Should you visit Malaga or Almeria?
Which city should you visit? Read on to compare the prices of travel for Malaga and Almeria. We’ll break down costs for accommodation, food, transportation and more to help you learn more about these two destinations. Then, you can figure out if either of these two places are accessible based on your travel budget. So, let's dig into it.
Malaga
Malaga is a port city in the southern part of Spain. It is the 6th largest city in Spain and the southernmost large city in Europe. Malaga lies on the Mediterranean on the Costa del Sol, only 62 miles east of the Strait of Gibraltar, and 80 miles north of Africa. Malaga's history dates back about 2,800 years, which makes it one of the oldest cities in the world. The archaeological remains and monuments from the Phoenician, Roman, Arabic and Christian eras make the historic center of the city an "open museum", displaying its history of more than 3,000 years. Because of its important cultural infrastructure and the artistic heritage, Malaga has been nominated for the European Capital of Culture. Malaga's most important economic contributors include tourism, technology, and construction, but transportation and logistics are becoming increasingly important factors as well.
Almeria
Almeria is a city (and province) in the Andalusia region of Spain. It is located in the southeast area of Spain on the Mediterranean Sea. Almeria is a charming area rich in history. Though it is not as well known as some more popular cities in the area, such as Granada, Seville, or Malaga, its popularity has increased significantly over the years with the growth of its holiday areas. Almeria has over 62 miles of untamed coastline, something that is hard to find on the Mediterranean, and has outstandingly beautiful landscapes, which stands out even in an area of natural beauty. The spectacular beaches with warm waters of the Mediterranean, abundant historic and cultural sites, and large tourist centers makes Almeria a great travel destination.
Which city is cheaper, Almeria or Malaga?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
The average daily cost (per person) in Malaga is €106, while the average daily cost in Almeria is €79. These costs include accommodation (assuming double occupancy, so the traveler is sharing the room), food, transportation, and entertainment. While every person is different, these costs are an average of past travelers in each city. Below is a breakdown of travel costs for Malaga and Almeria in more detail.
Accommodation
Accommodation prices vary by location and style, but travelers pay on average about €108 for a double occupancy room in Malaga.
Accommodation prices vary by location and style, but travelers pay on average about €70 for a double occupancy room in Almeria.
Food
Malaga food costs typically run travelers around €27 per day. Eating every meal in a nicer restaurant will drive the cost up, and grabbing fast food or casual meals will help you save money.
Almeria food costs typically run travelers around €32 per day. Eating every meal in a nicer restaurant will drive the cost up, and grabbing fast food or casual meals will help you save money.
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Food
Meals for one day
Malaga €27
Almeria €32
Typical Food prices in Malaga
Some typical examples of dining costs in Malaga are as follows:
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Malaga
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Malaga.
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Sardines Espetos Cooking Workshop:
$73
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Typical Andalusian Dinner with Wine Pairing in Málaga:
$79
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Malaga Food Tour - Do Eat Better Experience:
$86
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Sardines On Skewers Cooking Class in Malaga:
$111
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Malaga Sunset Cruise and Restaurant Dinner:
$112
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Málaga Swim Cruise with Tapas Dinner and Flamenco Show:
$128
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Malaga Catamaran Cruise with BBQ Lunch and Port Restaurant Dinner:
$146
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Malaga Market Visit and Cooking Class in Malaga Countryside House:
$149
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Almeria
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Almeria.
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Spanish Paella Private Online Cooking Class:
$27
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Private Authentic Spanish Cooking Class with Juan in Almeria:
$62
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Private Market Tour and Paella Cooking Lesson in Almeria with Juan:
$74
Local Transportation
The average price of local transportation around Malaga is €25 per person, per day. As this average includes both taxis and public transport, keep in mind that the prices of private drivers and taxis are significantly more expensive than public transportation.
While taxis and private drivers typically cost much more than public transportation, people usually spend around €16 per day to get around in Almeria.
