Cost of Living Comparison Between Malaga and Calella Cost of Living Comparison Between Malaga and Calella

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,823 per month in Malaga vs $1,347 in Calella, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,755 per month in Malaga vs $2,152 in Calella, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,687 per month in Malaga vs $2,958 in Calella, rent included.

Malaga costs about 35% more than Calella, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Malaga and Calella sit above the global median โ€“ Malaga by 36%, Calella by 0%.

Currency
๐Ÿฝ Eating Out
Malaga
Calella
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.70 โ‚ฌ11.69
$11.36 โ‚ฌ9.69
20.60%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$64.4 โ‚ฌ54.9
$34.65 โ‚ฌ29.55
85.80%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.18 โ‚ฌ7.83
$9.33 โ‚ฌ7.96
-1.61%
Cappuccino
$2.36 โ‚ฌ2.02
$1.38 โ‚ฌ1.18
71.01%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.37 โ‚ฌ2.02
$1.78 โ‚ฌ1.51
33.15%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.82 โ‚ฌ1.55
$1.64 โ‚ฌ1.40
10.98%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.43 โ‚ฌ2.93
$3.40 โ‚ฌ2.90
0.88%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.47 โ‚ฌ3.81
$2.26 โ‚ฌ1.93
97.79%
๐Ÿ›’ Groceries & Markets
Malaga
Calella
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.20 โ‚ฌ1.03
$1.23 โ‚ฌ1.05
-2.44%
White Bread (500g)
$1.37 โ‚ฌ1.17
$2.01 โ‚ฌ1.72
-31.84%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.71 โ‚ฌ1.46
$1.59 โ‚ฌ1.36
7.55%
Eggs
$2.81 โ‚ฌ2.40
$2.89 โ‚ฌ2.47
-2.77%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.23 โ‚ฌ12.99
$14.15 โ‚ฌ12.07
7.63%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.79 โ‚ฌ6.64
$9.21 โ‚ฌ7.86
-15.42%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.93 โ‚ฌ11.89
$17.19 โ‚ฌ14.66
-18.96%
Apples (1kg)
$2.58 โ‚ฌ2.20
$3.08 โ‚ฌ2.63
-16.23%
Banana (1kg)
$1.89 โ‚ฌ1.61
$2.88 โ‚ฌ2.45
-34.38%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.64 โ‚ฌ1.40
$2.87 โ‚ฌ2.45
-42.86%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.45 โ‚ฌ2.09
$2.98 โ‚ฌ2.54
-17.79%
Potato (1kg)
$1.78 โ‚ฌ1.52
$1.41 โ‚ฌ1.20
26.24%
Onion (1kg)
$1.97 โ‚ฌ1.68
$1.46 โ‚ฌ1.25
34.93%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.20 โ‚ฌ1.02
$1.50 โ‚ฌ1.28
-20.00%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.77 โ‚ฌ0.66
$0.76 โ‚ฌ0.65
1.32%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.53 โ‚ฌ5.57
$5.70 โ‚ฌ4.86
14.56%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.19 โ‚ฌ5.28
$5.30 โ‚ฌ4.52
16.79%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.22 โ‚ฌ1.04
$2.09 โ‚ฌ1.78
-41.63%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.43 โ‚ฌ2.07
$2.07 โ‚ฌ1.77
17.39%
๐ŸšŒ Getting Around
Malaga
Calella
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.65 โ‚ฌ1.41
$2.82 โ‚ฌ2.41
-41.49%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$29.11 โ‚ฌ24.83
$33.93 โ‚ฌ28.94
-14.21%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.52 โ‚ฌ3.85
$4.01 โ‚ฌ3.42
12.72%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.06 โ‚ฌ0.91
$2.09 โ‚ฌ1.79
-49.28%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$28.91 โ‚ฌ24.66
$22.15 โ‚ฌ18.90
30.52%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.80 โ‚ฌ1.54
$1.57 โ‚ฌ1.34
14.65%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.9K โ‚ฌ33.1K
$37.6K โ‚ฌ32.1K
3.21%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$30.7K โ‚ฌ26.2K
$30.3K โ‚ฌ25.9K
1.20%
๐Ÿงพ Monthly Utilities & Internet
Malaga
Calella
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$135 โ‚ฌ115
$119 โ‚ฌ102
13.02%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$17.82 โ‚ฌ15.20
$20.44 โ‚ฌ17.43
-12.82%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$29.38 โ‚ฌ25.06
$36.87 โ‚ฌ31.45
-20.31%
๐ŸŽ‰ Sport & Entertainment
Malaga
Calella
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$48.36 โ‚ฌ41.25
$46.00 โ‚ฌ39.24
5.13%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.25 โ‚ฌ13.86
$17.09 โ‚ฌ14.57
-4.92%
Cinema Ticket
$10.21 โ‚ฌ8.71
$9.25 โ‚ฌ7.89
10.38%
๐Ÿงธ Childcare & Education
Malaga
Calella
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$453 โ‚ฌ387
$322 โ‚ฌ275
40.54%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$10.3K โ‚ฌ8,787
$7,056 โ‚ฌ6,019
46.00%
๐Ÿ‘•๐Ÿ‘Ÿ Clothing & Footwear
Malaga
Calella
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$79.3 โ‚ฌ67.6
$94.9 โ‚ฌ81.0
-16.46%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$39.24 โ‚ฌ33.48
$34.59 โ‚ฌ29.50
13.44%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$90.6 โ‚ฌ77.3
$77.4 โ‚ฌ66.0
17.09%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$114 โ‚ฌ97.3
$102 โ‚ฌ87.0
11.81%
๐Ÿ  Accommodation & Living
Malaga
Calella
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,196 โ‚ฌ1,020
$647 โ‚ฌ552
84.89%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$870 โ‚ฌ742
$442 โ‚ฌ377
96.98%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,085 โ‚ฌ1,778
$1,318 โ‚ฌ1,125
58.12%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,556 โ‚ฌ1,328
$1,019 โ‚ฌ869
52.75%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,143 โ‚ฌ4,387
$3,154 โ‚ฌ2,690
63.09%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,095 โ‚ฌ2,640
$2,648 โ‚ฌ2,259
16.89%
๐Ÿ’ต Salaries & Financials
Malaga
Calella
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,825 โ‚ฌ1,557
$1,640 โ‚ฌ1,399
11.29%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.46
3.75
-7.73%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input โ€“ minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Malaga: April 21, 2026

Last update for Calella: April 22, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,196 in Malaga versus $647 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 $64 in Malaga versus $35 in Calella. Groceries tell a different story โ€“ $260 in Malaga vs $297 in Calella โ€“ so Malaga wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 โ€“ Malaga is pricier by about 35%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,735 per month in Malaga and $2,020 in Calella. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled โ€“ not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Calella, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 17% less in Calella. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $453 per month in Malaga and $322 in Calella. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for Malaga or Calella?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Calella, where all-in costs run around $1,347, than in Malaga at $1,823. In Calella it covers expenses comfortably, while in Malaga it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Malaga or Calella more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Calella โ€“ 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 โ€“ 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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