Cost of Living Comparison Between Malaga and Sabadell Cost of Living Comparison Between Malaga and Sabadell

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,055 in Malaga versus $1,885 in Sabadell.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,006 in Malaga versus $2,621 in Sabadell.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,957 in Malaga versus $3,358 in Sabadell.

Living in Malaga is roughly 9% more expensive than in Sabadell, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Malaga 50% above, Sabadell 37% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.44 €15.01

$15.00 €12.91

16.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.9 €60.1

$58.0 €49.89

20.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.54 €9.93

$10.40 €8.95

10.96%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$2.50 €2.15

14.80%

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

$2.83 €2.44

$2.44 €2.10

15.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 €1.87

$1.88 €1.62

15.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.52 €3.03

$3.55 €3.05

-0.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.78 €4.12

$3.52 €3.03

35.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 €1.09

$1.16 €1.00

8.62%

White Bread (500g)

$1.51 €1.30

$2.19 €1.88

-31.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.86 €1.60

$1.40 €1.20

32.86%

Eggs

$3.55 €3.06

$3.19 €2.74

11.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.61 €13.43

$15.21 €13.09

2.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.12 €6.99

$8.75 €7.53

-7.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.55 €13.38

$19.03 €16.37

-18.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.28

$2.67 €2.30

-0.75%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$2.23 €1.92

-9.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$2.60 €2.24

-29.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.63 €2.26

$2.60 €2.24

1.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.62 €1.39

$1.86 €1.60

-12.90%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 €1.88

$2.18 €1.87

0.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 €1.12

$1.54 €1.32

-15.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 €0.59

$0.91 €0.78

-25.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.84

$7.03 €6.05

-3.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.60 €5.68

$5.78 €4.97

14.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 €1.06

$1.14 €0.98

7.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 €2.01

$2.48 €2.14

-5.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.66 €1.43

$2.53 €2.18

-34.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.71 €23.84

$22.99 €19.79

20.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.00 €1.72

$3.29 €2.83

-39.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.21 €1.04

$1.37 €1.18

-11.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.43 €20.16

$24.77 €21.31

-5.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.79 €1.54

$1.72 €1.48

4.07%

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

$37.1K €31.9K

$36.7K €31.6K

1.06%

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

$30.6K €26.3K

$29.8K €25.7K

2.57%

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

$162 €140

$132 €114

22.92%

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

$10.55 €9.08

$15.23 €13.10

-30.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.94 €23.18

$38.05 €32.74

-29.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.63 €40.13

$31.99 €27.53

45.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 €16.35

$8.68 €7.47

118.89%

Cinema Ticket

$10.02 €8.62

$10.27 €8.84

-2.43%

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

$859 €739

$524 €451

63.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K €9,269

$10.6K €9,080

2.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.9 €80.8

$81.3 €69.9

15.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.49 €34.85

$35.50 €30.55

14.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.8 €73.8

$109 €94.2

-21.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 €93.8

$92.8 €79.8

17.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,518 €1,306

$1,026 €883

48.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,066 €917

$938 €807

13.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,545 €2,190

$1,463 €1,259

73.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,688 €1,452

$1,128 €971

49.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,072 €4,364

$3,690 €3,175

37.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,057 €2,630

$2,730 €2,350

11.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,974 €1,699

$2,281 €1,963

-13.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.31

3.3

0.30%

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

Last update for Malaga: September 1, 2026

Last update for Sabadell: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,518 in Malaga and $1,026 in Sabadell. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sabadell pays 16% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $70.0 in Malaga vs $58.0 in Sabadell. Groceries flip the comparison at $276 vs $298, with Malaga cheaper for home cooking.

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 Sabadell: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Malaga and Sabadell differ by about 9% in total monthly costs ($2,055 vs $1,885 including rent). Sabadell is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 16% lower in Sabadell. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,518 in Malaga versus $1,026 in Sabadell. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,055 per month in Malaga versus $1,885 in Sabadell – a 9% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Sabadell runs roughly 21% less than in Malaga. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,885 in Sabadell versus $2,055 in Malaga, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Sabadell but tight or insufficient in Malaga. The gap between the two cities makes Sabadell the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Malaga and Sabadell 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 Sabadell gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Malaga. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.