Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Malaga and Ferrol

For one person, living is cheaper in Ferrol: $1,394 a month against $2,079 in Malaga, rent and utilities included – about $8,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Malaga, Spain
Ferrol, Spain
Malaga
🇪🇸 Spain
$2,079
/mo nomad
Ferrol
🇪🇸 Spain
$1,394
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Malaga and in Ferrol

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

A single person spends $2,079 per month in Malaga vs $1,394 in Ferrol, rent included.

  • Malaga $2,079
  • Ferrol $1,394

A couple spends around $2,972 per month in Malaga vs $2,092 in Ferrol, rent included.

  • Malaga $2,972
  • Ferrol $2,092

A family of three spends $3,866 per month in Malaga vs $2,791 in Ferrol, rent included.

  • Malaga $3,866
  • Ferrol $2,791

Malaga costs about 49% more than Ferrol, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Malaga and Ferrol sit above the global median – Malaga by 54%, Ferrol by 3%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Malaga
Ferrol
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.99 €15.13
$16.89 €15.05
0.59%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$67.2 €59.9
$44.44 €39.59
51.28%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.27 €10.93
$14.54 €12.95
-15.61%
Cappuccino
$2.59 €2.31
$1.72 €1.53
50.58%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.71 €2.42
$2.86 €2.55
-5.24%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.08 €1.86
$2.20 €1.96
-5.45%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.42 €3.05
$2.88 €2.56
18.75%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.41 €3.93
$2.83 €2.52
55.83%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Malaga
Ferrol
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.18 €1.05
$1.07 €0.96
10.28%
White Bread (500g)
$1.48 €1.32
$1.19 €1.06
24.37%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.74 €1.55
$2.26 €2.01
-23.01%
Eggs
$3.38 €3.01
$4.02 €3.58
-15.92%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.16 €13.51
$11.16 €9.94
35.84%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.75 €6.90
$9.12 €8.13
-15.02%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.66 €13.06
$10.99 €9.79
33.39%
Apples (1kg)
$2.55 €2.27
$2.30 €2.05
10.87%
Banana (1kg)
$1.93 €1.72
$1.64 €1.46
17.68%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.75 €1.56
$2.21 €1.97
-20.81%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.45 €2.18
$2.22 €1.97
10.36%
Potato (1kg)
$1.54 €1.37
$1.66 €1.48
-7.23%
Onion (1kg)
$2.12 €1.89
$1.14 €1.01
85.96%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.21 €1.08
$1.72 €1.53
-29.65%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.72 €0.64
$0.59 €0.52
22.03%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.59 €5.87
-
-
Wine (Bottle)
$6.90 €6.14
$4.52 €4.02
52.65%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.15 €1.02
$1.09 €0.97
5.50%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.34 €2.08
$1.70 €1.52
37.65%
🚌 Getting Around
Malaga
Ferrol
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.59 €1.42
$1.42 €1.26
11.97%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$26.94 €24.00
$25.37 €22.60
6.19%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.11 €1.88
$4.79 €4.27
-55.95%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.23 €1.10
-
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$27.49 €24.48
-
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.78 €1.59
$1.80 €1.60
-1.11%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.1K €30.4K
$32.9K €29.3K
3.71%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.3K €27.9K
$30.6K €27.2K
2.55%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Malaga
Ferrol
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$162 €145
$94.4 €84.1
71.90%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.21 €9.99
$22.24 €19.81
-49.60%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$24.56 €21.88
$44.45 €39.59
-44.75%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Malaga
Ferrol
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$41.21 €36.71
$39.43 €35.13
4.51%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.19 €16.20
$8.74 €7.79
108.12%
Cinema Ticket
$9.49 €8.46
$8.87 €7.90
6.99%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Malaga
Ferrol
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$886 €789
-
-
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.1K €9,895
-
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Malaga
Ferrol
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$88.8 €79.1
-
-
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.67 €34.45
-
-
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$84.9 €75.6
-
-
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$109 €97.2
-
-
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Malaga
Ferrol
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,488 €1,326
$881 €785
68.93%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,121 €998
$660 €588
69.77%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,389 €2,128
$1,569 €1,398
52.20%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,642 €1,463
$1,137 €1,012
44.46%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,055 €4,503
$1,663 €1,482
203.91%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,221 €2,869
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Malaga
Ferrol
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,943 €1,731
$1,596 €1,422
21.77%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.3
3.5
-5.71%

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

Last update for Malaga: November 2, 2026

Last update for Ferrol: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Malaga
$1.1K
Ferrol
$660 41.1% $461
Groceries & Markets
Malaga
$265
Ferrol
$240 9.5% $25
Eating Out
Malaga
$249
Ferrol
$240 3.7% $9.3
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Malaga
$198
Ferrol
$161 18.7% $37
Clothing & Footwear
Malaga
$145
Ferrol
- * 100%
Sport & Entertainment
Malaga
$60
Ferrol
$57 5% $3
Getting Around
Malaga
$42
Ferrol
$36 * 13.9% $5.8

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,488 in Malaga versus $881 in Ferrol. 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 22% 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 $44 in Ferrol. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $265 vs $240 – making Ferrol the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇪🇸 Malaga
🇪🇸 Ferrol
🕒 Local time
20:19 8:19 PM
20:19 8:19 PM
Same time as Malaga
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
586,384
63,890
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 0.891 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

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

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 Ferrol: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Malaga and in Ferrol compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $2,079 in Malaga, $1,394 in Ferrol – Ferrol comes out roughly 33% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.
What salary covers living expenses in Malaga compared to Ferrol?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,119 per month in Malaga and $2,091 in Ferrol. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Malaga and Ferrol?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Ferrol, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $881 there versus $1,488 in Malaga.
Which city is more expensive overall: Malaga or Ferrol?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,079 in Malaga and $1,394 in Ferrol. That makes Ferrol about 33% cheaper.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $67 in Malaga and $44 in Ferrol. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Ferrol, where all-in costs run around $1,394, than in Malaga at $2,079. In Ferrol it covers expenses comfortably, while in Malaga it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Malaga and Ferrol?
It depends on your priorities. Malaga has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,394 in Ferrol to $2,079 in Malaga. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Malaga or Ferrol safer for residents?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.
How do I decide between Malaga and Ferrol?
If budget matters most, go with Ferrol. If higher salaries 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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