What Málaga costs
In Málaga the room sets the bill, and the gap between a neighbourhood bar and the tourist zone shows on every glass.
- Mid-range room
- €70–100 in winter
- Set menu
- €12–15
- Caña in a neighbourhood bar
- €1.50–2.50
Málaga is priced twice: once for the visitor who stays on Calle Larios and once for the people who live a few streets away. The same city can feel cheap or costly depending on where you sit down. The room sets the total, the table below shows every figure in one place, and the lines under it say where the bill leaks and where it shrinks.
Hotels: a mid-range guide figure, not an offer, and the price depends on the dates.
The bill leaks in two places. The first is the room, which is priced by season, and the table gives a separate line for each of the three. That swing is the real answer to when to go, and the when to go page walks through the year. The second is the drink in the tourist zone. Around Calle Larios, the cathedral and the port a caña is priced for visitors, and a lunch menu there is priced the same way. Treat the table as a map of the city: the figures marked neighbourhood show the ordinary price, and the tourist zone shows what a view costs.
Where to save
Make lunch the main meal. A set menu on a weekday covers a full table, while the tapas of an evening add up faster than they look. A caña in a neighbourhood bar often arrives with a free tapa, so the drink becomes a small snack. On the beach side, El Palo and Pedregalejo serve espeto at a chiringuito, straight off the grill. From the airport the C1 train is the cheapest way into town. The Centre Pompidou and the Thyssen Museum are free on Sunday after 16:00, and the itinerary page shows how to build an afternoon around that. Shared tickets help too, since one ticket opens both the Alcazaba and Gibralfaro.
Official ticket
- Joint ticket
- one ticket for both
Through a partner
- options with a guide or audio guide
- usually costs more than the official ticket
Buy the plan before you go and switch it on when you land.
The same comparison for 156 places: hostel, hotel, getting into town and a day pass. Travel costs →
Where to next
What to eat in Málaga
→Sardines on a cane, fish fried to be eaten with your fingers, and sweet wine from the barrel, food that is not eaten off a tablecloth.
Granada · 89 km
→The Alhambra above the city, and a tapa that comes with your drink
How well does Málaga suit you?
→Six questions: a score for this place and others like it.
Nomadinho scores out of 100, the same ones behind “Where to go”.
If you like Málaga
Three places with the closest scores, from any country.
Before you go
Short answers to what people ask most before setting out.
How much money do you need for two days in Málaga?
Add two nights in a room, a set menu a day, a few drinks and the tickets you want. The table gives each figure, and the room decides the total, so compare rooms by season first.
Ready for Málaga?
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