Where to live in Malaga depends on what you want: choose Malaga city for the most choice and a year-round city, Torremolinos or Fuengirola for a beach town on the coastal train line, and Mijas for the lowest rents and a large British community. In 2024 the median flat rent was €615 a month in Mijas and €718 in Malaga.
The four places are a short drive or train ride from each other, but they feel different once you sign a lease. If you are thinking about living in Malaga, this guide compares them with official rent and population figures, so you can choose where to look first. We are a Malaga property management company and the team behind Abroad Playbook, a guide for people moving to Spain, so some of the figures link to its pages.
There is no single best area. Malaga city has by far the biggest rental market, Torremolinos has the most expensive space per square metre, Fuengirola sits in the middle on price, and Mijas has the lowest monthly rent. The table shows the official figures for flats.
| Malaga | |
|---|---|
| Median rent per month (2024) | €718 |
| Rent per m² (2024) | €9.55 |
| Median flat size | 80 m² |
| Leases counted | 25,741 |
| Fuengirola | |
| Median rent per month (2024) | €675 |
| Rent per m² (2024) | €9.29 |
| Median flat size | 80 m² |
| Leases counted | 4,682 |
| Torremolinos | |
| Median rent per month (2024) | €660 |
| Rent per m² (2024) | €10.17 |
| Median flat size | 73 m² |
| Leases counted | 3,969 |
| Mijas | |
| Median rent per month (2024) | €615 |
| Rent per m² (2024) | €8.68 |
| Median flat size | 81 m² |
| Leases counted | 3,391 |
| Source: Ministry of Housing, SERPAVI database 2011–2024, checked in October 2026 | |
These are rents declared on tax returns for flats let as a main home, and they include older leases still in force. A flat you rent today will usually cost more, so use the table to compare towns, not to set a budget. For the full monthly cost of living, see our Malaga cost of living guide.
Malaga city suits anyone who wants a real city with year-round life rather than a resort. The median flat rented for €718 a month in 2024, the highest of the four, but it also has the deepest market: 25,741 leases against 3,391 to 4,682 in the other three.
More leases mean more choice of size, price and street, and more chance of finding a flat that fits your budget and commute. The airport is close, which matters if family and friends fly in from the UK. We manage holiday apartments in the city centre and along the coast, so we see how different the neighbourhoods feel from one street to the next.
Torremolinos suits people who want to be on the beach and near the airport and are happy with a smaller flat. Its rent per square metre was the highest of the four at €10.17, but flats are smaller, with a median of 73 m², so the monthly rent of €660 stayed below Malaga’s.
Check the size of the flat, not only the monthly price. At €10.17 per square metre against €9.55 in Malaga, a smaller flat in Torremolinos is not automatically the better deal, so compare homes of the same size when you view them.
Fuengirola suits people who want a lively seaside town with services within walking distance. The median flat rented for €675 a month in 2024 at €9.29 per square metre, close to Malaga’s price per metre but with a smaller market of 4,682 leases.
It has a large foreign community: the Spanish statistics office counted 4,322 British nationals among its 84,857 residents on 1 January 2025, or 5.1%, according to the INE annual census. The Cercanías C-1 commuter line, run by Renfe, links Fuengirola with Malaga Centro-Alameda, according to the Malaga metropolitan transport consortium, so check how far a street is from a station before you choose it.
Mijas suits people who want more space for less rent and a large British community. Its median flat rented for €615 a month in 2024, the lowest of the four, which is 14% less than in Malaga, for a typical flat of 81 m².
The same INE census counted 7,541 British nationals among 94,320 residents, or 8.0%, on 1 January 2025. The municipality is spread over several areas, including the hillside village of Mijas Pueblo and the coast, so check how far a flat is from shops, the beach and the train before you sign.
Whichever town you pick, check four things: the real total monthly cost, the size of the flat, the distance to daily services and how long you will stay. Prices vary more between streets than between towns, so viewing two or three areas in person beats reading any table.
Mijas had the lowest median rent of the four in 2024 at €615 a month, followed by Torremolinos at €660, Fuengirola at €675 and Malaga at €718. These are official figures for flats from the Ministry of Housing’s SERPAVI database.
On 1 January 2025 the INE annual census counted 7,541 British nationals in Mijas, or 8.0% of its 94,320 residents, and 4,322 in Fuengirola, or 5.1% of 84,857.
Per square metre, yes: €10.17 against €9.55 in 2024. The monthly rent was lower, €660 against €718, because flats in Torremolinos are smaller, with a median of 73 m² against 80 m².
No. The figures come from tax returns and include older leases, so a lease signed today usually costs more. Use them to compare towns and then check current listings for the real price.
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