excellent steaks, suckling pig and other meat dishes. Probably the top restaurant in Malta is Tarragon: this is one place where you will certainly need to book.
There seems to be a good selection of accommodation in Malta: plenty of hotels in a range of prices; and apartments, both short-let and long-term. Some of the apartments are nice, and some not so nice. Most places have air-conditioning; some have problems with damp (usually only a problem in winter); some have dodgy wiring and plumbing. Apartments are relatively cheap. Because the weather is warm for 8 months of the year, most apartments have no central heating, no double glazing, and no insulation: if you are there in the winter you will need a couple of electrical room heaters.
The tap water is technically drinkable in Malta, but it is heavily chlorinated and comes from desalination plants, and so doesn't taste very nice (fine for brushing your teeth, though), so you will want to buy bottled water.
Good wine is readily available: both local and imported. Some shops have spirits, but only specialist shops have a good selection of spirits. The local lager-style beer, Cisk, is good, and many imported beers are also available. One very good thing is that Malta airport (Luqa) has a duty free shop for arriving passengers, with a reasonable range, OK prices and available even for people travelling within the EU.
The quality of medical services in Malta is good. There are plenty of well equipped hospitals and clinics, GPs are easy to find (my local pharmacy, 3 minutes walk from my apartment, also had 2 hours of GP consultation per day, and this seems common in Malta), and there are all the usual specialists. Medical fees are relatively low, and you can usually pay by credit card, if your medical insurance at home doesn't cover you in Malta.
The system is surprisingly good in Malta: garbage is collected from every house 6 days a week. Twice a week mixed recyclables are collected (metal, plastic, paper and compostables - no need to have multiple bins and separate all the different types of recycling); general garbage is collected 4 days a week; and glass is collected once a week. There are also large recycling bins on the streets in some places. If you buy the right brand of bags for the mixed recyclables, there is a list printed on each bag of what kinds of materials you may put in.
You need to take your garbage out to the street for collection, and it is (technically) illegal to put garbage out except in the hour before the scheduled collection time.
One thing to remember when walking in Malta: watch where you step. There are lots of pet dogs, and lax laws about dog-poop, so there are plenty of chances to step in something unpleasant.
There are several telecoms operators in Malta: both local and international companies. This means that there are several options for roaming for your mobile phone, and getting a local mobile phone is easy. Telecoms charges are relatively cheap. Internet speeds are high, and service is good. Many bars and restaurants have free WiFi. Typically, people get television service (via cable) from their telecoms provider, and there are lots of channels.
The Maltese are mainly Roman Catholic, and seem very religious. Many people go to Catholic schools. There are churches everywhere, some of them quite beautiful and worth a visit. It does mean, however, that there are a lot of church bells.
If you live in Malta for a while, you may well want to buy things online. You should be aware that most companies do not deliver to Malta - I don't know why, as there is a postal system, and a system of Post Codes. Malta Post has a work-around for deliveries from within the EU (i.e. when there are no customs duties to pay), under which they provide you with a delivery address in the UK, and forward deliveries to Malta (either a Maltese address that you provide, or for collection from a designated post office). You can find more information about this service here.
This article is about living in Malta, not about visiting it as a tourist. Having said that, as a foreigner, you may well want to visit some tourist attractions. Bear in mind that Malta is small, and that means that the quantity of tourist attractions is accordingly smaller. There are, however, a relatively wide range of options: Valletta, Mdina and Gozo; archaeological sites (neolithic temples, etc.); scuba diving and sailing; and of course tour busses. Malta has a long and rich history, and there is quite a lot to explore. One comment that I have is that some of the historical sites are not well documented (bad signs, no audio guide, etc.), but some are really excellent. Information is readily available online or at information centres and shops. Also, if gambling is your thing, Malta is well supplied with casinos.