Malaga is the sixth most expensive Spanish city to live in despite its low household income, according to a study.

Barcelona, Palma de Mallorca, and Madrid are the three Spanish cities with the highest cost of living above the national average, specifically 38.13%, 24.20%, and 20.95% respectively, according to an analysis by Kelisto.es. Malaga ranks sixth on the list, with a cost 12.44% above the country's average. However, according to this report, the average net household income in the capital of the Costa del Sol is 33,786 euros, placing it at number 41 (out of a total of 50) in the income ranking.

"Barcelona, Palma de Mallorca, Granada, Malaga, Girona, Valencia, and Almeria are the main flag bearers thanks to their strength as a tourist destination, their appeal to multinationals and digital nomads, and their good infrastructure and connections," explained Kelisto.es spokesperson, Estefanía González.

On the other hand, Lugo is the cheapest city (-14.13% below the average), followed by Zamora (-12.22%) and Oviedo (-11.18%), along with cities like Teruel, Huesca, or Avila, which according to the report are less attractive as they are inland.

Specifically, the report takes into account data from the 50 provincial capitals, plus the autonomous cities of Ceuta and Melilla, and for each of them, figures on 17 products and services from six categories have been examined: housing, taxes, household bills, public and private transport, shopping, and leisure.

Moreover, the price differences between capitals vary greatly depending on the product or service being compared, for example, the largest gap is in terms of the property tax (IBI): between the most expensive city for this tax (Soria) and the cheapest (Pamplona) there is a 652% difference.

However, the smallest differences are seen in the price of groceries (10.6% difference between the most expensive and the cheapest) and gasoline, where the capital with the highest cost (Palma de Mallorca) is 44.3% more expensive than the one with the lowest (Santa Cruz de Tenerife).

In terms of housing, the most expensive prices are in San Sebastián (610,560 euros, 167.2% above the average), Madrid (540,990 euros, 136.7% more), and Barcelona (457,470 euros, 100.2% more), while the most economical cities are Zamora (123,210 euros, 46.1% below the average) and Avila (131,130 euros, 42.6% less).

Regarding home insurance, Barcelona has the highest price, with an average of 229.4 euros per year (42.4% above the average), while Castellón de la Plana has the cheapest: 129.5 euros per year (19.6% below).

On the other hand, for car insurance, Melilla records the highest average price (338 euros per year, 94.4% more than the average), while Guadalajara and Castellón de la Plana have the cheapest: 150 euros (-13.7% compared to the average).