Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Calella and Malaga

For one person, living is cheaper in Calella: $1,596 a month against $2,067 in Malaga, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Calella, Spain
Malaga, Spain
Calella
🇪🇸 Spain
$1,596
/mo nomad
Malaga
🇪🇸 Spain
$2,067
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,596 per month in Calella vs $2,067 in Malaga, rent included.

  • Calella $1,596
  • Malaga $2,067

A couple spends around $2,366 per month in Calella vs $2,969 in Malaga, rent included.

  • Calella $2,366
  • Malaga $2,969

A family of three spends $3,137 per month in Calella vs $3,870 in Malaga, rent included.

  • Calella $3,137
  • Malaga $3,870

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

Both Calella and Malaga sit above the global median – Calella by 18%, Malaga by 53%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Calella
Malaga
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$14.73 €13.15
$16.94 €15.12
-13.05%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$56.4 €50.3
$67.2 €60.0
-16.07%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.03 €7.16
$12.40 €11.06
-35.24%
Cappuccino
$2.49 €2.22
$2.64 €2.36
-5.68%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.33 €2.08
$2.76 €2.46
-15.58%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.79 €1.60
$2.01 €1.79
-10.95%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.46 €3.09
$3.32 €2.96
4.22%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.31 €2.96
$4.53 €4.04
-26.93%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Calella
Malaga
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.11 €0.99
$1.18 €1.05
-5.93%
White Bread (500g)
$2.09 €1.86
$1.50 €1.34
39.33%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.88 €2.57
$1.82 €1.62
58.24%
Eggs
$3.03 €2.71
$3.42 €3.06
-11.40%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$14.61 €13.04
$15.20 €13.56
-3.88%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.31 €7.42
$7.96 €7.10
4.40%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.33 €13.68
$15.25 €13.61
0.52%
Apples (1kg)
$2.48 €2.21
$2.51 €2.24
-1.20%
Banana (1kg)
$1.97 €1.76
$1.95 €1.74
1.03%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.58 €1.41
$1.70 €1.52
-7.06%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.42 €2.16
$2.45 €2.19
-1.22%
Potato (1kg)
$1.79 €1.60
$1.56 €1.39
14.74%
Onion (1kg)
$1.86 €1.66
$2.14 €1.91
-13.08%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.38 €1.23
$1.21 €1.08
14.05%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.62 €0.55
$0.67 €0.60
-7.46%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.96 €6.21
$6.82 €6.09
2.05%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.56 €4.96
$6.91 €6.17
-19.54%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.07 €0.95
$1.19 €1.06
-10.08%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.43 €2.17
$2.36 €2.11
2.97%
🚌 Getting Around
Calella
Malaga
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.46 €1.31
$1.60 €1.43
-8.75%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$31.71 €28.30
$26.41 €23.57
20.07%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.77 €3.36
$1.87 €1.67
101.60%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.24 €1.11
$1.23 €1.10
0.81%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$14.51 €12.95
$21.95 €19.59
-33.90%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.83 €1.63
$1.80 €1.61
1.67%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$39.4K €35.2K
$34.1K €30.4K
15.59%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.0K €27.7K
$31.2K €27.8K
-0.50%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Calella
Malaga
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$117 €104
$161 €144
-27.38%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.52 €12.07
$10.50 €9.37
28.76%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$25.05 €22.35
$24.58 €21.94
1.91%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Calella
Malaga
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$46.23 €41.26
$42.27 €37.72
9.37%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.63 €15.73
$17.79 €15.87
-0.90%
Cinema Ticket
$8.35 €7.45
$9.47 €8.46
-11.83%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Calella
Malaga
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$560 €499
$843 €753
-33.63%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,945 €8,876
$9,859 €8,799
0.87%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Calella
Malaga
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$62.6 €55.9
$90.6 €80.8
-30.89%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$21.12 €18.85
$39.67 €35.40
-46.76%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$114 €102
$83.9 €74.9
35.54%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$160 €143
$105 €93.9
52.23%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Calella
Malaga
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$904 €806
$1,458 €1,302
-38.05%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$684 €611
$1,107 €988
-38.23%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,356 €1,210
$2,556 €2,282
-46.97%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,011 €902
$1,643 €1,466
-38.48%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,081 €2,749
$5,083 €4,536
-39.39%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,932 €1,725
$2,889 €2,579
-33.12%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Calella
Malaga
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,725 €1,539
$1,914 €1,708
-9.87%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.3
3.3
-

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

Last update for Calella: October 17, 2026

Last update for Malaga: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Calella
$684
Malaga
$1.1K 61.9% $423
Groceries & Markets
Calella
$273
Malaga
$269 1.6% $4.4
Eating Out
Calella
$212
Malaga
$249 17.4% $37
Clothing & Footwear
Calella
$161
Malaga
$144 10.7% $17
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Calella
$155
Malaga
$196 26.1% $41
Sport & Entertainment
Calella
$63
Malaga
$61 2.7% $1.7
Getting Around
Calella
$48
Malaga
$41 14.1% $6.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $904 in Calella versus $1,458 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 11% 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 $56 in Calella versus $67 in Malaga. Groceries tell a different story – $273 in Calella vs $269 in Malaga – so Malaga wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇪🇸 Calella
🇪🇸 Malaga
🕒 Local time
08:39 8:39 AM
08:39 8:39 AM
Same time as Calella
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
19,862
586,384
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 26, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Calella Malaga 820 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Calella
  • Malaga

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
Calella vs Malaga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Calella cheaper than Malaga?
Yes – Malaga is pricier by about 29%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,394 per month in Calella and $3,100 in Malaga. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Calella, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $904 there versus $1,458 in Malaga.
Is eating out cheaper in Calella or in Malaga?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $56 in Calella and $67 in Malaga. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 17% less in Malaga. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Is $1,500 enough to cover costs in Calella or in Malaga?
$1,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,596 in Calella and $2,067 in Malaga. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Is Calella or Malaga more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Calella – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Calella or Malaga?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Calella. 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.

Calella vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?