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Malaga
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Malaga:
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Airport Private Transfer:
$72
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Arrival Private Transfer Business Car Malaga airport AGP to Malaga:
$26
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Arrival Private Transfer Business Car Malaga airport AGP to Marbella:
$62
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Arrival Private Transfer Luxury Van Malaga airport AGP to Malaga:
$30
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Arrival Private Transfer Luxury Van Malaga airport AGP to Marbella:
$92
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Departure Private Transfer Business Car Malaga City to Malaga airport AGP:
$26
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Departure Private Transfer Luxury Van Malaga City to Malaga airport AGP:
$30
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Departure Private Transfer Malaga Airport AGP to Seville Airport by Luxury Van:
$742
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Departure Private Transfer Malaga Airport AGP to Seville SVQ by Business Car:
$611
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Low Cost Private Transfer From Málaga Airport to Cádiz City - One Way:
$376
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Low Cost Private Transfer From Málaga Airport to Malaga City - One Way:
$46
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Malaga - Marbella Private Transfer:
$317
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Almeria
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Almeria:
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Almería Private Transfer from Almería Airport to City centre or Cabo de Gata:
$75
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Almería Private Transfer from the city centre or Cabo de Gata to Almería Airport:
$75
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Transfers desde Aeropuerto de Almería (LEI) a Vera Playa - 4 pasajeros:
$124
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Almeria Airport Transfer to Mojacar:
$159
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Private Transfer from Almería to Malaga (AGP) Airport:
$421
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Private Transfer: Almería Airport (LEI) to Almeria:
$622
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Private Transfer: Almería to Almeria Airport (LEI):
$622
Is it cheaper to fly into Malaga or Almeria?
Prices for flights to both Almeria and Malaga change regularly based on dates and travel demand. We suggest you find the best prices for your next trip on Kayak, because you can compare the cost of flights across multiple airlines for your prefered dates.
Entertainment
Malaga's costs for entertainment, tickets, attractions, and tours will often cost around €25 per person, per day. This cost can vary widely by the type of activity, however, as this includes admission tickets, day tours, museums, and other things to do.
Activities, things to do, and other forms of entertainment usually cost around €13 per person, per day in Almeria. This cost includes the price of admission tickets to attractions and museums as well as daily tours.
Typical Entertainment prices in Malaga
Some typical examples of activities, tours, and entrance ticket prices in Malaga are as follows:
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Entrance to Castillos
€7.10
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Concert
€31
Tours and Activities in Malaga
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Malaga are as follows:
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Alcazaba de Málaga and Teatro Romano Walking Tour in Spanish:
$4.98
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Skip the Line: Picasso's Birthplace Museum Entrance Ticket:
$4.98
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Temporary Exhibition Museo Picasso Málaga Tickets:
$6.66
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Walking Tour of Malaga's Historic Center:
$7.46
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Skip the Line: Centre Pompidou in Malaga Ticket:
$11
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Skip the Line: Museo Picasso Malaga Entrance Ticket:
$11
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Museo Carmen Thyssen de Malaga Entrance Ticket:
$12
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Skip the Line: Malaga Automobile and Fashion Museum Entrance Ticket:
$14
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1.5-Hour Roman Theater and Alcazaba Castle Walking Tour:
$16
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Malaga Segway Castle Tour:
$22
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Fast and Curious segway tour (30min):
$26
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Malaga Shore Excursion: City Sightseeing Malaga Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour:
$27
Tours and Activities in Almeria
Here are a few actual costs in Almeria for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
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Almeria like a Local: Customized Private Tour:
$43
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Alhambra Private Tour from with transport and skip-the-line-tickets:
$386
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Full-Day Private Sightseeing Tour of Nerja from Almeria:
$430
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Private Tour in Granada with Alhambra Palace Entry Ticket:
$600
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Almeria Desert Tour:
$915
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Private 8-Day Almeria Tour with Lanjaron and Baeza:
$919
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8 Days Almería Adventure Self Drive Tour:
$1,107
Alcohol
The average person spends about €18 on alcoholic beverages in Malaga per day. The more you spend on alcohol, the more fun you might be having despite your higher budget.
While the amount that someone spends on alcohol while visiting Almeria may vary from person to person, on average a person spends €3.43 per day on alcoholic beverages.
Sample the Local Flavors in Malaga
Also in Malaga, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
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Malaga Nightlife - Pub Crawl Tour with Skip-the-line Club Access:
$26
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Frigiliana Small-Group Hike and Wine Tasting Tour from Malaga:
$49
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Muscatel Winery Tour and Wine Tastings from Malaga:
$75
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Malaga Tapas and Wine Tour:
$81
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Flamenco, Tapas and Wine Tour: BEST OF Málaga in one evening!:
$108
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Private Ronda Wine Tour with Tapas Including a Visit to Ronda:
$404
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Ronda Private Full Day Wine Tour with Tapas:
$406
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Malaga Shore Excursion: Panoramic Buggy Tour with Wine Tasting in a Historical Cellar:
$481
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Malaga and Almeria, we can see that Malaga is more expensive. And not only is Almeria much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Almeria would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Almeria and be able to afford a more luxurious travel style by staying in nicer hotels, eating at more expensive restaurants, taking tours, and experiencing more activities. The same level of travel in Malaga would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Malaga than you might in Almeria.
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