Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Alcoy and Malaga

For one person, living is cheaper in Alcoy: $1,558 a month against $2,030 in Malaga, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

76

Cost of Living Index in Alcoy
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Alcoy Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Malaga
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Malaga Living Index

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Alcoy

🇪🇸 Spain

$1,558

/mo nomad

Malaga

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,030

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Alcoy and in Malaga

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Alcoy and in Malaga actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,558 per month in Alcoy vs $2,030 in Malaga, rent included.

Alcoy $1,558
Malaga $2,030

A couple spends around $2,293 per month in Alcoy vs $2,972 in Malaga, rent included.

Alcoy $2,293
Malaga $2,972

A family of three spends $3,028 per month in Alcoy vs $3,915 in Malaga, rent included.

Alcoy $3,028
Malaga $3,915

Alcoy is about 23% cheaper than Malaga, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Alcoy and Malaga sit above the global median – Alcoy by 15%, Malaga by 50%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.08 €8.97

$16.91 €15.04

-40.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.3 €50.1

$67.7 €60.2

-16.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.03 €11.59

$12.38 €11.01

5.25%

Cappuccino

$1.83 €1.63

$2.58 €2.30

-29.07%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 €1.51

$2.76 €2.46

-38.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.26 €1.12

$2.02 €1.79

-37.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.34 €2.97

$3.37 €2.99

-0.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 €2.16

$4.51 €4.01

-46.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 €0.92

$1.23 €1.10

-16.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.49 €1.32

$1.43 €1.27

4.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.36 €1.21

$1.76 €1.57

-22.73%

Eggs

$3.37 €3.00

$3.43 €3.05

-1.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.46 €11.97

$15.07 €13.41

-10.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 €7.42

$8.03 €7.14

3.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.73 €13.99

$15.10 €13.43

4.17%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 €2.32

$2.50 €2.22

4.40%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 €1.85

$1.93 €1.72

7.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.84 €1.64

$1.68 €1.49

9.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.57 €2.29

$2.45 €2.18

4.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 €1.64

$1.56 €1.38

18.59%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.81

$2.12 €1.88

-4.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 €1.18

$1.25 €1.11

6.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 €0.51

$0.71 €0.64

-19.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.24 €5.55

$6.75 €6.00

-7.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.75 €5.11

$6.87 €6.11

-16.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 €1.09

$1.13 €1.01

8.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.24

$2.32 €2.07

-40.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.65 €1.47

$1.60 €1.42

3.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.06 €29.41

$27.11 €24.11

21.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.11 €3.66

$1.85 €1.64

122.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.43 €1.27

$1.20 €1.07

19.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.58 €20.09

$22.47 €19.99

0.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.80 €1.60

$1.82 €1.62

-1.10%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$35.3K €31.4K

$35.2K €31.3K

0.20%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$29.4K €26.2K

$28.7K €25.5K

2.69%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$146 €130

$163 €145

-10.83%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$18.03 €16.04

$10.77 €9.58

67.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 €26.44

$24.58 €21.87

20.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.74 €39.80

$43.11 €38.35

3.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.66 €13.93

$17.92 €15.94

-12.61%

Cinema Ticket

$8.99 €8.00

$9.78 €8.70

-8.08%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$473 €421

$853 €759

-44.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,402 €7,474

$10.1K €8,970

-16.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.5 €75.1

$88.0 €78.3

-3.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.40 €32.37

$39.54 €35.18

-7.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.1 €81.0

$84.7 €75.3

7.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 €97.9

$107 €95.5

2.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$903 €804

$1,457 €1,296

-38.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$670 €596

$1,068 €950

-37.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,332 €1,185

$2,464 €2,191

-45.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$998 €887

$1,681 €1,496

-40.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,340 €2,971

$4,992 €4,440

-33.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,198 €1,955

$2,914 €2,592

-24.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,883 €1,675

$1,852 €1,648

1.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.3

3.29

0.30%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Alcoy: October 11, 2026

Last update for Malaga: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Alcoy

$670 43%

Malaga

$1.1K 52.6% 59.4% $398

Groceries & Markets

Alcoy

$261 16.8%

Malaga

$268 13.2% 2.4% $6.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Alcoy

$193 12.4%

Malaga

$199 9.8% 2.7% $5.3

Eating Out

Alcoy

$175 11.2%

Malaga

$248 12.2% 41.9% $73

Clothing & Footwear

Alcoy

$145 9.3%

Malaga

$144 7.1% 0.7% $1.1

Sport & Entertainment

Alcoy

$63 4%

Malaga

$63 3.1% 0.1% $0.1

Getting Around

Alcoy

$51 3.3%

Malaga

$41 2% 18.8% $9.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $903 in Alcoy versus $1,457 in Malaga. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 2% higher in Alcoy, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $56.0 in Alcoy versus $68.0 in Malaga. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $261 vs $268 – making Alcoy the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Alcoy

🇪🇸 Malaga

🕒 Local time

06:12 6:12 AM

Same time as Alcoy

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

59,493

586,384

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Alcoy Malaga 410 km

From you

Alcoy
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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Alcoy vs Malaga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,558 in Alcoy, $2,030 in Malaga – roughly 30% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,338 per month in Alcoy and $3,045 in Malaga. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Alcoy, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 2% more in Malaga, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $56.0 in Alcoy and $68.0 in Malaga. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Alcoy, where all-in costs run around $1,558, than in Malaga at $2,030. In Alcoy it covers expenses comfortably, while in Malaga it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Malaga has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,558 in Alcoy to $2,030 in Malaga. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Alcoy. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Malaga makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.