Side by side
Each place uses its own local data. National rules (economy, geopolitical stability, governance, tax & finance) are the same for both, so they cannot separate them. Neither wins everywhere; the tradeoffs below are what matter.
All about AndalucíaAll about MálagaChange a place
Data as of
Region
Spain's most populous region: flamenco, white villages, mountains and beaches, with fierce summers inland and a thin job market.
33rd of 34 European metro regions
City · Andalucía
Winter sun, a beach in the city and a growing scene of museums and tech offices on the Costa del Sol.
124th of 153 Spanish cities above 50,000
Andalucía is a region and Málaga a city. Each figure is that place’s own; scores compare each with its own peers (regions with regions, cities with cities), so read them side by side rather than as a contest.
Watch out: Interior summers that are dangerously hot; High unemployment and low wages and the longest public waiting times for surgery in Spain.
Watch out: A crowded housing market with tourist-flat rules still changing; Tourist and cruise-ship crowds in the historic centre.
Of 13 figures both publish in the same unit, Andalucía is better on 8 and Málaga on 2; the rest are close or have no better direction.
| Figure | Andalucía | Málaga | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing | |||
| Rent per m² | €7.4 a month2024 | €9.6 a month2024 | Andalucía 23% lower |
| Rent for a 70 m² flat | €515 a month2024 | €669 a month2024 | Andalucía 23% lower |
| Typical rent, existing lease | €550 a month2024 | €718 a month2024 | Andalucía 23% lower |
| Rents, change in a year | 3.8%2024 | 5.2%2024 | Andalucía 1.4 pts lower |
| Buying price per m² | €1,982Q2 2026 | €3,320Q2 2026 | Andalucía 40% lower |
| Price of an 80 m² flat | €158,528Q2 2026 | €265,640Q2 2026 | Andalucía 40% lower |
| House prices, change in a year | 11.9%Q2 2026 | 14.8%Q2 2026 | Andalucía 2.9 pts lower |
| Money & work | |||
| Unemployment | 15.2%2025 | 12.4%2025 | Andalucía 2.8 pts higher |
| Safety | |||
| Recorded crime | 48.0 per 1,000 people2025 | 63.1 per 1,000 people2024 | Andalucía 24% lower |
| Health | |||
| Life expectancy | 82.9 years2024 | 82.1 years2023 | about the same |
| Education | |||
| Adults with a university degree | 37%2025 | 42%2024 | Andalucía 5.0 pts lower |
| People | |||
| Population | 8,676,7132025 | 599,0632025 | Andalucía 14.5× |
| Who lives here | |||
| Residents born abroad | 13.1%2025 | 16.8%2025 | Andalucía 3.7 pts lower |
Data through Jun 2026 (Andalucía) and Jun 2026 (Málaga). Figures are compared only when both places publish them in the same unit; a dot marks the better value where better is clear.
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Always verify important information with the relevant official authority or a qualified adviser before acting. This website uses large language models together with various public data sources, official government documents and other established sources. Due to the amount of data on this website, some information might be wrong. Information may also be incomplete or outdated.