Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Malaga and Cadiz, Spain

For one person, living is cheaper in Cadiz: $1,745 a month against $2,055 in Malaga, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Malaga, Spain
Cadiz, Spain
Malaga
🇪🇸 Spain
$2,055
/mo nomad
Cadiz
🇪🇸 Spain
$1,745
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Malaga and in Cadiz

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Malaga and in Cadiz actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,055 per month in Malaga vs $1,745 in Cadiz, rent included.

  • Malaga $2,055
  • Cadiz $1,745

A couple spends around $2,939 per month in Malaga vs $2,292 in Cadiz, rent included.

  • Malaga $2,939
  • Cadiz $2,292

A family of three spends $3,823 per month in Malaga vs $2,838 in Cadiz, rent included.

  • Malaga $3,823
  • Cadiz $2,838

Malaga costs about 18% more than Cadiz, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Malaga and Cadiz sit above the global median – Malaga by 51%, Cadiz by 28%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Malaga
Cadiz
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.82 €15.07
$15.49 €13.87
8.59%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$68.1 €61.0
$49.92 €44.71
36.50%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.06 €10.80
$12.41 €11.12
-2.82%
Cappuccino
$2.64 €2.36
$2.62 €2.35
0.76%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.69 €2.41
$2.40 €2.15
12.08%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.09 €1.87
$1.61 €1.44
29.81%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.42 €3.06
$3.00 €2.69
14.00%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.42 €3.96
$3.39 €3.03
30.38%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Malaga
Cadiz
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.22 €1.09
$1.01 €0.90
20.79%
White Bread (500g)
$1.42 €1.27
$1.42 €1.27
-
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.81 €1.62
$1.49 €1.33
21.48%
Eggs
$3.42 €3.06
$3.34 €2.99
2.40%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.35 €13.75
$15.28 €13.68
0.46%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.84 €7.02
$7.85 €7.03
-0.13%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.02 €13.45
$14.59 €13.07
2.95%
Apples (1kg)
$2.49 €2.23
$1.99 €1.78
25.13%
Banana (1kg)
$1.96 €1.75
$1.31 €1.17
49.62%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.76 €1.58
$1.75 €1.57
0.57%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.42 €2.17
$1.52 €1.37
59.21%
Potato (1kg)
$1.55 €1.39
$0.94 €0.84
64.89%
Onion (1kg)
$2.05 €1.84
$1.76 €1.57
16.48%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.21 €1.08
$1.25 €1.12
-3.20%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.71 €0.63
$0.67 €0.60
5.97%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.64 €5.94
$5.65 €5.06
17.52%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.52 €5.84
$6.89 €6.17
-5.37%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.14 €1.02
$0.98 €0.88
16.33%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.26 €2.02
$2.29 €2.05
-1.31%
🚌 Getting Around
Malaga
Cadiz
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.55 €1.39
$1.26 €1.13
23.02%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$26.32 €23.57
$22.14 €19.83
18.88%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.90 €1.71
$1.83 €1.64
3.83%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.22 €1.09
$1.18 €1.06
3.39%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$21.91 €19.62
$22.14 €19.83
-1.04%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.77 €1.58
$1.69 €1.52
4.73%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.5K €30.0K
$33.8K €30.2K
-0.84%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.6K €28.3K
$31.2K €28.0K
1.10%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Malaga
Cadiz
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$162 €145
$133 €120
21.69%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$10.59 €9.48
$9.05 €8.10
17.02%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$24.04 €21.53
$24.40 €21.86
-1.48%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Malaga
Cadiz
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$39.73 €35.58
$45.13 €40.42
-11.97%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.81 €15.95
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$9.73 €8.71
$9.73 €8.72
-
🧸 Childcare & Education
Malaga
Cadiz
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$864 €773
$299 €267
189.32%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,940 €8,902
$9,918 €8,883
0.22%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Malaga
Cadiz
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$89.5 €80.2
$90.1 €80.7
-0.64%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.99 €34.92
$16.72 €14.98
133.19%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$84.3 €75.5
$83.3 €74.6
1.22%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$107 €95.7
$77.7 €69.6
37.52%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Malaga
Cadiz
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,439 €1,289
$829 €743
73.55%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,101 €986
$880 €788
25.06%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,373 €2,125
$1,095 €981
116.67%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,602 €1,435
$893 €799
79.46%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,065 €4,536
$3,284 €2,942
54.21%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,151 €2,822
$3,686 €3,301
-14.53%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Malaga
Cadiz
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,902 €1,703
$2,136 €1,913
-10.98%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.3
3.3
-

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

Last update for Malaga: October 25, 2026

Last update for Cadiz: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Malaga
$1.1K
Cadiz
$880 20% $221
Groceries & Markets
Malaga
$266
Cadiz
$247 7.1% $19
Eating Out
Malaga
$247
Cadiz
$230 6.9% $17
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Malaga
$197
Cadiz
$167 15.3% $30
Clothing & Footwear
Malaga
$144
Cadiz
$121 16.2% $23
Sport & Entertainment
Malaga
$59
Cadiz
$65 9.2% $5.4
Getting Around
Malaga
$41
Cadiz
$35 13.8% $5.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,439 in Malaga versus $829 in Cadiz. 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 12% higher in Cadiz, 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 $68 in Malaga versus $50 in Cadiz. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $266 vs $247 – making Cadiz the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇪🇸 Malaga
🇪🇸 Cadiz
🕒 Local time
04:02 4:02 AM
04:02 4:02 AM
Same time as Malaga
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
586,384
111,811
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 31, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Malaga Cadiz 170 km
From you
  • Malaga
  • Cadiz

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
Malaga vs Cadiz: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Malaga or Cadiz?
Malaga costs about 18% more than Cadiz, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Malaga and in Cadiz?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,083 per month in Malaga and $2,617 in Cadiz. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Malaga or Cadiz?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Cadiz, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $829 there versus $1,439 in Malaga.
Are groceries more expensive in Malaga or in Cadiz?
Groceries cost about 8% more in Malaga, though the gap depends on what you buy.
How do dining costs compare in Malaga and in Cadiz?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $68 in Malaga and $50 in Cadiz. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Malaga or in Cadiz?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Cadiz, where all-in costs run around $1,745, than in Malaga at $2,055. In Cadiz it covers expenses comfortably, while in Malaga it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for families?
Families tend to lean toward Cadiz – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
How safe is Malaga compared to Cadiz?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
For expats, Cadiz is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 15% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.

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