Cost of Living Comparison Between Malaga and Fuenlabrada Cost of Living Comparison Between Malaga and Fuenlabrada

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,802 in Malaga versus $1,748 in Fuenlabrada.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,698 in Malaga versus $2,562 in Fuenlabrada.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,593 in Malaga versus $3,376 in Fuenlabrada.

Living in Malaga is roughly 3% more expensive than Fuenlabrada, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Malaga 34% above, Fuenlabrada 30% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.88 €11.95

$17.61 €15.16

-21.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.8

$68.2 €58.7

-4.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.06 €7.80

$10.24 €8.81

-11.52%

Cappuccino

$2.26 €1.95

$2.45 €2.11

-7.76%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 €2.04

$3.24 €2.79

-26.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 €1.63

$2.10 €1.81

-10.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.57 €3.07

$3.40 €2.92

5.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.44 €3.82

$4.56 €3.93

-2.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 €1.04

$1.17 €1.01

2.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.39 €1.20

$1.07 €0.92

29.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 €1.48

$1.70 €1.46

1.18%

Eggs

$2.68 €2.31

$2.65 €2.29

1.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.29 €13.17

$15.07 €12.97

1.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.41 €6.38

$9.04 €7.78

-18.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.87 €11.94

$17.24 €14.85

-19.55%

Apples (1kg)

$2.56 €2.21

$2.78 €2.40

-7.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 €1.63

$2.24 €1.93

-15.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 €1.35

$1.91 €1.64

-17.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.41 €2.08

$2.70 €2.32

-10.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$1.84 €1.58

0.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 €1.70

$2.02 €1.74

-1.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 €0.99

$1.40 €1.20

-17.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 €0.62

$0.67 €0.58

7.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.28 €5.41

$6.96 €5.99

-9.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.13 €5.28

$8.26 €7.11

-25.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 €1.05

$1.25 €1.08

-2.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.46 €2.12

$2.20 €1.90

11.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.60 €1.38

$1.51 €1.30

5.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 €25.57

$34.27 €29.51

-13.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.50 €3.87

$4.59 €3.95

-1.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 €0.88

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.82 €24.82

$23.91 €20.59

20.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.92 €1.65

-4.17%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$39.1K €33.6K

$37.4K €32.2K

4.32%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$30.7K €26.4K

$34.4K €29.6K

-10.93%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$134 €115

$193 €166

-30.82%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$17.64 €15.19

$20.99 €18.08

-15.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.28 €25.21

$34.17 €29.42

-14.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.13 €40.58

$46.97 €40.44

0.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.76 €14.44

$15.19 €13.08

10.34%

Cinema Ticket

$10.48 €9.02

$11.72 €10.10

-10.58%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$461 €397

$258 €222

78.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,996 €8,607

$12.3K €10.5K

-18.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.4 €69.2

$97.3 €83.8

-17.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.19 €34.61

$37.68 €32.44

6.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.9 €77.4

$92.3 €79.5

-2.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 €101

$93.4 €80.4

25.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,185 €1,020

$865 €745

36.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$873 €752

$685 €590

27.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,087 €1,797

$1,297 €1,117

60.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,536 €1,323

$1,017 €876

51.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,222 €4,497

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,014 €2,596

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,954 €1,683

$1,762 €1,517

10.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.46

3.38

2.37%

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

Last update for Malaga: May 31, 2026

Last update for Fuenlabrada: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,185 in Malaga and $865 in Fuenlabrada. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Malaga pays 11% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $65.0 in Malaga vs $68.0 in Fuenlabrada for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $257 vs $281 per month, with Malaga cheaper across the board.

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 Fuenlabrada: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Fuenlabrada is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear. The 3% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Malaga pays 11% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,185 in Malaga versus $865 in Fuenlabrada. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Fuenlabrada – a meal for two runs $68.0 versus $65.0 in Malaga. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,802 per month in Malaga versus $1,748 in Fuenlabrada – a 3% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,748 in Fuenlabrada versus $1,802 in Malaga, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Fuenlabrada but tight or insufficient in Malaga. The gap between the two cities makes Fuenlabrada the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Fuenlabrada is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Malaga, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Malaga and Fuenlabrada are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Fuenlabrada gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Malaga. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.