Living and working in Malaga is becoming more and more fashionable, lately it has become one of the most popular tourist destinations in Spain. Located in the southern part of the Iberian Peninsula, it is the fifth largest city in the country with almost 600,000 inhabitants. Located between two river valleys, the Guadalhorce and the Guadalmedina, the city’s territory is bathed by the warm Mediterranean Sea and the mountains of Málaga protect it from the cold. Therefore, the mild climate and warm temperatures make Malaga a perfect destination for thousands of tourists.
The people of Malaga are very open, warm and friendly people, as soon as they meet you they treat you as if you were their lifelong friend. They will offer to help you whenever you need them and one more very important thing, they will bring you fun on party nights with their joy and spontaneity.
Nightlife is at home, flamenco and salsa were born here and discos abound. Malaga is exceptional for its genuine and peaceful atmosphere full of fun. In the winter, people flock to the city’s nightclubs, while in the summer, they flock to the clubs on the beaches. While cultural life is a bit lackluster, there are fewer concerts and jam sessions than one would expect in a city of this size.
Life in Malaga is not expensive. The cost of living in Malaga is quite low, the prices of things are generally affordable unless we are talking about the real estate sector. While clothing and food prices are very cheap, accommodation prices are really high. With the recent rise in prices, both for renting and buying, it really takes a lot of research to find something at a reasonable price, and moving out of town often. Like in Campanillas, where you can still find some apartments for €550 a month, which becomes €700 with internet and expenses.
Málaga is well connected in terms of transport, good roads connect it to the rest of Spain and a state-of-the-art airport connects it to the rest of the world. Public transport is good: a modern metro system connects you to other places on the Costa del Sol and city buses serve the whole city. Traffic in Malaga is really unpredictable.
Another inconvenience of living in Malaga is the noise caused by traffic, construction, music or by loud talking or shouting in the street. Many people from Malaga see it as something normal.
Another problem is poor cleaning. The city center and promenade are usually clean, but other parts are not as clean, with roadside rubbish. A bit like in all Latin countries, bureaucracy is omnipresent and even the Spaniards succumb to the charm of photocopies, stamps and everything that can be put on paper. Therefore, even if you speak perfect Spanish, you must hire a professional when you need to carry out administrative tasks such as opening a business. Corruption and nepotism are also endemic and you should be aware of them, especially if you are planning to start a business.
The climate is one of the positive aspects of the city. The average annual temperature is 19ºC, nothing to add. In fact, the city with the best climate in all of Europe is Torrox, located just a few tens of kilometers from Malaga. In winter, temperatures rarely drop below 13°C.
With the exception of the tourism sector where it is relatively easy to find work during the summer season, especially if you know a few foreign languages, the rest of Malaga and Andalucia in general have one of the highest unemployment rates in Spain. Therefore, finding a stable and well-paid job cannot be taken for granted.
Another way to find a job in Malaga is to contact the companies that interest you directly and send them your application. To do this, you can access a list prepared by the newspaper elEconomista, in which all the companies in Malaga are classified. Once you have selected the companies that interest you, you can send them your CV.
Living and working in Malaga, pros and cons
Living in Malaga, pros
- Very nice climate, more than 300 sunny days a year.
- Low cost of living
- Beach and mountains within reach
- Friendly people
- Security and low crime rates
Living in Malaga, cons
- Poor labor market
- Low salaries
- High cost of rent
- Noisy
Malaga is one of the most hospitable and peaceful places in the world with very modern infrastructure. In general, it’s a great city to live in. There is plenty to do and see, it is good value for money and the sun shines almost every day of the year. The weather is wonderful in all four seasons, but winter is quite warm.
The town is surrounded by beaches and historical villages and in 3 hours by car you can reach the ski slopes. It really is a socially liberal place to live. Malagans are generally comfortable with homosexuality, non-white races, and non-Christian beliefs.
If you want to have all the information about how to work in Spain, I recommend you to read the article: Working in Spain
If you want to have all the information about living in Spain, you can read the article: Moving to Spain
