Cost of Living Comparison Between Castelldefels and Malaga Cost of Living Comparison Between Castelldefels and Malaga

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,909 in Castelldefels versus $1,802 in Malaga.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,799 in Castelldefels versus $2,698 in Malaga.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,689 in Castelldefels versus $3,593 in Malaga.

Living in Castelldefels is roughly 6% more expensive than Malaga, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Castelldefels 42% above, Malaga 34% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.20 €14.80

$13.88 €11.94

23.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.6 €59.9

$64.8 €55.7

7.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.75 €10.97

$9.06 €7.79

40.73%

Cappuccino

$2.68 €2.30

$2.26 €1.95

18.58%

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

$2.52 €2.17

$2.37 €2.04

6.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 €1.76

$1.89 €1.63

7.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.57 €3.07

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 €3.01

$4.44 €3.82

-21.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.20 €1.04

-5.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 €1.11

$1.39 €1.20

-7.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 €1.45

$1.72 €1.48

-1.74%

Eggs

$2.81 €2.42

$2.68 €2.31

4.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.25 €9.68

$15.29 €13.15

-26.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 €7.25

$7.41 €6.38

13.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.13 €12.16

$13.87 €11.93

1.87%

Apples (1kg)

$2.56 €2.21

$2.56 €2.20

Banana (1kg)

$1.86 €1.60

$1.90 €1.63

-2.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.05 €1.76

$1.57 €1.35

30.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 €2.03

$2.41 €2.07

-2.07%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 €1.60

$1.85 €1.59

0.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.98 €1.70

-7.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.26

$1.15 €0.99

27.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 €0.66

$0.72 €0.62

5.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.70 €5.77

$6.28 €5.40

6.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.67 €4.88

$6.13 €5.27

-7.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.41 €1.21

$1.22 €1.05

15.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 €1.73

$2.46 €2.12

-17.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.89 €1.62

$1.60 €1.38

18.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.66 €28.96

$29.70 €25.55

13.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.57 €3.07

$4.50 €3.87

-20.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.83

$1.03 €0.88

106.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.05 €21.55

$28.82 €24.79

-13.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.57

$1.84 €1.58

-1.09%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$39.1K €33.6K

-12.23%

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

$32.1K €27.6K

$30.7K €26.4K

4.59%

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

$190 €163

$134 €115

42.01%

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

$22.48 €19.33

$17.64 €15.18

27.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.38 €31.30

$29.28 €25.18

24.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.35 €40.73

$47.13 €40.54

0.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.13 €13.02

$16.76 €14.42

-9.73%

Cinema Ticket

$10.92 €9.40

$10.48 €9.01

4.20%

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

$637 €548

$461 €396

38.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.6K €10.8K

$9,996 €8,598

25.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 €75.2

$80.4 €69.1

8.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.67 €31.54

$40.19 €34.57

-8.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.8 €84.1

$89.9 €77.3

8.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 €100

$117 €101

-0.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 €910

$1,185 €1,019

-10.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$926 €796

$873 €751

6.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,891 €1,627

$2,087 €1,795

-9.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,386 €1,192

$1,536 €1,321

-9.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,502 €3,012

$5,222 €4,492

-32.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,311 €1,988

$3,014 €2,593

-23.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,561 €3,923

$1,954 €1,681

133.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

3.46

-2.02%

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

Last update for Castelldefels: May 31, 2026

Last update for Malaga: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,058 in Castelldefels and $1,185 in Malaga. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Castelldefels pays 133% 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: $70.0 in Castelldefels vs $65.0 in Malaga. Groceries flip the comparison at $251 vs $257, with Castelldefels cheaper for home cooking.

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

Castelldefels vs Malaga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Malaga is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 6% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Castelldefels pays 133% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,058 in Castelldefels versus $1,185 in Malaga. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,909 per month in Castelldefels versus $1,802 in Malaga – a 6% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Malaga runs roughly 13% less than in Castelldefels. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,802 in Malaga versus $1,909 in Castelldefels, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Malaga but tight or insufficient in Castelldefels. The gap between the two cities makes Malaga the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Malaga is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Castelldefels, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Castelldefels 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 Malaga gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Castelldefels. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.