Málaga vs Marbella: the figures side by side

Málaga and Marbella are both on the Costa del Sol, in the same province and region, so a purchase is taxed under the same Andalusian rules. They are very different places to live. Málaga is a large city with a working economy that does not depend on tourism alone: the port, the university, technology firms, the main hospitals of the province, the airport on its edge and the high-speed train to Madrid. Marbella, further west, is a resort town known for villas, golf, marinas and international schools; it has no railway station, so most trips are by car along the A-7 or the AP-7.

Many buyers choose between the two by lifestyle: a city with year-round life and public transport, or a resort with more space and a more seasonal rhythm. Prices in Marbella vary enormously between areas, from apartments in the centre to estates in the hills, so the municipal figures below are an average over very different homes.

The table compares official figures for both, row by row, each with its source and period.

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Málaga · Marbella

Málaga vs Marbella: the figures side by side
Indicator	Málaga	Marbella	Source and period
Average appraised value	€3,320.5/m²	€4,528.3/m²	Measured for the municipality · Fuente: Ministerio de Transportes y Movilidad Sostenible, Q2 2026. Updated 17/10/2026.
Median rent	€9.55/m² a month	€9.63/m² a month	Measured for the municipality · Origen de los datos: Ministerio de Vivienda y Agenda Urbana (SERPAVI), 2024. Updated 17/10/2026.
Gross rental yield	3.5%	2.6%	Measured for the municipality · Rent €9.55/m² a month — Origen de los datos: Ministerio de Vivienda y Agenda Urbana (SERPAVI), 2024. Updated 17/10/2026. · Price €3,320.5/m² — Fuente: Ministerio de Transportes y Movilidad Sostenible, Q2 2026. Updated 17/10/2026. · Rent €9.63/m² a month — Origen de los datos: Ministerio de Vivienda y Agenda Urbana (SERPAVI), 2024. Updated 17/10/2026. · Price €4,528.3/m² — Fuente: Ministerio de Transportes y Movilidad Sostenible, Q2 2026. Updated 17/10/2026.
Average income per person	€13,847	€13,384	Measured for the municipality · Elaboración propia con datos extraídos del sitio web del INE: www.ine.es, 2023. Updated 17/10/2026.
Registered population	599,063	159,786	Measured for the municipality · Elaboración propia con datos extraídos del sitio web del INE: www.ine.es, 2025. Updated 15/10/2026.
Foreign residents	69,892	49,813	Measured for the municipality · Elaboración propia con datos extraídos del sitio web del INE: www.ine.es, 2025. Updated 17/10/2026.
Share of foreign residents	11.7%	31%	Measured for the municipality · Foreign residents 69,892 — Elaboración propia con datos extraídos del sitio web del INE: www.ine.es, 2025. Updated 17/10/2026. · Population (annual census) 597,173 — Elaboración propia con datos extraídos del sitio web del INE: www.ine.es, 2025. Updated 17/10/2026. · Foreign residents 49,813 — Elaboración propia con datos extraídos del sitio web del INE: www.ine.es, 2025. Updated 17/10/2026. · Population (annual census) 160,478 — Elaboración propia con datos extraídos del sitio web del INE: www.ine.es, 2025. Updated 17/10/2026.
Aged 65 and over	19.45%	17.07%	Measured for the municipality · Elaboración propia con datos extraídos del sitio web del INE: www.ine.es, 2025. Updated 17/10/2026.
Aged 0 to 15	13.16%	13.56%	Measured for the municipality · Elaboración propia con datos extraídos del sitio web del INE: www.ine.es, 2025. Updated 17/10/2026.
Registered tourist lets	8,288	6,987	Measured for the municipality · Elaboración propia con datos extraídos del sitio web del INE: www.ine.es, 05/2026. Updated 17/10/2026.
Tourist lets as a share of all homes	3.17%	6.97%	Measured for the municipality · Elaboración propia con datos extraídos del sitio web del INE: www.ine.es, 05/2026. Updated 17/10/2026.
Average January temperature	13.3 °C Station MÁLAGA, CENTRO METEOROLÓGICO, 6.3 km away in a straight line	13.6 °C Station MARBELLA, PUERTO, 14.1 km away in a straight line	© AEMET, climate normals 1991–2020. Updated 17/10/2026.
Average August high	32.1 °C Station MÁLAGA, CENTRO METEOROLÓGICO, 6.3 km away in a straight line	27.1 °C Station MARBELLA, PUERTO, 14.1 km away in a straight line	© AEMET, climate normals 1991–2020. Updated 17/10/2026.
Annual rainfall	454.4 mm Station MÁLAGA, CENTRO METEOROLÓGICO, 6.3 km away in a straight line	545.6 mm Station MARBELLA, PUERTO, 14.1 km away in a straight line	© AEMET, climate normals 1991–2020. Updated 17/10/2026.
Sunshine hours a year	2,976 h Station MÁLAGA AEROPUERTO, 11.5 km away in a straight line	—	© AEMET, climate normals 1991–2020. Updated 17/10/2026.
Nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), annual mean	14 µg/m³ Station EL ATABAL, 4.4 km away in a straight line	—	Source: European Environment Agency (EEA), 2025. Updated 17/10/2026.
PM10 particles, annual mean	19 µg/m³ Station EL ATABAL, 4.4 km away in a straight line	—	Source: European Environment Agency (EEA), 2025. Updated 17/10/2026.
Recorded criminal offences	38,043 (Provisional figure)	13,837 (Provisional figure)	Measured for the municipality · Fuente: Ministerio del Interior, Balance de Criminalidad, 12 months to Q2 2026. Updated 17/10/2026.
Per thousand registered residents	63.5 (Provisional figure)	86.6 (Provisional figure)	Measured for the municipality · Fuente: Ministerio del Interior, Balance de Criminalidad, 12 months to Q2 2026. Updated 17/10/2026. · Registered population 599,063 — Elaboración propia con datos extraídos del sitio web del INE: www.ine.es, 2025. Updated 15/10/2026. · Registered population 159,786 — Elaboración propia con datos extraídos del sitio web del INE: www.ine.es, 2025. Updated 15/10/2026.
Per thousand people, including the estimated tourist population	61.98 (Provisional figure)	78.95 (Provisional figure)	Measured for the municipality · Fuente: Ministerio del Interior, Balance de Criminalidad, 12 months to Q2 2026. Updated 17/10/2026. · Registered population 599,063 — Elaboración propia con datos extraídos del sitio web del INE: www.ine.es, 2025. Updated 15/10/2026. · Beds in tourist lets 34,724 — Elaboración propia con datos extraídos del sitio web del INE: www.ine.es, 05/2026. Updated 17/10/2026. · Registered population 159,786 — Elaboración propia con datos extraídos del sitio web del INE: www.ine.es, 2025. Updated 15/10/2026. · Beds in tourist lets 36,435 — Elaboración propia con datos extraídos del sitio web del INE: www.ine.es, 05/2026. Updated 17/10/2026.
Homes with fibre (FTTH)	98.43%	97.15%	Measured for the municipality · Origen de los datos: Ministerio para la Transformación Digital y de la Función Pública, 2025. Updated 17/10/2026.
Homes with 1 Gbit/s	98.34%	95.48%	Measured for the municipality · Origen de los datos: Ministerio para la Transformación Digital y de la Función Pública, 2025. Updated 17/10/2026.
IBI property tax rate	0.451%	0.65%	Measured for the municipality · Origen de los datos: Ministerio de Hacienda (Secretaría General de Financiación Autonómica y Local). Elaboración propia: flatin.es, 2025. Updated 15/10/2026.
Nearest airport	11.2 km MÁLAGA/Costa del Sol · 11.2 km in a straight line, not travel time	32.6 km MÁLAGA/Costa del Sol · 32.6 km in a straight line, not travel time	Fuente: AIP España (ENAIRE). Updated 17/10/2026.
Nearest high-speed rail station	6 km Málaga María Zambrano · 6 km in a straight line, not travel time	39.8 km Málaga María Zambrano · 39.8 km in a straight line, not travel time	Fuente: Renfe (data.renfe.com). Updated 17/10/2026.
Nearest hospital	4.1 km Hospital Universitario Regional de Málaga · 4.1 km in a straight line, not travel time	1 km Hospital Costa del Sol · 1 km in a straight line, not travel time	Fuente: Ministerio de Sanidad, Catálogo Nacional de Hospitales. Updated 17/10/2026.

