PROS & CONS: Living In Málaga & Costa Del Sol (Spain)
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 6 ก.ค. 2024
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Are you considering moving to the Málaga / Costa Del Sol area in Andalucia in Spain and are you wondering whether this is a good decision?
In this video, I try to present the most essential pros and cons that I have noticed after living here for 3 years.
This is a short video and I could elaborate more on many of the aspects I mention. Don't hesitate to write a comment if you want me to explain further.
... and if you already live here, what do you think? Do you agree? Is there something else I should have mentioned?
Amazing! I agree with the tourist and job part, but I also heard so often, that the lifestyle is just worth living there
Yes, I have met people who want to live here at all costs.
Your comments were most helpful. Continue the great work.
Glad to hear.
Just found your channel, very interesting. My folks used to live near Malaga for the past 30 years, amazing place. Many thanks for the info and you have a new subscriber :)
Thank you! And yes, everything taken into consideration it is not a bad place at all! :)
These cons didn't convince me to not move there.
Good to hear :)
Dose not put me off,beautiful place can't wait to visit again,as soon as the bat flu is sorted 👍👍👍
Alright, let me change ur mind then 😂, the cost of living is horrendous in places like Marbella & Estepona, especially with recent hikes in water & energy prices. Also tourists can be quite annoying in summer, the building regulations are quite poor with a lot of the new builds & the drinking culture isn’t great, though seriously, if u live outside of these touristy areas & be careful with picking a property (mould, insects & damp can be really bad in a lot of properties), life can be really quite pleasant.
Now that your surrounded by endless swarms of tourist do you miss seeing the Spanish culture and small shops or enjoying the tourist traps and blandness
Really nice content! I’m doing similar stuff in Mallorca but it feels more hectic. I really like your style.
Thank you! I like Mallorca, wouldn't mind going back to visit again some day :)
I watch both of your videos 😄 I want to to buy property in either Valencia Marbella or Mallorca but I don't know where 😅
Perfect video! Thank you so much! :)
Thank you for watching and for your kind words 🤗
Good and detailed info
I've been binge-watching your videos. I think I found somebody that fits my mindset, so hopefully you will continue vlogging about Spain, especially Malaga.
Thank you for the support, I will try to make videos as often as I can.
@@FriiInfo I just checked the homes for sale at idealista and they’re cheaper than the house you bought. I wonder if the postings there are just click bait.
@@FriiInfo btw, I lived in New York for a long time. Have you? I wonder if Malaga has similar quality to type of living in a certain part of New York, maybe queens in terms of affordability.
@@denniszenanywhere hmm that's strange, I cannot find apartments like mine for sale for less than 120k€.... Perhaps you're looking at a different area?
I have been to Manhattan but that's it.
Thank you for your tips, very interesting video👍
Thank you for watching 😄
Love it 😉
Thx you for the video life trip
After watching it. I need to get there soon..
Good to hear!
Love it i will like to visit some day. ♥️🇪🇸
The alcohol(ic) con... You may drink alcohol or not, that is up to you. On the other hand, it seems that many Brits come to Spain to drink, besides the obvious reason that you enumerate as Pros.
Spain has not alcoholic culture. It has social culture, many times in bars but not only. England or Finland have alcoholic culture.
Just to be clear, I am talking about the foreigners when referring to the amount of alcohol. Not the locals.
Very interesting thank you❤
Glad you enjoyed it 🤗
Thank you for making this video it highlights many things I am looking for! I am planning on moving there this winter, could you recommend some areas to get an apartment with great location and price? I love the beach and hiking so if there is anything close to both that’d be great. Is owning a car a necessity? Thank you
If you love hiking it can be nice to have a car - otherwise you can join some hiking groups and go with others that enjoy hiking as well. If you want to live IN Malaga, near the beach and with an affordable rent try looking at Huelin or somewhere in that area :)
Thanks:)
Glad you liked it! :)
Very honest and to the point, needed this video, thank you so much!
Glad it was helpful! 😀
Great review! What do you do as your job in Malaga? Thank you
Thanks a lot.
I work in the recruitment industry but I am also partly self-employed. I explain the different jobs I have had in Spain in this video:
th-cam.com/video/P_QCfjXlZ6o/w-d-xo.html
@@FriiInfo this is exactly what i was asking myself!! lol
How do you find the pollution? The last time we went to Fuengirola and it was horrible for a few days. Now we are looking to buy i'm looking for parts with the cleanest air
What kind of pollution are you referring to?
Hi! thanks for the informative video. I would like to ask how safe is Malaga?
I would say that Malaga is very safe.
@@FriiInfo Thank you! have a great week
I lived in Malaga from Jan 2012 to June 2014.
I was send by my company so job was no issue.
And lived in Malaga Calle la Union what is not very
touristy but very nice with many bars and shops.
