Cost of Living Comparison Between Barakaldo and Malaga Cost of Living Comparison Between Barakaldo and Malaga

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,614 in Barakaldo versus $1,802 in Malaga.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,349 in Barakaldo versus $2,698 in Malaga.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,084 in Barakaldo versus $3,593 in Malaga.

Living in Barakaldo costs roughly 10% less than in Malaga, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barakaldo 20% above, Malaga 34% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 €14.76

$13.88 €11.94

23.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.6 €44.40

$64.8 €55.7

-20.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.48 €9.88

$9.06 €7.79

26.71%

Cappuccino

$2.25 €1.93

$2.26 €1.95

-0.44%

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

$2.86 €2.46

$2.37 €2.04

20.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 €1.76

$1.89 €1.63

7.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.29 €2.83

$3.57 €3.07

-7.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 €3.15

$4.44 €3.82

-17.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.20 €1.04

3.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.48 €1.27

$1.39 €1.20

6.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 €1.13

$1.72 €1.48

-23.84%

Eggs

$2.81 €2.41

$2.68 €2.31

4.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.40 €10.66

$15.29 €13.15

-18.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.66 €6.59

$7.41 €6.38

3.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.19 €11.35

$13.87 €11.93

-4.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 €2.27

$2.56 €2.20

2.73%

Banana (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$1.90 €1.63

7.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 €1.95

$1.57 €1.35

44.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.34 €2.02

$2.41 €2.07

-2.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.64 €1.41

$1.85 €1.59

-11.35%

Onion (1kg)

$2.21 €1.90

$1.98 €1.70

11.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 €0.91

$1.15 €0.99

-7.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.72

$0.72 €0.62

16.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.07 €5.22

$6.28 €5.40

-3.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.35 €7.19

$6.13 €5.27

36.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 €1.04

$1.22 €1.05

-0.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 €1.74

$2.46 €2.12

-17.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.73 €1.49

$1.60 €1.38

8.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.75 €29.89

$29.70 €25.55

17.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.27 €4.54

$4.50 €3.87

17.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.97 €0.83

$1.03 €0.88

-5.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.60 €27.18

$28.82 €24.79

9.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.84 €1.58

-4.35%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$39.1K €33.6K

-0.04%

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

$31.7K €27.3K

$30.7K €26.4K

3.52%

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

$144 €124

$134 €115

8.15%

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

$19.20 €16.52

$17.64 €15.18

8.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.77 €23.89

$29.28 €25.18

-5.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.56 €41.77

$47.13 €40.54

3.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.85 €12.78

$16.76 €14.42

-11.40%

Cinema Ticket

$9.53 €8.20

$10.48 €9.01

-9.06%

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

$503 €433

$461 €396

9.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,935 €7,685

$9,996 €8,598

-10.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.1 €73.2

$80.4 €69.1

5.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.89 €27.43

$40.19 €34.57

-20.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.0 €70.6

$89.9 €77.3

-8.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 €97.7

$117 €101

-3.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$862 €742

$1,185 €1,019

-27.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$684 €588

$873 €751

-21.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,328 €1,142

$2,087 €1,795

-36.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,011 €869

$1,536 €1,321

-34.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,998 €2,579

$5,222 €4,492

-42.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,211 €1,902

$3,014 €2,593

-26.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,813 €1,560

$1,954 €1,681

-7.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.38

3.46

-2.31%

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

Last update for Barakaldo: May 31, 2026

Last update for Malaga: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $862 in Barakaldo and $1,185 in Malaga. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Malaga pays 8% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $52.0 in Barakaldo vs $65.0 in Malaga for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $255 vs $257 per month, with Barakaldo cheaper across the board.

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

Barakaldo vs Malaga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barakaldo and Malaga differ by about 12% in total monthly costs ($1,614 vs $1,802 including rent). Barakaldo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Malaga earns 8% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $862 in Barakaldo versus $1,185 in Malaga. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Barakaldo – a meal for two runs $52.0 versus $65.0 in Malaga. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,614 per month in Barakaldo versus $1,802 in Malaga – a 12% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,614 in Barakaldo versus $1,802 in Malaga, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Barakaldo but tight or insufficient in Malaga. The gap between the two cities makes Barakaldo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Barakaldo and Malaga are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Barakaldo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 12% less than in Malaga. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.