— No data: the source publishes no value for this municipality.

Compare places side by side

Who this place may suit

What our rules read from these figures. Málaga: People escaping a northern winter, Retirees looking for a mild winter, Remote workers who need fast internet. Marbella: People escaping a northern winter, Retirees looking for a mild winter, Remote workers who need fast internet. Each conclusion comes from a fixed threshold on a published figure, shown in the “who it may suit” block of the town's page; it is not our opinion of either place.

Málaga

People escaping a northern winter
Based on: Average January temperature: 13.3 °C (≥ 11 °C)
© AEMET, climate normals 1991–2020. Updated 17/10/2026.
Retirees looking for a mild winter
Based on: Average January temperature: 13.3 °C (≥ 11 °C); Nearest hospital: 4.1 km (≤ 15 km)
© AEMET, climate normals 1991–2020. Updated 17/10/2026. · Fuente: Ministerio de Sanidad, Catálogo Nacional de Hospitales. Updated 17/10/2026.
Remote workers who need fast internet
Based on: Homes with 1 Gbit/s: 98.34% (≥ 75%)
Origen de los datos: Ministerio para la Transformación Digital y de la Función Pública, 2025. Updated 17/10/2026.

Marbella

People escaping a northern winter
Based on: Average January temperature: 13.6 °C (≥ 11 °C)
© AEMET, climate normals 1991–2020. Updated 17/10/2026.
Retirees looking for a mild winter
Based on: Average January temperature: 13.6 °C (≥ 11 °C); Nearest hospital: 1 km (≤ 15 km)
© AEMET, climate normals 1991–2020. Updated 17/10/2026. · Fuente: Ministerio de Sanidad, Catálogo Nacional de Hospitales. Updated 17/10/2026.
Remote workers who need fast internet
Based on: Homes with 1 Gbit/s: 95.48% (≥ 75%)
Origen de los datos: Ministerio para la Transformación Digital y de la Función Pública, 2025. Updated 17/10/2026.

These are fixed rules applied to the published figures on this page, not our opinion. A rule whose data is missing stays silent.