Cost of Living Comparison Between Malaga and Alcoy Cost of Living Comparison Between Malaga and Alcoy

Name: Alcoy
Address: Alcoy, ES

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,786 per month in Malaga vs $1,609 in Alcoy, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,728 per month in Malaga vs $2,346 in Alcoy, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,669 per month in Malaga vs $3,083 in Alcoy, rent included.

Malaga costs about 11% more than Alcoy, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Malaga and Alcoy sit above the global median – Malaga by 33%, Alcoy by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.00 €11.98

$10.49 €8.98

33.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.7 €55.4

$57.1 €48.88

13.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.37 €8.02

$13.09 €11.21

-28.42%

Cappuccino

$2.37 €2.03

$1.83 €1.57

29.51%

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

$2.44 €2.09

$1.83 €1.57

33.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.91 €1.64

$1.29 €1.10

48.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.42 €2.93

$3.52 €3.01

-2.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 €3.64

$2.42 €2.07

75.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 €1.00

$1.02 €0.88

14.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.38 €1.18

$1.37 €1.18

0.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.67 €1.43

$1.46 €1.25

14.38%

Eggs

$2.83 €2.42

$2.96 €2.53

-4.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.45 €13.22

$13.40 €11.47

15.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.66 €6.56

$8.35 €7.14

-8.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.82 €11.83

$14.80 €12.67

-6.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.59 €2.22

$2.53 €2.17

2.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.91 €1.63

$2.05 €1.76

-6.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.64 €1.40

$1.99 €1.70

-17.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.37 €2.03

$2.69 €2.30

-11.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.88 €1.61

$1.72 €1.47

9.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.95 €1.67

$1.97 €1.69

-1.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 €1.02

$1.34 €1.14

-10.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 €0.61

$0.60 €0.52

20.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.38 €5.46

$6.23 €5.34

2.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.01 €5.15

$6.02 €5.16

-0.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 €1.01

$1.26 €1.08

-6.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 €2.01

$1.44 €1.23

63.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.60 €1.37

$1.71 €1.46

-6.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.29 €25.08

$34.05 €29.15

-13.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.73 €4.05

$3.93 €3.36

20.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 €0.90

$1.25 €1.07

-16.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.00 €24.83

$24.76 €21.20

17.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.83 €1.57

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

$38.1K €32.6K

$38.2K €32.7K

-0.33%

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

$29.6K €25.3K

$30.5K €26.1K

-2.87%

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

$138 €118

-0.51%

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

$17.50 €14.98

$20.86 €17.86

-16.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.94 €25.63

$32.01 €27.40

-6.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.75 €40.87

$48.05 €41.13

-0.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.71 €14.30

$15.02 €12.85

11.25%

Cinema Ticket

$10.40 €8.90

$9.47 €8.10

9.82%

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

$447 €383

$410 €351

9.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.1K €8,631

$7,406 €6,340

36.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.2 €68.7

$84.7 €72.5

-5.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.26 €34.46

$36.11 €30.91

11.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.2 €75.5

$88.4 €75.7

-0.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.0

$110 €94.1

5.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,194 €1,022

$867 €742

37.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$888 €760

$701 €600

26.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,049 €1,754

$1,333 €1,141

53.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,562 €1,337

$997 €854

56.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,265 €4,507

$3,490 €2,988

50.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,050 €2,611

$2,098 €1,796

45.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,838 €1,573

$1,966 €1,683

-6.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.46

3.5

-1.14%

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

Last update for Malaga: April 26, 2026

Last update for Alcoy: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,194 in Malaga versus $867 in Alcoy. 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 7% higher in Alcoy, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $65.0 in Malaga versus $57.0 in Alcoy. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $257 – making Alcoy the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Malaga vs Alcoy: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,786 in Malaga, $1,609 in Alcoy – roughly 11% apart. Malaga costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,679 per month in Malaga and $2,414 in Alcoy. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Alcoy, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 0% more in Malaga, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $65.0 in Malaga and $57.0 in Alcoy. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Alcoy, where all-in costs run around $1,609, than in Malaga at $1,786. In Alcoy it covers expenses comfortably, while in Malaga it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Malaga has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,609 in Alcoy to $1,786 in Malaga. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Alcoy. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Malaga makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.