Spain : Cost of Living by City
- Alicante
- Barcelona
- Granada
- Las Palmas de Gran Canaria
- Madrid
- Malaga
- Palma de Mallorca
- Santa Cruz de Tenerife
- Seville (Sevilla)
- Valencia
- Zaragoza (Saragossa)
How Much Does It Cost to Live in Malaga?
Málaga is a large city in the southern Spanish region of Andalucia and capital of the Malaga Province.
It is also the largest city on the Costa del Sol, but despite that, it’s more laid back than Madrid or Barcelona.
And all the while being relaxed and laid back, Malaga is still the center and transport hub for the Costa del Sol region.
It’s still more economical to live in southern Spain than in northern European countries as property prices and the cost of living are comparatively cheaper.
Cost of Living Breakdown in Malaga
RESTAURANTS
Eating out is cheap in Malaga. You can meet up your friends to have some tapas and drinks and not spend too much money. For good food with low prices, try the port area, where they generally offer good food at mild rates. Following this pattern, depending on where you’re going, you can either save a lot of money or pay a little more if you wonder off to a more touristy restaurant.
| Average Restaurant Prices | |
|---|---|
| Meal (Inexpensive Restaurant) | $10.22 |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 Liter) | $2.27 |
| Water (0.33 Liter) | $1.16 |
MARKETS
If you’re super smart about your groceries, you can save a huge chunk of money by buying your food in supermarkets instead of eating out. Most basic ingredients cost around a dollar but if you want to save money you should remain thrifty when grocery shopping. Fresh produce is quite cheap in Spain, and you can find it in open markets when you stumble onto one. They’re also usually cheaper there.
| Average Market Prices | |
|---|---|
| Milk (1 Liter) | $0.78 |
| Loaf Bread (500g) | $1.26 |
| Eggs (12) | $1.78 |
TRANSPORTATION
Malaga also promotes primarily the use of bicycles as being being eco-friendly, fun, safe and healthy. They even constructed several bike lanes and Malagueños use their bikes more often for everyday necessary activities like to go to work or for recreational use in the weekends. Public transport exists but is rarely use, even though it’s relatively cheap in comparison to major Spanish cities.
| Average Transport Prices | |
|---|---|
| One Way Ticket | $1.48 |
| Monthly Pass | $45.35 |
| Gasoline | $1.45 |
UTILITIES (MONTHLY)
Utilities are much less expensive in Malaga than in, for instance, Madrid or Barcelona. Those living in a bit bigger apartments (like 85m2) will have to pay bills for all basic utilities like electricity, water, heating and cooling, that cost around 100$. Internet isn’t as expensive, amounting up to around 46$ a month – and that’s for a high speed internet, too.
| Average Utilities Prices | |
|---|---|
| Basic (Water, Electricity, Garbage, Heating, Cooling) | $106.60 |
| 1 min. of Prepaid Mobile Tariff Local | $0.13 |
| Internet (Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) | $46.39 |
SPORTS & LEISURE
Fitness and sports are not as expensive in Malaga as in other Spanish cities. If you want to go to a fitness club in Malaga, you will have to pay around 35$ a month (which is actually less than the country’s average), or 7$ for an hour of renting a tennis court. If you want to watch a movie here, expect it to cost around 8$.
| Average Leisure Prices | |
|---|---|
| Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult | $35.41 |
| Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour) | $7.38 |
| Cinema, 1 Seat, International Release | $8.97 |
CLOTHING & SHOES
Malaga is known as a city with excellent shopping opportunities. Shopping for clothes in Malaga is as expensive as you would expect it to be in a country of such high standards – still, keep your mind focused and maybe you can find a piece of clothing for a smaller amount of money. Usually, jeans of good quality cost around 64$, as do quality sneakers, while lighter pieces of clothing are around 30$. Watch out for the discounts!
| Average Clothing Prices | |
|---|---|
| 1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Comparable) | $64.38 |
| 1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, etc...) | $28.66 |
| 1 Pair of Adidas Walking Shoes (Mid-Range) | $61.24 |
RENT PER MONTH
Though many aspects are much cheaper in Malaga than in other cities, rent isn’t one of those things. In this city, you cannot find an apartment to rent for less than 500$ if you’re looking for one located outside of the city center and 700$ for one in the city center. If you’re looking for a bigger apartment for the whole family – prepare to cash out around 1200$.
| Average Rent Prices | |
|---|---|
| Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Center | $707.32 |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Center | $521.95 |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Center | $1148.78 |
How Does the Average Person Spend Their Money in Malaga?
Rent is very expensive in Malaga, so it only makes sense that the percentage spent on it is just 1% less than the percentage spent on food.
And though rent is extremely expensive in Spain, it still doesn’t take the first place of biggest expenses in Malaga – but food does: the biggest amount of money gets spent in markets, shopping for food and necessities.
Transportation and restaurants take up the next chunk of expenses on the list, since they are also pretty costly, given the fact that even the inexpensive restaurants don’t serve food for less than 10$.
You’ll need around 100$ to just be able to move around Malaga using public transport (this is why it’s probably the best idea to use a bike).
Average Costs Breakdown
Malaga: Average Salary, Minimum Wage & Mortgages
Salaries in Malaga are very high taking into consideration their expenses, but their general standard of living is high – a typical standard of the Spain as a whole.
With a minimum wage reaching above 1200$, a citizen of Malaga can live in this country and cover all their expenses.
However, those that are renting have a harder time paying the bills and their monthly rent, but it is possible.
The average salary is well above 1300$ so an average citizen of Malaga should have no problems living here, considering expenses in this city.
Malaga Safety Overview
READ THE FULL REPORT: Malaga Safety Review
| OVERALL RISK | LOW |
|---|---|
| TRANSPORT & TAXIS RISK | LOW |
| PICKPOCKETS RISK | MEDIUM |
| NATURAL DISASTERS RISK | LOW |
| MUGGING RISK | LOW |
| TERRORISM RISK | LOW |
| SCAMS RISK | MEDIUM |
| WOMEN TRAVELERS RISK | LOW |
| TAP WATER RISK | LOW |
Cost of Living by City in Spain
| City | Cost of Living Index |
|---|---|
| Alicante |
53.9 |
| Barcelona |
62.15 |
| Granada |
50.41 |
| Las Palmas de Gran Canaria |
47.39 |
| Madrid |
60.12 |
| Palma de Mallorca |
65.17 |
| Santa Cruz de Tenerife |
48.69 |
| Seville (Sevilla) |
54.7 |
| Valencia |
55.27 |
| Zaragoza (Saragossa) |
58 |
Is the cost of living really that much lower in Málaga compared to other parts of Spain? It sounds like a great place to settle down!