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 Las Palmas de Gran CanariaAll about MálagaChange a place
Data as of
City · Canarias
A big Atlantic port city with a city beach, an all-year spring climate and a growing remote-working crowd.
132nd of 153 Spanish cities above 50,000
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
Watch out: A small low-paid job market and high unemployment; Distance from the mainland with flights of several hours.
Watch out: A crowded housing market with tourist-flat rules still changing; Tourist and cruise-ship crowds in the historic centre.
Of 40 figures both publish in the same unit, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria is better on 18 and Málaga on 8; the rest are close or have no better direction.
| Figure | Las Palmas de Gran Canaria | Málaga | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing | |||
| Rent per m² | €8.1 a month2024 | €9.6 a month2024 | Las Palmas de Gran Canaria 15% lower |
| Rent for a 70 m² flat | €567 a month2024 | €669 a month2024 | Las Palmas de Gran Canaria 15% lower |
| Typical rent, existing lease | €600 a month2024 | €718 a month2024 | Las Palmas de Gran Canaria 16% lower |
| Rents, change in a year | 3.3%2024 | 5.2%2024 | Las Palmas de Gran Canaria 1.9 pts lower |
| Buying price per m² | €2,337Q2 2026 | €3,320Q2 2026 | Las Palmas de Gran Canaria 30% lower |
| Price of an 80 m² flat | €186,992Q2 2026 | €265,640Q2 2026 | Las Palmas de Gran Canaria 30% lower |
| House prices, change in a year | 14.2%Q2 2026 | 14.8%Q2 2026 | Las Palmas de Gran Canaria 0.6 pts lower |
| Money & work | |||
| Household income per person | €16,088 a year2024 | €14,753 a year2024 | Las Palmas de Gran Canaria 9% higher |
| Net income per household | €41,738 a year2024 | €38,950 a year2024 | Las Palmas de Gran Canaria 7% higher |
| Unemployment | 17.4%2025 | 12.4%2025 | Las Palmas de Gran Canaria 5.0 pts higher |
| Safety | |||
| Recorded crime | 51.3 per 1,000 people2024 | 63.1 per 1,000 people2024 | Las Palmas de Gran Canaria 19% lower |
| Sexual offences | 0.68 per 1,000 people2024 | 0.52 per 1,000 people2024 | Las Palmas de Gran Canaria 31% higher |
| Homicides | 2.10 per 100k people2025 | 1.17 per 100k people2025 | Las Palmas de Gran Canaria 79% higher |
| Robberies with violence | 130 per 100k people2025 | 149 per 100k people2025 | Las Palmas de Gran Canaria 13% lower |
| Home burglaries | 63 per 100k people2025 | 82 per 100k people2025 | Las Palmas de Gran Canaria 24% lower |
| Thefts without violence | 1,182 per 100k people2025 | 2,144 per 100k people2025 | Las Palmas de Gran Canaria 45% lower |
| Vehicle thefts | 81 per 100k people2025 | 136 per 100k people2025 | Las Palmas de Gran Canaria 41% lower |
| Health | |||
| Life expectancy | 81.3 years2023 | 82.1 years2023 | about the same |
| Hospital beds | 7.0 per 1,000 people2025 | 5.4 per 1,000 people2025 | Las Palmas de Gran Canaria 30% higher |
| Climate | |||
| Days above 35 °C | 0 a year2015–2024 | 0 a year2015–2024 | about the same |
| Days above 30 °C | 0 a year2015–2024 | 9 a year2015–2024 | Málaga Infinity× |
| Nights above 20 °C | 156 a year2015–2024 | 95 a year2015–2024 | Las Palmas de Gran Canaria 64% higher |
| Pleasant days (18–28 °C, dry) | 319 a year2015–2024 | 189 a year2015–2024 | Las Palmas de Gran Canaria 69% higher |
| Rainfall | 163 mm a year2015–2024 | 434 mm a year2015–2024 | Málaga 2.7× |
| Rainy days (≥1 mm) | 35 a year2015–2024 | 58 a year2015–2024 | Las Palmas de Gran Canaria 39% lower |
| Frost days | 0 a year2015–2024 | 0 a year2015–2024 | about the same |
| Getting around | |||
| Average commute (one way) | 42 min2021 | 41 min2021 | about the same |
| Commute by public transport | 25% of commuters2021 | 17% of commuters2021 | Las Palmas de Gran Canaria 7.9 pts higher |
| Commute by car | 58% of commuters2021 | 56% of commuters2021 | Las Palmas de Gran Canaria 2.2 pts higher |
| Distance to the main airport | 22 km2026 | 8 km2026 | Las Palmas de Gran Canaria 2.6× |
| Airport passengers | 15.7 million a year2025 | 26.7 million a year2025 | Las Palmas de Gran Canaria 41% lower |
| Internet | |||
| Homes that can get gigabit internet | 97%2025 | 98%2025 | Las Palmas de Gran Canaria 0.9 pts lower |
| Homes with fibre to the door | 98%2025 | 98%2025 | about the same |
| Education | |||
| Adults with a university degree | 42%2024 | 42%2024 | about the same |
| People | |||
| Population | 381,8682025 | 599,0632025 | Las Palmas de Gran Canaria 36% lower |
| Median age | 48.7 years2025 | 45.1 years2025 | Las Palmas de Gran Canaria 8% higher |
| Residents aged 65+ | 20.7%2025 | 19.5%2025 | Las Palmas de Gran Canaria 1.2 pts higher |
| Who lives here | |||
| Residents born abroad | 16.6%2025 | 16.8%2025 | about the same |
| Residents with a foreign nationality | 8.9%2024 | 11.0%2024 | Las Palmas de Gran Canaria 2.1 pts lower |
| Foreign residents, change in 5 years | 1.3 points2024 | 2.3 points2024 | Las Palmas de Gran Canaria 1.0 pts lower |
Data through Jun 2026 (Las Palmas de Gran Canaria) 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.