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: $2,005 in Castelldefels versus $2,055 in Malaga.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,862 in Castelldefels versus $3,006 in Malaga.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,719 in Castelldefels versus $3,957 in Malaga.

Living in Castelldefels costs roughly 2% less than in Malaga, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Castelldefels 46% above, Malaga 50% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.79 €16.21

$17.44 €15.05

7.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.0

$69.9 €60.3

-0.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.89 €11.12

$11.54 €9.96

11.70%

Cappuccino

$2.90 €2.50

$2.87 €2.48

1.05%

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

$2.57 €2.22

$2.83 €2.44

-9.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 €1.63

$2.18 €1.88

-13.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 €2.99

$3.52 €3.04

-1.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.79 €4.13

$4.78 €4.13

0.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.06

$1.26 €1.09

-2.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.39 €1.20

$1.51 €1.30

-7.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.78 €1.53

$1.86 €1.61

-4.30%

Eggs

$3.54 €3.06

$3.55 €3.06

-0.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.35 €9.79

$15.61 €13.47

-27.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.96 €6.87

$8.12 €7.01

-1.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.62 €14.34

$15.55 €13.42

6.88%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 €2.27

$2.65 €2.29

-0.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 €1.63

$2.01 €1.74

-5.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.60

$1.83 €1.58

1.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.66 €2.29

$2.63 €2.27

1.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 €1.53

$1.62 €1.40

9.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$2.19 €1.89

-12.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.22 €1.05

$1.30 €1.12

-6.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.71

$0.68 €0.59

20.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.17 €6.19

$6.78 €5.85

5.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.99 €5.17

$6.60 €5.69

-9.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 €1.21

$1.23 €1.06

13.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 €1.48

$2.34 €2.02

-26.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.89 €1.63

$1.66 €1.43

13.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.90 €30.12

$27.71 €23.91

25.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.37 €2.91

$2.00 €1.72

68.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.84 €1.59

$1.21 €1.04

52.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.00 €21.57

$23.43 €20.22

6.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.71 €1.48

$1.79 €1.54

-4.47%

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

$36.5K €31.5K

$37.1K €32.0K

-1.44%

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

$29.8K €25.7K

$30.6K €26.4K

-2.51%

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

$187 €161

$162 €140

15.19%

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

$17.28 €14.91

$10.55 €9.10

63.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.66 €32.49

$26.94 €23.24

39.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.00 €39.69

$46.63 €40.24

-1.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.35 €14.11

$19.00 €16.40

-13.95%

Cinema Ticket

$11.86 €10.23

$10.02 €8.64

18.36%

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

$636 €549

$859 €741

-25.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.4K €10.7K

$10.8K €9,295

14.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.9 €74.2

$93.9 €81.1

-8.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.73 €35.14

$40.49 €34.94

0.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €87.1

$85.8 €74.0

17.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €105

$109 €94.1

12.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 €913

$1,518 €1,310

-30.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$937 €808

$1,066 €920

-12.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,911 €1,649

$2,545 €2,196

-24.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,366 €1,179

$1,688 €1,456

-19.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,431 €2,961

$5,072 €4,377

-32.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,304 €1,989

$3,057 €2,637

-24.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,589 €3,960

$1,974 €1,704

132.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.12

3.31

-5.74%

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

Last update for Castelldefels: August 31, 2026

Last update for Malaga: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,058 in Castelldefels and $1,518 in Malaga. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Castelldefels pays 132% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $70.0 in Castelldefels vs $70.0 in Malaga for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $263 vs $276 per month, with Castelldefels 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

Castelldefels vs Malaga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Castelldefels is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets. The 2% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 132% 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: $1,058 in Castelldefels versus $1,518 in Malaga. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,005 per month in Castelldefels versus $2,055 in Malaga – a 2% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Castelldefels runs roughly 26% less than in Malaga. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $2,005 in Castelldefels versus $2,055 in Malaga, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Castelldefels but tight or insufficient in Malaga. The gap between the two cities makes Castelldefels the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Castelldefels is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Malaga, 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 Castelldefels gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Malaga. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.