Eric is French, born and raised in Paris where he lived and worked as a business journalist until Michael and he left for Malta.
Michael is American by birth (born in Hollywood, Florida) and became French while living in Paris. An HR Executive for 2 very large conglomerates, Michael has moved around a lot for his companies and traveled the world.
He and Eric decided that life was too short to pass up a move to somewhere warm, and sunny yet still close to Eric's family in Paris. They decided to move to Malta in 2014 and opened a couple of rental properties before restoring an ancient property to become a boutique hotel, Senglea Suites.
Summary:
- Eric Tenin and Michael Salone discuss their move from Paris to Malta.
- Reasons for choosing Malta as their new home.
- Climate, expat community, LGBTQ+ acceptance, language, and local economy discussed.
- Integration and acceptance of foreigners, cost of housing, and living expenses explored.
- Various aspects of living in Malta covered: taxes, cost of living, the impact of expats, rental properties, quality of life, healthcare system, services, amenities, food prices, transportation, infrastructure, proximity to the airport, and low crime rate.
- Gun laws and safety, cultural differences, honesty, safety for women, homelessness, challenges, access to goods/services, obtaining visa/residency, buying citizenship/residency, and cons of living discussed.
Takeaways:
- Malta is popular for expats due to its warm climate, English proficiency, and LGBTQ+ acceptance.
- English is widely spoken alongside Maltese.
- Diverse expat community, particularly in areas like Senglea.
- Housing is expensive, with rental prices ranging from 1,000 to 1,200 euros for a two-bedroom apartment, and home prices averaging around 1 million euros.
- Gun ownership laws and cultural attitudes differ from the US.
- Malta is considered safe with low crime rates.
- Homelessness is not significant due to cultural/legal factors.
- Limited access to goods/services like Amazon Prime.
- Obtaining a visa/residency is expensive, and may require meeting financial criteria.
- Considerations for relocating include lifestyle preferences, language barriers, and access to amenities.
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