As of November 12, 2026, the cheaper of the two for travelers is Malta: a mid-range day costs about $126 there, against $129 in the other (Croatia), a gap of 2.5%. Over the past year the one that moved more in the US-dollar traveler's favor is Malta (+5.6% after inflation, against +3.6%). Both sit at US advisory Level 1.
| Measure | Croatia | Malta |
|---|---|---|
| Mid-range day | $129 | $126 |
| Lean day | $62 | $61 |
| Comfortable day | $290 | $283 |
| Real change, 12 months | +3.6% | +5.6% |
| Exchange rate alone, 12 months | +4.5% | +4.5% |
| Versus 5-year average | −4.5% | +1.9% |
| US advisory | Level 1 · Normal precautions | Level 1 · Normal precautions |
| Ease of travel | 4.5 · Effortless | 4.5 · Effortless |
| Index score | 61 | 64 |
| Best months | May, Jun, Sep | May, Jun, Sep, Oct |
| Shoulder months | Apr, Oct | Apr, Nov |
The better figure in each row is in bold. Costs are modeled estimates per person, excluding international flights.
An Adriatic coast that joined the euro and priced itself like Italy.
The catchPrices jumped after euro adoption in 2023. Dubrovnik and Hvar in summer are no longer good value by any measure.
A sun-baked limestone island with 7,000 years of history and English as an official language.
The catchIt is small, dense and heavily built up, sandy beaches are few, and July and August are hot and crowded.
Source: Trip Arbitrage (triparbitrage.com), reading of November 12, 2026. How this is calculated.