Cost of Living Comparison Between Fuengirola and Santa Cruz de Tenerife Cost of Living Comparison Between Fuengirola and Santa Cruz de Tenerife

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,758 per month in Fuengirola vs $2,015 in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,669 per month in Fuengirola vs $2,890 in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,581 per month in Fuengirola vs $3,766 in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, rent included.

Fuengirola is about 13% cheaper than Santa Cruz de Tenerife, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Fuengirola and Santa Cruz de Tenerife sit above the global median – Fuengirola by 27%, Santa Cruz de Tenerife by 46%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.29 €14.04

$21.32 €18.38

-23.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.9 €60.3

$64.3 €55.4

8.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.53 €9.08

$11.79 €10.16

-10.69%

Cappuccino

$2.77 €2.39

$2.12 €1.83

30.66%

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

$2.70 €2.33

$2.04 €1.75

32.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 €1.83

$1.30 €1.12

63.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.56 €3.07

$2.89 €2.49

23.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.56 €3.93

$3.46 €2.98

31.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 €1.08

$1.26 €1.08

-0.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.49 €1.29

$2.58 €2.22

-42.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 €1.35

$1.65 €1.43

-4.85%

Eggs

$2.91 €2.51

$4.39 €3.79

-33.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.63 €13.47

$20.60 €17.76

-24.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.54 €7.36

$10.37 €8.93

-17.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.61 €13.45

$18.04 €15.55

-13.47%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 €2.02

$2.77 €2.39

-15.16%

Banana (1kg)

$2.04 €1.76

$2.46 €2.12

-17.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.73 €1.49

$2.23 €1.92

-22.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.60 €2.24

$2.63 €2.27

-1.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.63 €1.41

$2.24 €1.93

-27.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 €1.41

$2.10 €1.81

-21.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.21 €1.05

$1.75 €1.51

-30.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.65 €0.56

$0.98 €0.84

-33.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.65 €4.87

$5.70 €4.91

-0.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.35 €5.48

$8.35 €7.20

-23.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 €0.93

$1.67 €1.44

-35.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 €1.43

$1.79 €1.55

-7.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.29 €1.97

$1.48 €1.27

54.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.78 €10.15

$43.93 €37.87

-73.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.99 €1.72

$4.38 €3.78

-54.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.26 €1.09

$1.77 €1.53

-28.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.30 €20.08

$17.56 €15.14

32.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.72 €1.48

$1.65 €1.43

4.24%

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

$36.5K €31.4K

$36.7K €31.6K

-0.54%

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

$30.0K €25.8K

$30.3K €26.1K

-0.87%

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

$160 €138

$134 €115

19.64%

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

$10.81 €9.32

$23.36 €20.14

-53.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.34 €22.70

$36.81 €31.73

-28.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.85 €39.52

$54.6 €47.05

-16.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.78 €24.81

$12.18 €10.50

136.29%

Cinema Ticket

$9.95 €8.57

$10.38 €8.95

-4.14%

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

$389 €335

$428 €369

-9.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.6K €9,145

$5,246 €4,522

102.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.8 €56.7

$97.3 €83.8

-32.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.25 €32.11

$43.40 €37.41

-14.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.6 €62.6

$94.4 €81.4

-23.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.4 €73.6

$117 €101

-26.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,101 €949

$1,202 €1,036

-8.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$859 €741

$923 €795

-6.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,819 €1,568

$1,804 €1,555

0.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,353 €1,166

$1,328 €1,145

1.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,734 €3,219

$4,025 €3,470

-7.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,814 €2,426

$2,227 €1,920

26.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,822 €1,570

$1,923 €1,658

-5.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.31

3.56

-7.02%

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

Last update for Fuengirola: September 5, 2026

Last update for Santa Cruz de Tenerife: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,101 in Fuengirola versus $1,202 in Santa Cruz de Tenerife. 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 6% higher in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, 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 $70.0 in Fuengirola versus $64.0 in Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Groceries tell a different story – $268 in Fuengirola vs $339 in Santa Cruz de Tenerife – so Fuengirola wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Santa Cruz de Tenerife: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,758 in Fuengirola, $2,015 in Santa Cruz de Tenerife – roughly 15% apart. Santa Cruz de Tenerife costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,637 per month in Fuengirola and $3,022 in Santa Cruz de Tenerife. 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $389 per month in Fuengirola and $428 in Santa Cruz de Tenerife. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 27% more in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Fuengirola, where all-in costs run around $1,758, than in Santa Cruz de Tenerife at $2,015. In Fuengirola it covers expenses comfortably, while in Santa Cruz de Tenerife it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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 have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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