Cost of Living Comparison Between Malaga and Cartagena Cost of Living Comparison Between Malaga and Cartagena

😐 Solo nomad: Malaga is 26.9% more expensive than Cartagena without rent, and 27% more expensive with rent.
😐 Family of 3: Malaga is 9.8% more expensive than Cartagena without rent, and 38.5% more expensive with rent.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Malaga
Cartagena
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.84 €11.95
$13.84 €11.95
-
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$62.9 €54.3
$56.9 €49.13
10.54%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.09 €7.85
$8.26 €7.14
10.05%
Cappuccino
$2.37 €2.04
$2.54 €2.19
-6.69%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.37 €2.04
$2.43 €2.1
-2.47%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.89 €1.63
$1.98 €1.71
-4.55%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.38 €2.92
$3.43 €2.96
-1.46%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.41 €3.81
$3.39 €2.93
30.09%
πŸ›’ Groceries & Markets
Malaga
Cartagena
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.18 €1.01
$1.14 €0.99
3.51%
White Bread (500g)
$1.33 €1.15
$1.04 €0.9
27.88%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.74 €1.5
$1.69 €1.46
2.96%
Eggs
$2.81 €2.42
$2.9 €2.51
-3.10%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.38 €13.28
$11.56 €9.98
33.04%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.73 €6.67
$8.6 €7.42
-10.12%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.32 €12.37
$14.13 €12.2
1.34%
Apples (1kg)
$2.51 €2.16
$2.27 €1.96
10.57%
Banana (1kg)
$1.95 €1.69
$1.77 €1.53
10.17%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.64 €1.41
$1.38 €1.19
18.84%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.37 €2.05
$1.7 €1.47
39.41%
Potato (1kg)
$1.86 €1.61
$1.29 €1.11
44.19%
Onion (1kg)
$1.98 €1.71
$1.06 €0.92
86.79%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.17 €1.01
$1.07 €0.92
9.35%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.75 €0.65
$0.52 €0.45
44.23%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.3 €5.44
$5.82 €5.03
8.25%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.79 €5
$5.95 €5.14
-2.69%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.22 €1.05
$1.11 €0.96
9.91%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.43 €2.1
$1.3 €1.12
86.92%
🚌 Getting Around
Malaga
Cartagena
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.66 €1.43
$1.42 €1.22
16.90%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$29.94 €25.85
$11.44 €9.88
161.71%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.68 €4.04
$3.56 €3.08
31.46%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.02 €0.88
$1.21 €1.05
-15.70%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$29.11 €25.13
$24.51 €21.16
18.77%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.84 €1.59
$1.82 €1.57
1.10%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.7K €33.4K
$30.3K €26.1K
27.87%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$30.4K €26.2K
$31.9K €27.5K
-4.60%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Malaga
Cartagena
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$138 €119
$144 €125
-4.07%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$17.97 €15.52
$13.22 €11.42
35.93%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$29.71 €25.65
$30.79 €26.58
-3.51%
πŸŽ‰ Sport & Entertainment
Malaga
Cartagena
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$48.39 €41.78
$38.74 €33.45
24.91%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.21 €14
$15.24 €13.16
6.36%
Cinema Ticket
$10.22 €8.82
$7.99 €6.9
27.91%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Malaga
Cartagena
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$453 €391
$418 €361
8.31%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$10.1K €8,711
$2,751 €2,375
266.79%
πŸ‘•πŸ‘Ÿ Clothing & Footwear
Malaga
Cartagena
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$80.8 €69.8
$45.57 €39.35
77.40%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$39.55 €34.15
$31.42 €27.12
25.88%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$88 €76
$44.73 €38.62
96.65%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$118 €102
$75.7 €65.3
55.67%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Malaga
Cartagena
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,216 €1,050
$785 €677
55.04%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$879 €759
$623 €538
41.06%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,020 €1,744
$924 €798
118.58%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,528 €1,319
$775 €670
97.07%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,271 €5,414
$1,844 €1,592
240.00%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,346 €4,616
$1,500 €1,295
256.33%
πŸ’΅ Salaries & Financials
Malaga
Cartagena
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,719 €1,484
$1,845 €1,593
-6.85%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.46
3.44
0.58%

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

Last update for Malaga: October 29, 2025

Last update for Cartagena: October 29, 2025

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