Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Fuengirola and Santa Cruz de Tenerife

For one person, living is cheaper in Fuengirola: $1,702 a month against $2,048 in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 less a year. Other living expenses 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 Santa Cruz de Tenerife
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Santa Cruz de Tenerife Living Index

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Fuengirola

🇪🇸 Spain

$1,702

/mo nomad

Santa Cruz de Tenerife

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,048

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Fuengirola and in Santa Cruz de Tenerife

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 Santa Cruz de Tenerife actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,702 per month in Fuengirola vs $2,048 in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, rent included.

Fuengirola $1,702
Santa Cruz de Tenerife $2,048

A couple spends around $2,554 per month in Fuengirola vs $2,946 in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, rent included.

Fuengirola $2,554
Santa Cruz de Tenerife $2,946

A family of three spends $3,407 per month in Fuengirola vs $3,845 in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, rent included.

Fuengirola $3,407
Santa Cruz de Tenerife $3,845

Fuengirola is about 17% cheaper than Santa Cruz de Tenerife, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Fuengirola and Santa Cruz de Tenerife sit above the global median – Fuengirola by 25%, Santa Cruz de Tenerife by 50%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.83 €14.22

$20.33 €18.26

-22.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €61.2

$60.8 €54.6

12.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.01 €8.99

$11.00 €9.88

-9.00%

Cappuccino

$2.68 €2.41

$1.99 €1.79

34.67%

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

$2.43 €2.19

$1.87 €1.68

29.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 €1.79

$1.24 €1.11

60.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.38 €3.04

$2.81 €2.53

20.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.35 €3.91

$3.28 €2.95

32.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.22 €1.10

$1.38 €1.24

-11.59%

White Bread (500g)

$1.50 €1.34

$2.46 €2.21

-39.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.49 €1.34

$1.59 €1.43

-6.29%

Eggs

$2.89 €2.60

$4.13 €3.71

-30.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.64 €14.06

$19.32 €17.36

-19.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.86 €7.06

$10.01 €9.00

-21.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.97 €10.75

$17.56 €15.78

-31.83%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 €2.08

$2.79 €2.50

-16.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.96 €1.76

$2.32 €2.08

-15.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.68 €1.51

$2.17 €1.95

-22.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 €2.20

$2.57 €2.31

-4.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.60 €1.44

$2.12 €1.90

-24.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.58 €1.42

$1.94 €1.74

-18.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.21 €1.09

$1.68 €1.51

-27.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 €0.61

$0.99 €0.89

-31.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.67 €5.10

$5.60 €5.03

1.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.91 €6.21

$7.92 €7.11

-12.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 €0.93

$1.61 €1.45

-36.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 €1.39

$1.75 €1.58

-11.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.20 €1.97

$1.37 €1.23

60.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.24 €10.10

$44.15 €39.67

-74.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.85 €1.66

$4.20 €3.78

-55.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.23 €1.11

$1.65 €1.48

-25.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.06 €19.82

$17.09 €15.36

29.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.57

$1.63 €1.47

7.36%

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

$33.7K €30.3K

$35.7K €32.1K

-5.60%

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

$30.3K €27.2K

$31.0K €27.9K

-2.39%

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

$162 €146

$126 €113

28.67%

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

$10.57 €9.50

$22.43 €20.15

-52.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.68 €22.18

$35.25 €31.67

-29.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.57 €40.94

$51.5 €46.23

-11.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$33.31 €29.93

$11.64 €10.46

186.17%

Cinema Ticket

$9.43 €8.47

$9.74 €8.75

-3.18%

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

$383 €344

$408 €367

-6.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.0K €9,008

$4,972 €4,467

101.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.2 €55.9

$91.3 €82.0

-31.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.46 €31.86

$41.34 €37.15

-14.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.2 €64.0

$89.5 €80.4

-20.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.1 €72.9

$114 €102

-28.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 €954

$1,166 €1,047

-8.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$815 €732

$1,000 €898

-18.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,760 €1,581

$1,833 €1,647

-3.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,321 €1,187

$1,422 €1,278

-7.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,565 €3,203

$3,984 €3,580

-10.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,700 €2,426

$2,266 €2,036

19.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,753 €1,575

$1,852 €1,664

-5.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.3

3.56

-7.30%

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

Last update for Fuengirola: October 26, 2026

Last update for Santa Cruz de Tenerife: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Fuengirola

$815 47.9%

Santa Cruz de Tenerife

$1,000 48.8% 22.7% $185

Groceries & Markets

Fuengirola

$252 14.8%

Santa Cruz de Tenerife

$328 16% 29.9% $75

Eating Out

Fuengirola

$232 13.6%

Santa Cruz de Tenerife

$253 12.3% 8.8% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Fuengirola

$197 11.6%

Santa Cruz de Tenerife

$184 9% 6.9% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Fuengirola

$112 6.6%

Santa Cruz de Tenerife

$151 7.4% 34.4% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Fuengirola

$64 3.8%

Santa Cruz de Tenerife

$71 3.5% 10.1% $6.5

Getting Around

Fuengirola

$28 1.7%

Santa Cruz de Tenerife

$62 3% 121% $34

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,062 in Fuengirola versus $1,166 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 $68 in Fuengirola versus $61 in Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Groceries tell a different story – $252 in Fuengirola vs $328 in Santa Cruz de Tenerife – so Fuengirola wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Fuengirola

🇪🇸 Santa Cruz de Tenerife

🕒 Local time

11:11 11:11 AM

10:11 10:11 AM

1 h behind Fuengirola

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

85,598

209,395

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Fuengirola Santa Cruz de Tenerife 1,410 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Fuengirola
Santa Cruz de Tenerife

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

Monthly costs with rent: $1,702 in Fuengirola, $2,048 in Santa Cruz de Tenerife – roughly 20% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,552 per month in Fuengirola and $3,072 in Santa Cruz de Tenerife. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $1,062 in Fuengirola and $1,166 in Santa Cruz de Tenerife. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Kindergarten costs $383 per month in Fuengirola and $408 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 30% 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.

$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,702 in Fuengirola and $2,048 in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, 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 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.