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: $1,971 in Castelldefels versus $1,824 in Malaga.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,797 in Castelldefels versus $2,754 in Malaga.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,624 in Castelldefels versus $3,683 in Malaga.

Living in Castelldefels is roughly 8% more expensive than in Malaga, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Castelldefels 48% above, Malaga 37% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.08 €14.92

$13.72 €11.99

24.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.3 €60.5

$64.9 €56.7

6.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.51 €10.93

$9.21 €8.05

35.83%

Cappuccino

$2.58 €2.25

$2.27 €1.98

13.66%

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

$2.51 €2.20

$2.37 €2.07

5.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.70

$1.88 €1.65

3.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.39 €2.96

$3.48 €3.04

-2.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.41 €2.98

$4.36 €3.81

-21.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 €1.02

$1.16 €1.01

0.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.35 €1.18

$1.33 €1.16

1.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.73 €1.52

$1.72 €1.51

0.58%

Eggs

$2.94 €2.57

$2.79 €2.44

5.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.38 €9.94

$15.19 €13.28

-25.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.50 €7.43

$7.46 €6.51

13.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.12 €12.34

$14.31 €12.50

-1.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.59 €2.27

$2.56 €2.24

1.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.87 €1.63

$1.96 €1.71

-4.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$1.64 €1.43

20.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 €2.06

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 €1.60

$1.79 €1.56

2.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.86 €1.62

$1.99 €1.74

-6.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.50 €1.31

$1.15 €1.00

30.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 €0.65

$0.71 €0.62

4.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.56 €5.73

$6.41 €5.60

2.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.81 €5.08

$6.43 €5.62

-9.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.19

$1.22 €1.07

12.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 €1.75

$2.47 €2.16

-19.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.86 €1.63

$1.60 €1.40

16.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.52 €30.16

$30.04 €26.25

14.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.44 €3.01

$4.70 €4.11

-26.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 €1.87

$1.01 €0.88

111.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.33 €21.25

$28.81 €25.17

-15.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.74 €1.52

$1.76 €1.54

-1.14%

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

$35.0K €30.6K

$38.9K €34.0K

-10.06%

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

$31.9K €27.9K

$30.6K €26.8K

4.11%

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

$188 €164

$138 €120

36.45%

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

$22.67 €19.80

$17.74 €15.50

27.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.30 €31.71

$29.34 €25.63

23.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.56 €42.42

$47.28 €41.31

2.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.26 €13.33

$16.67 €14.57

-8.46%

Cinema Ticket

$10.91 €9.53

$10.58 €9.25

3.12%

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

$624 €546

$461 €403

35.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.4K €10.8K

$10.3K €8,991

20.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.1 €76.1

$81.3 €71.0

7.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.28 €32.57

$39.11 €34.17

-4.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.8 €86.3

$89.4 €78.1

10.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €104

$115 €101

3.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,051 €918

$1,187 €1,037

-11.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$917 €801

$876 €766

4.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,858 €1,623

$2,024 €1,768

-8.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,357 €1,185

$1,526 €1,333

-11.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,377 €2,950

$5,102 €4,457

-33.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,144 €1,873

$2,947 €2,575

-27.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,446 €3,884

$1,973 €1,724

125.36%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Malaga: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,051 in Castelldefels and $1,187 in Malaga. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Castelldefels pays 125% 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: $69.0 in Castelldefels vs $65.0 in Malaga. Groceries flip the comparison at $253 vs $258, 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 8% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 125% higher in Castelldefels, 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: $1,051 in Castelldefels versus $1,187 in Malaga. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,971 per month in Castelldefels versus $1,824 in Malaga – a 8% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Malaga runs roughly 15% less than in Castelldefels. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,824 in Malaga versus $1,971 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 8% less than in Castelldefels. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.