The Spanish city where cost of living is 40% lower than London and expats feel ‘safe everywhere’ they go
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Moving abroad requires a high degree of commitment, warranting thorough research and informed decision-making.
One destination that never fails to tick all the boxes for British expats is Spain, where coastal cities like Malaga are gaining an increasing number of buyers thanks to their mild climate and affordability.
In 2023, the Spanish hotspot recorded 22.3 million arrivals at its airport, marking the highest number since pre-Covid 2019.
A growing number of visitors have decided to make the city their home after InterNations gave it a high ranking for quality of life and local friendliness.
Amelia and JP say they felt safe everywhere in Malaga
YOUTUBE / AMELIA AND JP
What’s more, the cost of living is relatively cheap compared to most other Western European countries. Malaga also boasts comparatively lower house prices.
Breaking down the numbers, the database Numbeo says that Malaga is 39.8 per cent less expensive than London.
The average single person can expect to pay around £589 without rent, making it less costly than other popular Spanish destinations like Madrid and Barcelona.
The flawless climate adds to the city's allure, as content creator Frii Info Spain pointed out in her YouTube clip. She explained: “This might be a relatively obvious one. The region has many sunny days and only two to three months of downright cold weather.”
“[It also] only has around two months of really warm weather. In addition, not ever gets cancelled because of the weather and that is really good if you enjoy doing things outside.”
Globe-trotters Amelia and JP recently shed light on the safety of the destination in a YouTube clip, saying: “It was on our exploratory trip list for several reasons so we wanted to check it out to see if would be a good place to live.”
During a visit to the Spanish city, the pair were quick to notice how safe they felt while roaming the streets at night.
“We’re going to start with the things that we love and the first is that it is a very safe city,” noted the content creators, pointing out that Malaga ranks number 32 on the global peace index.
“We walked around all day and all night [....] and we felt safe everywhere we went. We saw kids playing in the park by themselves and women walking alone.
“Elderly people out alone, we felt really comfortable, so much so that we didn’t really think about safety.”
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Malaga offers competitive prices to homebuyers
GETTYAs a holiday destination Malaga rates one of the cheapest in Spain and most visitors are pleasantly surprised [by] how little everything costs in the capital of the Costa del Sol.
While lower costs are bound to attract more and more expats in the future, some have described the touristification of the Spanish cities as problematic.
In a YouTube clip posted by Spain Revealed, content creator James explained that many local bars in major cities like Madrid have started to disappear.
“When I moved to Spain I fell in love [...] with Madrid,” James declared in the clip. Over time, however, the expat's admiration has given way to frustration.