Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Malaga and Girona

For one person, living is cheaper in Girona: $1,906 a month against $2,079 in Malaga, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Malaga outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Malaga, Spain
Girona, Spain
Malaga
🇪🇸 Spain
$2,079
/mo nomad
Girona
🇪🇸 Spain
$1,906
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Malaga and in Girona

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

A single person spends $2,079 per month in Malaga vs $1,906 in Girona, rent included.

  • Malaga $2,079
  • Girona $1,906

A couple spends around $2,972 per month in Malaga vs $2,773 in Girona, rent included.

  • Malaga $2,972
  • Girona $2,773

A family of three spends $3,866 per month in Malaga vs $3,641 in Girona, rent included.

  • Malaga $3,866
  • Girona $3,641

Malaga costs about 9% more than Girona, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Malaga and Girona sit above the global median – Malaga by 54%, Girona by 41%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Malaga
Girona
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.99 €15.13
$17.95 €15.99
-5.35%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$67.2 €59.9
$59.3 €52.8
13.41%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.27 €10.93
$9.12 €8.12
34.54%
Cappuccino
$2.59 €2.31
$2.50 €2.22
3.60%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.71 €2.42
$2.06 €1.83
31.55%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.08 €1.86
$1.97 €1.76
5.58%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.42 €3.05
$4.20 €3.74
-18.57%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.41 €3.93
$4.60 €4.10
-4.13%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Malaga
Girona
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.18 €1.05
$1.22 €1.09
-3.28%
White Bread (500g)
$1.48 €1.32
$1.16 €1.04
27.59%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.74 €1.55
$1.48 €1.31
17.57%
Eggs
$3.38 €3.01
$2.99 €2.66
13.04%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.16 €13.51
$10.72 €9.55
41.42%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.75 €6.90
$8.16 €7.27
-5.02%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.66 €13.06
$14.60 €13.00
0.41%
Apples (1kg)
$2.55 €2.27
$2.43 €2.16
4.94%
Banana (1kg)
$1.93 €1.72
$2.07 €1.84
-6.76%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.75 €1.56
$2.14 €1.90
-18.22%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.45 €2.18
$2.69 €2.40
-8.92%
Potato (1kg)
$1.54 €1.37
$1.57 €1.40
-1.91%
Onion (1kg)
$2.12 €1.89
$1.92 €1.71
10.42%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.21 €1.08
$1.38 €1.23
-12.32%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.72 €0.64
$0.63 €0.56
14.29%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.59 €5.87
$6.57 €5.85
0.30%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.90 €6.14
$6.59 €5.87
4.70%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.15 €1.02
$1.68 €1.50
-31.55%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.34 €2.08
$1.83 €1.63
27.87%
🚌 Getting Around
Malaga
Girona
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.59 €1.42
$1.91 €1.70
-16.75%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$26.94 €24.00
$35.70 €31.80
-24.54%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.11 €1.88
$2.64 €2.35
-20.08%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.23 €1.10
$1.77 €1.58
-30.51%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$27.49 €24.48
$21.42 €19.08
28.34%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.78 €1.59
$1.80 €1.61
-1.11%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.1K €30.4K
$34.9K €31.0K
-2.25%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.3K €27.9K
$30.5K €27.2K
2.63%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Malaga
Girona
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$162 €145
$212 €189
-23.35%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.21 €9.99
$23.04 €20.53
-51.35%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$24.56 €21.88
$40.27 €35.87
-39.01%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Malaga
Girona
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$41.21 €36.71
$52.2 €46.46
-20.99%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.19 €16.20
$22.26 €19.83
-18.28%
Cinema Ticket
$9.49 €8.46
$8.87 €7.90
6.99%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Malaga
Girona
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$886 €789
$685 €610
29.38%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.1K €9,895
$9,459 €8,426
17.43%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Malaga
Girona
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$88.8 €79.1
$75.7 €67.5
17.29%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.67 €34.45
$44.05 €39.24
-12.21%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$84.9 €75.6
$79.5 €70.9
6.73%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$109 €97.2
$118 €105
-7.55%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Malaga
Girona
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,488 €1,326
$1,197 €1,067
24.27%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,121 €998
$864 €770
29.64%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,389 €2,128
$2,024 €1,803
17.99%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,642 €1,463
$1,354 €1,206
21.30%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,055 €4,503
$5,344 €4,760
-5.41%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,221 €2,869
$3,730 €3,323
-13.65%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Malaga
Girona
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,943 €1,731
$1,818 €1,619
6.90%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.3
3.02
9.27%

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

Last update for Malaga: November 2, 2026

Last update for Girona: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Malaga
$1.1K
Girona
$864 22.9% $256
Groceries & Markets
Malaga
$265
Girona
$252 5.1% $14
Eating Out
Malaga
$249
Girona
$247 0.7% $1.8
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Malaga
$198
Girona
$275 38.9% $77
Clothing & Footwear
Malaga
$145
Girona
$143 1.3% $1.9
Sport & Entertainment
Malaga
$60
Girona
$70 16.1% $9.7
Getting Around
Malaga
$42
Girona
$55 31.8% $13

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,488 in Malaga versus $1,197 in Girona. 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 7% 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 $59 in Girona. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $265 vs $252 – making Girona the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇪🇸 Malaga
🇪🇸 Girona
🕒 Local time
21:15 9:15 PM
21:15 9:15 PM
Same time as Malaga
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
586,384
104,320
💱 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 Girona 850 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Malaga
  • Girona

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 Girona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Malaga or Girona?
Malaga costs about 9% more than Girona, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Malaga and in Girona?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,119 per month in Malaga and $2,859 in Girona. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Malaga or Girona?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Girona, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,197 there versus $1,488 in Malaga.
Are groceries more expensive in Malaga or in Girona?
Groceries cost about 5% more in Malaga, though the gap depends on what you buy.
How do dining costs compare in Malaga and in Girona?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $67 in Malaga and $59 in Girona. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Malaga or Girona?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Girona costs $1,906 versus $2,079 in Malaga. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Malaga compared to Girona?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.
Should I move to Malaga or to Girona?
If budget matters most, go with Girona. 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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