Cost of Living Comparison Between Malaga and Santiago de Compostela Cost of Living Comparison Between Malaga and Santiago de Compostela

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,802 in Malaga versus $1,447 in Santiago de Compostela.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,698 in Malaga versus $2,174 in Santiago de Compostela.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,593 in Malaga versus $2,900 in Santiago de Compostela.

Living in Malaga is roughly 24% more expensive than Santiago de Compostela, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Malaga 34% above, Santiago de Compostela 8% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.88 €11.95

$13.87 €11.94

0.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.8

$54.8 €47.16

18.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.06 €7.80

$9.65 €8.31

-6.11%

Cappuccino

$2.26 €1.95

$1.94 €1.67

16.49%

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

$2.37 €2.04

$2.36 €2.03

0.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 €1.63

$2.02 €1.74

-6.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.57 €3.07

$3.03 €2.61

17.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.44 €3.82

$3.65 €3.15

21.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 €1.04

$1.15 €0.99

4.35%

White Bread (500g)

$1.39 €1.20

$1.21 €1.04

14.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 €1.48

$1.61 €1.39

6.83%

Eggs

$2.68 €2.31

$2.97 €2.56

-9.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.29 €13.17

$9.29 €8.00

64.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.41 €6.38

$6.30 €5.43

17.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.87 €11.94

$17.02 €14.65

-18.51%

Apples (1kg)

$2.56 €2.21

$1.83 €1.57

39.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 €1.63

$2.22 €1.91

-14.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 €1.35

$1.53 €1.32

2.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.41 €2.08

$2.84 €2.45

-15.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$2.13 €1.83

-13.15%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 €1.70

$1.52 €1.31

30.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 €0.99

$1.18 €1.01

-2.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 €0.62

$0.69 €0.59

4.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.28 €5.41

$6.16 €5.31

1.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.13 €5.28

$5.39 €4.64

13.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 €1.05

$1.49 €1.28

-18.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.46 €2.12

$2.41 €2.07

2.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.60 €1.38

$1.25 €1.07

28.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 €25.57

$34.88 €30.04

-14.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.50 €3.87

$4.58 €3.95

-1.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 €0.88

$1.26 €1.09

-18.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.82 €24.82

$22.95 €19.76

25.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.82 €1.56

1.10%

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

$39.1K €33.6K

$28.4K €24.5K

37.51%

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

$30.7K €26.4K

$31.2K €26.9K

-1.83%

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

$134 €115

$162 €140

-17.77%

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

$17.64 €15.19

$21.15 €18.21

-16.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.28 €25.21

$33.39 €28.75

-12.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.13 €40.58

$41.32 €35.58

14.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.76 €14.44

$2.32 €2.00

622.41%

Cinema Ticket

$10.48 €9.02

$10.00 €8.61

4.80%

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

$461 €397

$349 €301

31.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,996 €8,607

$8,176 €7,040

22.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.4 €69.2

$77.4 €66.6

3.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.19 €34.61

$32.12 €27.66

25.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.9 €77.4

$86.3 €74.3

4.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 €101

$97.7 €84.2

20.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,185 €1,020

$730 €629

62.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$873 €752

$526 €453

65.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,087 €1,797

$1,033 €889

102.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,536 €1,323

$881 €759

74.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,222 €4,497

$3,181 €2,739

64.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,014 €2,596

$2,224 €1,915

35.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,954 €1,683

$1,974 €1,700

-1.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.46

3.33

3.90%

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

Last update for Malaga: May 31, 2026

Last update for Santiago de Compostela: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,185 in Malaga and $730 in Santiago de Compostela. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santiago de Compostela pays 1% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $65.0 in Malaga vs $55.0 in Santiago de Compostela for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $257 vs $241 per month, with Santiago de Compostela 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 Santiago de Compostela: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Malaga and Santiago de Compostela differ by about 24% in total monthly costs ($1,802 vs $1,447 including rent). Santiago de Compostela is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Santiago de Compostela earns 1% 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: $1,185 in Malaga versus $730 in Santiago de Compostela. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,802 per month in Malaga versus $1,447 in Santiago de Compostela – a 24% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Santiago de Compostela runs roughly 17% less than in Malaga. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,447 in Santiago de Compostela versus $1,802 in Malaga, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Santiago de Compostela but tight or insufficient in Malaga. The gap between the two cities makes Santiago de Compostela 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 Santiago de Compostela 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 Santiago de Compostela gentler on the wallet – expenses run 24% less than in Malaga. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.