Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Benidorm and Malaga

For one person, living is cheaper in Benidorm: $1,707 a month against $2,055 in Malaga, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

82

Cost of Living Index in Benidorm
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Benidorm Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Malaga
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Malaga Living Index

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Benidorm

🇪🇸 Spain

$1,707

/mo nomad

Malaga

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,055

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Benidorm 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 Benidorm and in Malaga actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,707 per month in Benidorm vs $2,055 in Malaga, rent included.

Benidorm $1,707
Malaga $2,055

A couple spends around $2,498 per month in Benidorm vs $2,939 in Malaga, rent included.

Benidorm $2,498
Malaga $2,939

A family of three spends $3,290 per month in Benidorm vs $3,823 in Malaga, rent included.

Benidorm $3,290
Malaga $3,823

Benidorm is about 17% cheaper than Malaga, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Benidorm and Malaga sit above the global median – Benidorm by 25%, Malaga by 51%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.28 €15.48

$16.82 €15.07

2.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.9 €47.41

$68.1 €61.0

-22.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.28 €11.00

$12.06 €10.80

1.82%

Cappuccino

$2.32 €2.08

$2.64 €2.36

-12.12%

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

$2.29 €2.05

$2.69 €2.41

-14.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.18 €1.05

$2.09 €1.87

-43.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.41 €3.05

$3.42 €3.06

-0.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 €3.29

$4.42 €3.96

-16.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €1.02

$1.22 €1.09

-6.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 €1.16

$1.42 €1.27

-8.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.41 €1.26

$1.81 €1.62

-22.10%

Eggs

$3.50 €3.13

$3.42 €3.06

2.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.98 €9.83

$15.35 €13.75

-28.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.10 €7.25

$7.84 €7.02

3.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.68 €14.04

$15.02 €13.45

4.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.10 €1.88

$2.49 €2.23

-15.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.83 €1.64

$1.96 €1.75

-6.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 €1.72

$1.76 €1.58

9.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.66 €2.38

$2.42 €2.17

9.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.72 €1.54

$1.55 €1.39

10.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 €1.59

$2.05 €1.84

-13.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 €0.99

$1.21 €1.08

-9.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.44 €0.39

$0.71 €0.63

-38.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.96 €5.34

$6.64 €5.94

-10.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.73 €5.13

$6.52 €5.84

-12.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 €0.78

$1.14 €1.02

-23.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 €0.84

$2.26 €2.02

-58.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.55 €1.39

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.32 €23.57

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.50 €4.03

$1.90 €1.71

136.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.35 €1.20

$1.22 €1.09

10.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.26 €21.73

$21.91 €19.62

10.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.72 €1.54

$1.77 €1.58

-2.82%

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

$34.2K €30.6K

$33.5K €30.0K

2.08%

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

$29.3K €26.2K

$31.6K €28.3K

-7.17%

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

$157 €141

$162 €145

-3.26%

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

$16.38 €14.67

$10.59 €9.48

54.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.55 €20.20

$24.04 €21.53

-6.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.73 €35.58

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.81 €15.95

Cinema Ticket

$10.78 €9.66

$9.73 €8.71

10.79%

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

$575 €515

$864 €773

-33.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,688 €8,677

$9,940 €8,902

-2.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.2 €81.6

$89.5 €80.2

1.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.40 €37.97

$38.99 €34.92

8.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.1 €86.1

$84.3 €75.5

14.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €106

$107 €95.7

10.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,002 €898

$1,439 €1,289

-30.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$838 €750

$1,101 €986

-23.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,766 €1,581

$2,373 €2,125

-25.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,324 €1,186

$1,602 €1,435

-17.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,197 €4,655

$5,065 €4,536

2.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,542 €2,277

$3,151 €2,822

-19.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,785 €1,599

$1,902 €1,703

-6.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.3

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

Last update for Benidorm: October 25, 2026

Last update for Malaga: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Benidorm

$838 49.1%

Malaga

$1.1K 53.6% 31.4% $263

Groceries & Markets

Benidorm

$243 14.2%

Malaga

$266 13% 9.6% $23

Eating Out

Benidorm

$241 14.1%

Malaga

$247 12% 2.6% $6.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Benidorm

$196 11.5%

Malaga

$197 9.6% 0.5% $1

Clothing & Footwear

Benidorm

$157 9.2%

Malaga

$144 7% 8.2% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Benidorm

$22 * 1.3%

Malaga

$59 2.9% 175% $38

Getting Around

Benidorm

$11 * 0.7%

Malaga

$41 2% 261% $29

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,002 in Benidorm versus $1,439 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 7% higher in Malaga, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $53 in Benidorm versus $68 in Malaga. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $243 vs $266 – making Benidorm the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Benidorm

🇪🇸 Malaga

🕒 Local time

10:51 10:51 AM

Same time as Benidorm

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

72,342

586,384

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Benidorm Malaga 430 km

From you

Benidorm
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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

Benidorm vs Malaga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Malaga is pricier by about 20%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,561 per month in Benidorm and $3,083 in Malaga. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Benidorm, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,002 there versus $1,439 in Malaga.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,707 in Benidorm and $2,055 in Malaga. That makes Benidorm about 17% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $575 per month in Benidorm and $864 in Malaga. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,707 in Benidorm and $2,055 in Malaga, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Benidorm – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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