Cost of Living Comparison Between Malaga and Barakaldo Cost of Living Comparison Between Malaga and Barakaldo

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,824 in Malaga versus $1,660 in Barakaldo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,754 in Malaga versus $2,415 in Barakaldo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,683 in Malaga versus $3,170 in Barakaldo.

Living in Malaga is roughly 10% more expensive than in Barakaldo, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Malaga 37% above, Barakaldo 24% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.72 €12.01

$17.57 €15.37

-21.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.9 €56.7

$51.3 €44.84

26.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.21 €8.06

$11.78 €10.30

-21.82%

Cappuccino

$2.27 €1.99

$2.23 €1.95

1.79%

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

$2.37 €2.08

$2.97 €2.60

-20.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.65

$2.12 €1.85

-11.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 €3.05

$3.15 €2.76

10.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.36 €3.82

$3.74 €3.27

16.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 €1.01

$1.22 €1.07

-4.92%

White Bread (500g)

$1.33 €1.16

$1.45 €1.27

-8.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 €1.51

$1.36 €1.19

26.47%

Eggs

$2.79 €2.44

$2.83 €2.48

-1.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.19 €13.29

$12.09 €10.57

25.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.46 €6.52

$7.93 €6.94

-5.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.31 €12.52

$12.82 €11.22

11.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.56 €2.24

$2.69 €2.35

-4.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$1.98 €1.73

-1.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.64 €1.44

$2.29 €2.00

-28.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 €2.06

$2.35 €2.06

0.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$1.60 €1.40

11.87%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 €1.74

$2.29 €2.01

-13.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 €1.00

$1.04 €0.91

10.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 €0.62

$0.84 €0.73

-15.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.41 €5.60

$6.18 €5.41

3.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.43 €5.62

$8.08 €7.07

-20.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 €1.07

$1.16 €1.02

5.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 €2.16

$2.10 €1.84

17.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.60 €1.40

$1.69 €1.48

-5.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.04 €26.28

$34.00 €29.75

-11.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.70 €4.11

$5.46 €4.77

-13.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 €0.88

$0.91 €0.79

10.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.81 €25.21

$31.32 €27.41

-8.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.76 €1.54

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

$38.9K €34.0K

$39.4K €34.4K

-1.18%

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

$30.6K €26.8K

$32.1K €28.1K

-4.57%

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

$138 €120

$141 €123

-2.31%

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

$17.74 €15.52

$19.41 €16.98

-8.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 €25.67

$27.72 €24.25

5.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.28 €41.37

$48.13 €42.11

-1.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.67 €14.59

$14.95 €13.08

11.51%

Cinema Ticket

$10.58 €9.26

$9.57 €8.37

10.55%

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

$461 €403

$500 €437

-7.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.3K €9,003

$8,897 €7,784

15.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.3 €71.1

$82.4 €72.1

-1.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.11 €34.22

$31.67 €27.71

23.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.4 €78.2

$81.0 €70.9

10.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 €101

$113 €99.1

1.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,187 €1,038

$844 €738

40.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$876 €767

$702 €614

24.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,024 €1,771

$1,307 €1,143

54.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,526 €1,335

$1,006 €880

51.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,102 €4,463

$3,000 €2,625

70.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,947 €2,578

$2,246 €1,965

31.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,973 €1,726

$1,792 €1,568

10.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.46

3.38

2.37%

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

Last update for Malaga: July 11, 2026

Last update for Barakaldo: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,187 in Malaga and $844 in Barakaldo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Malaga pays 10% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $65.0 in Malaga vs $51.0 in Barakaldo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $258 vs $254 per month, with Barakaldo 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

Malaga vs Barakaldo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Malaga and Barakaldo differ by about 10% in total monthly costs ($1,824 vs $1,660 including rent). Barakaldo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 10% higher in Malaga, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,187 in Malaga versus $844 in Barakaldo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Barakaldo – a meal for two runs $51.0 versus $65.0 in Malaga. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,824 per month in Malaga versus $1,660 in Barakaldo – a 10% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,660 in Barakaldo versus $1,824 in Malaga, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Barakaldo but tight or insufficient in Malaga. The gap between the two cities makes Barakaldo 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, Malaga and Barakaldo 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 Barakaldo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Malaga. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.