Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Malaga and Seville

For one person, living is cheaper in Seville: $1,560 a month against $2,030 in Malaga, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

99

Cost of Living Index in Malaga
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Malaga Living Index
76

Cost of Living Index in Seville
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Seville Living Index

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Malaga

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,030

/mo nomad

Seville

🇪🇸 Spain

$1,560

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Malaga and in Seville

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,030 in Malaga versus $1,560 in Seville.

Malaga $2,030
Seville $1,560

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,972 in Malaga versus $2,378 in Seville.

Malaga $2,972
Seville $2,378

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,915 in Malaga versus $3,195 in Seville.

Malaga $3,915
Seville $3,195

Living in Malaga is roughly 30% more expensive than in Seville, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Malaga 50% above, Seville 16% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.91 €15.04

$13.57 €12.07

24.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.7 €60.2

-0.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.38 €11.01

$8.79 €7.82

40.84%

Cappuccino

$2.58 €2.30

$1.91 €1.70

35.08%

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

$2.76 €2.46

$2.06 €1.83

33.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 €1.79

$1.59 €1.41

27.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.37 €2.99

$2.90 €2.58

16.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 €4.01

$3.41 €3.03

32.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.10

$1.15 €1.02

6.96%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 €1.27

$1.65 €1.46

-13.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.57

$1.57 €1.40

12.10%

Eggs

$3.43 €3.05

$3.36 €2.99

2.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.07 €13.41

$13.40 €11.92

12.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.03 €7.14

$8.39 €7.46

-4.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.10 €13.43

$16.01 €14.24

-5.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.50 €2.22

$2.45 €2.17

2.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 €1.72

$1.96 €1.75

-1.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.68 €1.49

$1.80 €1.60

-6.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 €2.18

$2.47 €2.20

-0.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 €1.38

$1.77 €1.58

-11.86%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.88

$2.00 €1.78

6.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 €1.11

$1.48 €1.32

-15.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 €0.64

$0.78 €0.70

-8.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.75 €6.00

$6.32 €5.62

6.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.87 €6.11

$5.87 €5.22

17.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 €1.01

$1.13 €1.00

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 €2.07

$1.96 €1.74

18.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.60 €1.42

$1.52 €1.35

5.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.11 €24.11

$38.67 €34.39

-29.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.85 €1.64

$1.72 €1.53

7.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.20 €1.07

$1.05 €0.93

14.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.47 €19.99

$14.76 €13.13

52.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.62

$1.74 €1.55

4.60%

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

$35.2K €31.3K

$35.4K €31.5K

-0.69%

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

$28.7K €25.5K

$28.9K €25.7K

-0.66%

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

$163 €145

$117 €104

39.70%

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

$10.77 €9.58

$16.38 €14.57

-34.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.58 €21.87

$32.28 €28.71

-23.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.11 €38.35

$39.85 €35.44

8.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.92 €15.94

$13.04 €11.60

37.42%

Cinema Ticket

$9.78 €8.70

$7.95 €7.07

23.02%

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

$853 €759

$558 €496

52.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.1K €8,970

$7,870 €7,000

28.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.0 €78.3

$89.3 €79.4

-1.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.54 €35.18

$38.70 €34.43

2.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.7 €75.3

$94.2 €83.8

-10.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 €95.5

$113 €100

-4.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,457 €1,296

$935 €831

55.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,068 €950

$675 €600

58.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,464 €2,191

$1,516 €1,348

62.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,681 €1,496

$1,080 €961

55.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,992 €4,440

$4,436 €3,946

12.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,914 €2,592

$1,957 €1,741

48.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,852 €1,648

$1,710 €1,521

8.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.29

3.34

-1.50%

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

Last update for Malaga: October 11, 2026

Last update for Seville: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Malaga

$1.1K 52.6%

Seville

$675 43.3% 36.8% $393

Groceries & Markets

Malaga

$268 13.2%

Seville

$267 17.1% 0% $0.1

Eating Out

Malaga

$248 12.2%

Seville

$194 12.4% 22% $55

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Malaga

$199 9.8%

Seville

$166 10.6% 16.7% $33

Clothing & Footwear

Malaga

$144 7.1%

Seville

$151 9.7% 4.8% $6.9

Sport & Entertainment

Malaga

$63 3.1%

Seville

$56 3.6% 11% $6.9

Getting Around

Malaga

$41 2%

Seville

$52 3.3% 25% $10

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,457 in Malaga and $935 in Seville. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Malaga pays 8% 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: $68.0 in Malaga vs $68.0 in Seville. Groceries flip the comparison at $268 vs $267, with Seville cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Malaga

🇪🇸 Seville

🕒 Local time

19:43 7:43 PM

Same time as Malaga

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

586,384

684,025

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Seville: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Malaga and Seville differ by about 30% in total monthly costs ($2,030 vs $1,560 including rent). Seville is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 8% higher in Malaga, 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: $1,457 in Malaga versus $935 in Seville. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,030 per month in Malaga versus $1,560 in Seville – a 30% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Seville runs roughly 43% less than in Malaga. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,560 in Seville versus $2,030 in Malaga, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Seville but tight or insufficient in Malaga. The gap between the two cities makes Seville 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 Seville 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 Seville gentler on the wallet – expenses run 30% less than in Malaga. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.