Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Fuengirola and Malaga

For one person, living is cheaper in Fuengirola: $1,702 a month against $2,055 in Malaga, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

81

Cost of Living Index in Fuengirola
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Fuengirola Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Malaga
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Malaga Living Index

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Fuengirola

🇪🇸 Spain

$1,702

/mo nomad

Malaga

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,055

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,702 per month in Fuengirola vs $2,055 in Malaga, rent included.

Fuengirola $1,702
Malaga $2,055

A couple spends around $2,554 per month in Fuengirola vs $2,939 in Malaga, rent included.

Fuengirola $2,554
Malaga $2,939

A family of three spends $3,407 per month in Fuengirola vs $3,823 in Malaga, rent included.

Fuengirola $3,407
Malaga $3,823

Fuengirola is about 17% cheaper than Malaga, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Fuengirola and Malaga sit above the global median – Fuengirola by 25%, Malaga by 51%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.83 €14.18

$16.82 €15.07

-5.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €61.0

-0.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.01 €8.96

$12.06 €10.80

-17.00%

Cappuccino

$2.68 €2.40

$2.64 €2.36

1.52%

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

$2.43 €2.18

$2.69 €2.41

-9.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 €1.78

$2.09 €1.87

-4.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.38 €3.03

$3.42 €3.06

-1.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.35 €3.90

$4.42 €3.96

-1.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.22 €1.09

White Bread (500g)

$1.50 €1.34

$1.42 €1.27

5.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.49 €1.34

$1.81 €1.62

-17.68%

Eggs

$2.89 €2.59

$3.42 €3.06

-15.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.64 €14.01

$15.35 €13.75

1.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.86 €7.04

$7.84 €7.02

0.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.97 €10.72

$15.02 €13.45

-20.31%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 €2.08

$2.49 €2.23

-6.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.96 €1.76

$1.96 €1.75

Oranges (1kg)

$1.68 €1.50

$1.76 €1.58

-4.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 €2.19

$2.42 €2.17

1.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.60 €1.43

$1.55 €1.39

3.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.58 €1.42

$2.05 €1.84

-22.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.21 €1.09

$1.21 €1.08

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 €0.61

$0.71 €0.63

-4.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.67 €5.08

$6.64 €5.94

-14.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.91 €6.19

$6.52 €5.84

5.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 €0.92

$1.14 €1.02

-9.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 €1.39

$2.26 €2.02

-31.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.20 €1.97

$1.55 €1.39

41.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.24 €10.07

$26.32 €23.57

-57.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.85 €1.66

$1.90 €1.71

-2.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.23 €1.10

$1.22 €1.09

0.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.06 €19.76

$21.91 €19.62

0.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.56

$1.77 €1.58

-1.13%

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

$33.7K €30.2K

$33.5K €30.0K

0.66%

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

$30.3K €27.1K

$31.6K €28.3K

-4.10%

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

$162 €145

-0.17%

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

$10.57 €9.47

$10.59 €9.48

-0.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.68 €22.11

$24.04 €21.53

2.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.57 €40.81

$39.73 €35.58

14.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$33.31 €29.84

$17.81 €15.95

87.03%

Cinema Ticket

$9.43 €8.44

$9.73 €8.71

-3.08%

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

$383 €343

$864 €773

-55.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.0K €8,978

$9,940 €8,902

0.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.2 €55.7

$89.5 €80.2

-30.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.46 €31.76

$38.99 €34.92

-9.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.2 €63.8

$84.3 €75.5

-15.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.1 €72.6

$107 €95.7

-24.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 €951

$1,439 €1,289

-26.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$815 €730

$1,101 €986

-25.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,760 €1,576

$2,373 €2,125

-25.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,321 €1,183

$1,602 €1,435

-17.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,565 €3,193

$5,065 €4,536

-29.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,700 €2,418

$3,151 €2,822

-14.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,753 €1,570

$1,902 €1,703

-7.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.3

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

Last update for Fuengirola: October 26, 2026

Last update for Malaga: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Fuengirola

$815 47.9%

Malaga

$1.1K 53.6% 35.1% $286

Groceries & Markets

Fuengirola

$252 14.8%

Malaga

$266 13% 5.6% $14

Eating Out

Fuengirola

$232 13.6%

Malaga

$247 12% 6.6% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Fuengirola

$197 11.6%

Malaga

$197 9.6% 0.2% $0.3

Clothing & Footwear

Fuengirola

$112 6.6%

Malaga

$144 7% 27.9% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Fuengirola

$64 3.8%

Malaga

$59 2.9% 8.1% $5.2

Getting Around

Fuengirola

$28 1.7%

Malaga

$41 2% 44.5% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,062 in Fuengirola versus $1,439 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 8% 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 $68 in Fuengirola versus $68 in Malaga. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $252 vs $266 – making Fuengirola the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Fuengirola

🇪🇸 Malaga

🕒 Local time

11:56 11:56 AM

Same time as Fuengirola

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

85,598

586,384

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Fuengirola Malaga 27 km

From you

Fuengirola
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

Fuengirola vs Malaga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,702 in Fuengirola, $2,055 in Malaga – Fuengirola comes out roughly 17% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,552 per month in Fuengirola and $3,083 in Malaga. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Fuengirola, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,062 there versus $1,439 in Malaga.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,702 in Fuengirola and $2,055 in Malaga. That makes Fuengirola about 17% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $383 per month in Fuengirola and $864 in Malaga. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,702 in Fuengirola and $2,055 in Malaga, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Fuengirola – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Fuengirola. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Malaga makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.