Cost of Living Comparison Between Estepona and San Pawl Il-bahar Cost of Living Comparison Between Estepona and San Pawl Il-bahar

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,910 in Estepona versus $1,734 in San Pawl Il-bahar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,871 in Estepona versus $2,623 in San Pawl Il-bahar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,832 in Estepona versus $3,511 in San Pawl Il-bahar.

Living in Estepona is roughly 10% more expensive than San Pawl Il-bahar, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Estepona 43% above, San Pawl Il-bahar 29% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.64 €15.19

$20.55 €17.69

-14.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.1 €69.0

$78.5 €67.6

2.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.22 €8.80

$10.80 €9.30

-5.37%

Cappuccino

$2.85 €2.45

$2.53 €2.18

12.65%

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

$2.48 €2.14

$3.06 €2.64

-18.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 €1.87

$2.28 €1.97

-4.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 €4.05

$4.27 €3.67

10.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 €3.26

$4.48 €3.86

-15.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.10

$1.40 €1.20

-8.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.56 €1.34

$1.24 €1.07

25.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.09 €1.80

$2.54 €2.19

-17.72%

Eggs

$3.41 €2.93

$3.61 €3.11

-5.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.09 €11.27

$9.96 €8.58

31.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.41 €8.10

$8.12 €6.99

15.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.22 €14.83

$9.88 €8.51

74.29%

Apples (1kg)

$3.37 €2.90

$3.04 €2.62

10.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.87 €1.61

$2.10 €1.81

-10.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.79 €1.54

$3.09 €2.66

-42.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.38

$2.97 €2.55

-7.07%

Potato (1kg)

$2.29 €1.97

$1.58 €1.36

44.94%

Onion (1kg)

$2.02 €1.74

$1.35 €1.17

49.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.25

$1.25 €1.08

16.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 €1.02

$1.23 €1.06

-3.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.56 €5.65

$6.62 €5.70

-0.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.87 €5.05

$8.30 €7.15

-29.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 €1.22

$1.57 €1.35

-9.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.06

$1.99 €1.71

20.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.51

$2.93 €2.53

-0.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.56 €28.90

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.20 €1.89

$5.95 €5.13

-63.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.80 €0.69

$2.62 €2.26

-69.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.68 €11.78

$48.29 €41.59

-71.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.83 €1.57

$1.52 €1.31

20.39%

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

$38.3K €32.9K

$39.5K €34.0K

-3.16%

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

$30.7K €26.4K

$38.4K €33.1K

-20.15%

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

$118 €102

$67.3 €58.0

75.40%

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

$23.51 €20.25

$20.07 €17.28

17.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.27 €27.78

$43.02 €37.05

-24.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.00 €39.61

$63.2 €54.5

-27.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.08 €19.88

$22.75 €19.59

1.45%

Cinema Ticket

$14.06 €12.11

$10.36 €8.92

35.71%

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

$386 €332

$422 €363

-8.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.7K €10.1K

$11.1K €9,553

5.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$31.54 €27.16

$70.0 €60.3

-54.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.91 €36.95

$28.11 €24.21

52.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.7 €79.8

$93.5 €80.5

-0.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 €87.6

$93.4 €80.5

8.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 €1,078

$960 €826

30.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$902 €777

$807 €695

11.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,124 €1,829

$1,532 €1,319

38.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,456 €1,254

$1,292 €1,112

12.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,992 €4,298

$3,608 €3,106

38.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,860 €4,185

$3,058 €2,633

58.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,540 €1,326

$1,750 €1,507

-11.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.51

3.28

7.01%

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

Last update for Estepona: May 31, 2026

Last update for San Pawl Il-bahar: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,252 in Estepona and $960 in San Pawl Il-bahar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

San Pawl Il-bahar pays 14% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $80.0 in Estepona vs $79.0 in San Pawl Il-bahar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $262 per month, with San Pawl Il-bahar 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

Estepona vs San Pawl Il-bahar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Pawl Il-bahar is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Getting Around. The 10% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, San Pawl Il-bahar earns 14% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,252 in Estepona versus $960 in San Pawl Il-bahar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $386 in Estepona versus $422 in San Pawl Il-bahar. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in San Pawl Il-bahar – a meal for two runs $79.0 versus $80.0 in Estepona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,734 in San Pawl Il-bahar versus $1,910 in Estepona, a $2,500 budget is realistic in San Pawl Il-bahar but tight or insufficient in Estepona. The gap between the two cities makes San Pawl Il-bahar the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Estepona and San Pawl Il-bahar 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 San Pawl Il-bahar gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Estepona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.