Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mataro and Malaga

For one person, living is cheaper in Mataro: $1,844 a month against $2,055 in Malaga, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Malaga outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

89

Cost of Living Index in Mataro
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Mataro Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Malaga
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Malaga Living Index

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Mataro

🇪🇸 Spain

$1,844

/mo nomad

Malaga

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,055

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mataro and in Malaga

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Mataro and in Malaga actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,844 in Mataro versus $2,055 in Malaga.

Mataro $1,844
Malaga $2,055

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,696 in Mataro versus $2,939 in Malaga.

Mataro $2,696
Malaga $2,939

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,548 in Mataro versus $3,823 in Malaga.

Mataro $3,548
Malaga $3,823

Living in Mataro costs roughly 10% less than in Malaga.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mataro 35% above, Malaga 51% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.70 €14.95

$16.82 €15.07

-0.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.6 €50.7

$68.1 €61.0

-16.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.34 €11.95

$12.06 €10.80

10.61%

Cappuccino

$2.04 €1.83

$2.64 €2.36

-22.73%

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

$2.33 €2.08

$2.69 €2.41

-13.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 €1.69

$2.09 €1.87

-9.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.01 €3.59

$3.42 €3.06

17.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.40 €3.04

$4.42 €3.96

-23.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.10

$1.22 €1.09

0.82%

White Bread (500g)

$2.08 €1.86

$1.42 €1.27

46.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 €1.33

$1.81 €1.62

-18.23%

Eggs

$3.99 €3.57

$3.42 €3.06

16.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.04 €15.26

$15.35 €13.75

11.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.27 €8.31

$7.84 €7.02

18.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.59 €17.55

$15.02 €13.45

30.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.36

$2.49 €2.23

6.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.96 €1.76

$1.96 €1.75

Oranges (1kg)

$2.69 €2.41

$1.76 €1.58

52.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.86 €2.56

$2.42 €2.17

18.18%

Potato (1kg)

$2.07 €1.86

$1.55 €1.39

33.55%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 €2.04

$2.05 €1.84

11.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 €1.36

$1.21 €1.08

25.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.79

$0.71 €0.63

23.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.35 €5.68

$6.64 €5.94

-4.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.64 €5.05

$6.52 €5.84

-13.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 €0.99

$1.14 €1.02

-3.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 €2.05

$2.26 €2.02

1.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.54 €2.28

$1.55 €1.39

63.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.37 €30.78

$26.32 €23.57

30.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.30 €2.06

$1.90 €1.71

21.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 €0.96

$1.22 €1.09

-12.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.06 €26.03

$21.91 €19.62

32.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.74 €1.56

$1.77 €1.58

-1.69%

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

$32.3K €28.9K

$33.5K €30.0K

-3.53%

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

$32.0K €28.7K

$31.6K €28.3K

1.47%

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

$184 €165

$162 €145

13.38%

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

$12.18 €10.91

$10.59 €9.48

15.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 €26.28

$24.04 €21.53

22.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.8 €54.5

$39.73 €35.58

53.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.76 €12.32

$17.81 €15.95

-22.74%

Cinema Ticket

$10.81 €9.68

$9.73 €8.71

11.10%

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

$500 €447

$864 €773

-42.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,830 €7,013

$9,940 €8,902

-21.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.1 €78.0

$89.5 €80.2

-2.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 €35.73

$38.99 €34.92

2.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.9 €86.7

$84.3 €75.5

14.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 €102

$107 €95.7

6.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$940 €842

$1,439 €1,289

-34.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 €698

$1,101 €986

-29.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,333 €1,194

$2,373 €2,125

-43.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,172 €1,050

$1,602 €1,435

-26.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,286 €2,943

$5,065 €4,536

-35.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,846 €2,549

$3,151 €2,822

-9.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,861 €1,667

$1,902 €1,703

-2.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.28

3.3

-0.61%

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

Last update for Mataro: October 26, 2026

Last update for Malaga: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mataro

$780 42.3%

Malaga

$1.1K 53.6% 41.2% $321

Groceries & Markets

Mataro

$310 16.8%

Malaga

$266 13% 14.1% $44

Eating Out

Mataro

$242 13.1%

Malaga

$247 12% 2.4% $5.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mataro

$226 12.2%

Malaga

$197 9.6% 12.7% $29

Clothing & Footwear

Mataro

$152 8.2%

Malaga

$144 7% 5.3% $8

Sport & Entertainment

Mataro

$82 4.5%

Malaga

$59 2.9% 28.2% $23

Getting Around

Mataro

$52 2.8%

Malaga

$41 2% 22.3% $12

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $940 in Mataro and $1,439 in Malaga. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $57 in Mataro vs $68 in Malaga. Groceries flip the comparison at $310 vs $266, with Malaga cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Mataro

🇪🇸 Malaga

🕒 Local time

09:46 9:46 AM

Same time as Mataro

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

129,870

586,384

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Mataro Malaga 800 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Mataro
Malaga

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

Mataro vs Malaga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,844 in Mataro and $2,055 in Malaga, so Mataro is about 10% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $2,766 in Mataro and $3,083 in Malaga to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $940 in Mataro versus $1,439 in Malaga. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,844 per month in Mataro versus $2,055 in Malaga – Mataro is about 10% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Malaga runs roughly 23% less than in Mataro. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Mataro gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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, Mataro and Malaga are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.