Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Malaga and Calella

For one person, living is cheaper in Calella: $1,596 a month against $2,067 in Malaga, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Malaga, Spain
Calella, Spain
Malaga
🇪🇸 Spain
$2,067
/mo nomad
Calella
🇪🇸 Spain
$1,596
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Malaga and in Calella

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 Calella actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,067 per month in Malaga vs $1,596 in Calella, rent included.

  • Malaga $2,067
  • Calella $1,596

A couple spends around $2,969 per month in Malaga vs $2,366 in Calella, rent included.

  • Malaga $2,969
  • Calella $2,366

A family of three spends $3,870 per month in Malaga vs $3,137 in Calella, rent included.

  • Malaga $3,870
  • Calella $3,137

Malaga costs about 29% more than Calella, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Malaga and Calella sit above the global median – Malaga by 53%, Calella by 18%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Malaga
Calella
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.94 €15.09
$14.73 €13.13
15.00%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$67.2 €59.9
$56.4 €50.3
19.15%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.40 €11.05
$8.03 €7.15
54.42%
Cappuccino
$2.64 €2.35
$2.49 €2.22
6.02%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.76 €2.46
$2.33 €2.08
18.45%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.01 €1.79
$1.79 €1.59
12.29%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.32 €2.96
$3.46 €3.08
-4.05%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.53 €4.04
$3.31 €2.95
36.86%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Malaga
Calella
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.18 €1.05
$1.11 €0.99
6.31%
White Bread (500g)
$1.50 €1.34
$2.09 €1.86
-28.23%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.82 €1.62
$2.88 €2.57
-36.81%
Eggs
$3.42 €3.05
$3.03 €2.70
12.87%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.20 €13.54
$14.61 €13.03
4.04%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.96 €7.09
$8.31 €7.41
-4.21%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.25 €13.60
$15.33 €13.66
-0.52%
Apples (1kg)
$2.51 €2.23
$2.48 €2.21
1.21%
Banana (1kg)
$1.95 €1.74
$1.97 €1.76
-1.02%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.70 €1.52
$1.58 €1.41
7.59%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.45 €2.18
$2.42 €2.15
1.24%
Potato (1kg)
$1.56 €1.39
$1.79 €1.60
-12.85%
Onion (1kg)
$2.14 €1.91
$1.86 €1.65
15.05%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.21 €1.08
$1.38 €1.23
-12.32%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.67 €0.60
$0.62 €0.55
8.06%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.82 €6.08
$6.96 €6.21
-2.01%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.91 €6.16
$5.56 €4.96
24.28%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.19 €1.06
$1.07 €0.95
11.21%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.36 €2.11
$2.43 €2.17
-2.88%
🚌 Getting Around
Malaga
Calella
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.60 €1.43
$1.46 €1.30
9.59%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$26.41 €23.54
$31.71 €28.26
-16.71%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.87 €1.66
$3.77 €3.36
-50.40%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.23 €1.10
$1.24 €1.11
-0.81%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$21.95 €19.56
$14.51 €12.93
51.27%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.80 €1.60
$1.83 €1.63
-1.64%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.1K €30.4K
$39.4K €35.1K
-13.49%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.2K €27.8K
$31.0K €27.6K
0.50%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Malaga
Calella
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$161 €144
$117 €104
37.70%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$10.50 €9.36
$13.52 €12.05
-22.34%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$24.58 €21.91
$25.05 €22.32
-1.88%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Malaga
Calella
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$42.27 €37.67
$46.23 €41.20
-8.57%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.79 €15.85
$17.63 €15.71
0.91%
Cinema Ticket
$9.47 €8.44
$8.35 €7.44
13.41%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Malaga
Calella
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$843 €752
$560 €499
50.67%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,859 €8,787
$9,945 €8,864
-0.86%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Malaga
Calella
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$90.6 €80.7
$62.6 €55.8
44.70%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$39.67 €35.36
$21.12 €18.82
87.83%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$83.9 €74.8
$114 €101
-26.22%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$105 €93.7
$160 €143
-34.31%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Malaga
Calella
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,458 €1,300
$904 €805
61.42%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,107 €987
$684 €610
61.88%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,556 €2,279
$1,356 €1,208
88.59%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,643 €1,464
$1,011 €901
62.54%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,083 €4,530
$3,081 €2,746
65.00%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,889 €2,575
$1,932 €1,722
49.52%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Malaga
Calella
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,914 €1,706
$1,725 €1,537
10.95%
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 18, 2026

Last update for Calella: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Malaga
$1.1K
Calella
$684 38.2% $423
Groceries & Markets
Malaga
$269
Calella
$273 1.6% $4.4
Eating Out
Malaga
$249
Calella
$212 14.8% $37
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Malaga
$196
Calella
$155 20.7% $41
Clothing & Footwear
Malaga
$144
Calella
$161 12% $17
Sport & Entertainment
Malaga
$61
Calella
$63 2.8% $1.7
Getting Around
Malaga
$41
Calella
$48 16.4% $6.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,458 in Malaga versus $904 in Calella. 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 11% higher in Malaga, 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 $67 in Malaga versus $56 in Calella. Groceries tell a different story – $269 in Malaga vs $273 in Calella – so Malaga wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇪🇸 Malaga
🇪🇸 Calella
🕒 Local time
09:34 9:34 AM
09:34 9:34 AM
Same time as Malaga
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
586,384
19,862
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 26, 2026: 1 USD = 0.891 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Malaga Calella 820 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Malaga
  • Calella

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 Calella: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Calella cheaper than Malaga?
Yes – Malaga is pricier by about 29%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,100 per month in Malaga and $2,394 in Calella. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Calella, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $904 there versus $1,458 in Malaga.
Is eating out cheaper in Malaga or in Calella?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $67 in Malaga and $56 in Calella. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 17% less in Malaga. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Is $1,500 enough to cover costs in Malaga or in Calella?
$1,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,067 in Malaga and $1,596 in Calella. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Is Malaga or Calella more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Calella – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Malaga or Calella?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Calella. 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.

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