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: $1,808 in Malaga versus $1,933 in Sabadell.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,713 in Malaga versus $2,666 in Sabadell.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,619 in Malaga versus $3,398 in Sabadell.

Living in Malaga costs roughly 6% less than in Sabadell, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Malaga 34% above, Sabadell 43% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.68 €11.64

$17.69 €15.05

-22.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.1 €54.6

$58.8 €50.0

9.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.41 €8.01

$10.53 €8.96

-10.64%

Cappuccino

$2.33 €1.99

$2.43 €2.07

-4.12%

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

$2.34 €2.00

$2.48 €2.11

-5.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 €1.58

$1.71 €1.46

8.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.52 €2.99

$3.48 €2.96

1.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.44 €3.78

$3.54 €3.02

25.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 €1.03

White Bread (500g)

$1.39 €1.18

$2.01 €1.71

-30.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.73 €1.47

$1.68 €1.43

2.98%

Eggs

$2.81 €2.39

$2.86 €2.43

-1.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.94 €12.71

$14.12 €12.02

5.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.73 €6.57

$9.43 €8.03

-18.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.91 €11.84

$19.05 €16.21

-26.98%

Apples (1kg)

$2.55 €2.17

$2.64 €2.25

-3.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.97 €1.67

$2.39 €2.03

-17.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.64 €1.40

$2.64 €2.25

-37.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.44 €2.08

$2.80 €2.39

-12.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.80 €1.53

$1.45 €1.23

24.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 €1.69

$1.80 €1.53

10.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 €0.98

$1.55 €1.32

-25.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 €0.64

$0.71 €0.61

7.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.31 €5.37

$6.78 €5.77

-6.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.26 €5.33

$5.96 €5.07

5.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 €1.04

$1.44 €1.22

-14.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.03

$2.12 €1.81

12.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.57 €1.34

$2.18 €1.85

-27.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.34 €24.96

$27.55 €23.44

6.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.62 €3.93

$3.49 €2.97

32.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 €0.90

$0.93 €0.79

12.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.48 €25.09

$23.47 €19.97

25.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.76 €1.50

$1.83 €1.56

-3.83%

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

$38.1K €32.4K

$38.0K €32.3K

0.32%

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

$29.7K €25.2K

$29.7K €25.3K

-0.22%

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

$136 €115

$150 €127

-9.38%

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

$17.97 €15.29

$20.53 €17.47

-12.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.10 €25.61

$37.63 €32.02

-20.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.48 €40.40

$34.17 €29.07

38.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.79 €14.29

$8.69 €7.40

93.21%

Cinema Ticket

$10.38 €8.84

$9.18 €7.81

13.07%

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

$450 €383

$531 €452

-15.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.3K €8,755

$8,572 €7,295

20.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.0 €67.2

$87.3 €74.3

-9.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.74 €33.81

$34.29 €29.18

15.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.9 €74.8

$105 €89.4

-16.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.0

$99.2 €84.4

17.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,212 €1,031

$1,028 €875

17.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$892 €759

$918 €781

-2.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,056 €1,750

$1,456 €1,239

41.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,560 €1,328

$1,106 €941

41.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,306 €4,515

$3,697 €3,146

43.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,066 €2,609

$2,725 €2,319

12.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,858 €1,581

$2,234 €1,901

-16.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.46

3.39

2.06%

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

Last update for Malaga: April 13, 2026

Last update for Sabadell: April 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,212 in Malaga and $1,028 in Sabadell. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sabadell pays 20% 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: $64 in Malaga vs $59 in Sabadell. Groceries flip the comparison at $259 vs $295, 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 7% in total monthly costs ($1,808 vs $1,933 including rent). Malaga is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Sabadell earns 20% less. 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: $1,212 in Malaga versus $1,028 in Sabadell. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,808 per month in Malaga versus $1,933 in Sabadell – a 7% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Malaga runs roughly 6% less than in Sabadell. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,808 in Malaga versus $1,933 in Sabadell, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Malaga but tight or insufficient in Sabadell. The gap between the two cities makes Malaga 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 Malaga gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Sabadell. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.