When I needed that holiday felling I took my bicycle
or the cercanía to Torremolinos.
Sounds like that was a good arrangement :)
Thank u sooo much but tourism is 100% all year long or you have touristic seasons?
High season is July, August and easter week I'd say.
I dont get the last con... where is the prob?
Currently living in Ireland, hoping to attend an English teaching academy in Malaga sometime this Autumn for 8 weeks and to begin working in the region asap. Can't wait! Gotta escape this insane little island xD
Yeah! I know what you mean like.. what's the name the academy? Best of luck! 🍀☀️
@@RG-hf9em I was looking at the Tefl in Spain TESOL academy in Malaga. I'd visited them in person a few years back, but I'm a little concerned about how much work Malaga would be able to offer.
So I'm now looking at the International TEFL academy in either BCN or Madrid, trying to pick one is difficult haha
@@RG-hf9em ended up choosing BCN. ITA’s four week course starting in September 😊
@@fergal2424 Oh!! Fantastic! .. I'm already signed up to an online course a while back. I prefer a face to face course.. more motivating and more practice..Looking for one at the moment..in Spain..Have fun in Barcelona..😁
Did u go how did it work out ?
🍀👍👍👍🎈
I love so much Malaga..
me too :)
You haven't mentioned the biggest con which is the drought and lack of water. Also, recently a British expat couple was wrongfully charged 74000 Euros in water bills in La Vinuela village in Malaga province. It's simply outrageous how they are being harassed. Others have also received ridiculous water bills in that town.
The past winters have indeed had limited rainfall (2021-2022-2023, and now, 2024). There is no doubt that this is (increasingly) problematic. However, it is my understanding, that water mismanagement is a major issue. For example, does a dry region like the Costa Del Sol really need this many golf courses?
Are there transportation, for example, bus trains within the city?
Yes, Malaga is very well-connected
Transportation in the Estepona area is dreadful. There is no rail link, metro etc. but an unsightly, noisy dual carriageway runs all the way to Puerto Banús which prevents one from crossing to the other side of the road.
Thanks for sharing the experience, what is the aprox cost of living in Benalmadena
Hi Salah, I made a video explaining the cost of living on the coast and how much I spend: (Benalmadena is the next town over from where I live)
th-cam.com/video/lCdtpZCVUSE/w-d-xo.html
@@FriiInfo Would you mind supporting me with more info through chat or FB?
Hi again, sure, you can find my email on the "about" page of the channel :)
Malaga city is the 6th biggest in spain,its not an small city,but the “ old town” its not very big and you can do the old town on foot,but not the whole city...lol.... nice video by the way!
Thank you!
Whether Malaga is big or small is of course relative - to me it's quite big (I come from the countryside LOL). But it is quite small compared to big capitals of Europe, and I have heard people mention this when discussing Malaga. Moreover, I don't think Malaga has a big city vibe, which is fine for me, but that is something that many people look for :)
@@FriiInfo yes,because different thing its just the center or old town... and another thing its the whole city.... many foreign people just stay in the center or further Malagueta... and thats it.. Malaga is much bigger than that,otherwise it wouldnt be the 6th biggest city in Spain with almost 600.000 population in the capital,and more than 1M the whole provence of Malaga... of course is not Madrid,Barcelona o Paris if it thats what u mean 😂😂 well,nice video and you took mostly certain points... regards
😮 I had always looked forward to visiting Malaga which I did last summer, but the downtown area to the beach was just swamped with tourist. It was not nice
Agreed. High season Malaga is too much! That's what happens when people discover how nice we have it here :)
Hi thank you for writing, I am born Spaniard but live in other country, I want to go and see a famous phisio in Nerja, do you reccomend an open minded, sort of less alcohol oriented, little town that I can conmute to and fro, like in nature?? To the big cities? I am a bit of hippy, new age kind of person. Thanks
How about Frigiliana? :)
Nice...
:)
so, if I'm trying to find a town or rural life around Malaga(let's say, within 30km) with low rental cost and fewer tourists, where will u recommend me? Thank u!
You could check areas such as Casabermaja or Pizarra :)
@@FriiInfo thanks I'll check them~~
Cold...lol..10-15C
It's summer temperature where I live
Wow that sounds like a cold place!
It's also spring weather for Germans, but in the south of Spain, it's cold and the flats get cold as well! :D
@@CapturingSpain Yup I am super cold during winter here - drinking lots of tea and sleeping in thick sweaters haha.
I truly hope you answer me because, I need your advice. My husband and I will be retiring to Spain for 1/2 year on\off, Ireland the rest. Spanish is one of my true obsessions. So much so, I want to significantly avoid interacting with English and English speaking people as much as possible. Valencia and Málaga are must-see May '23. I have a limit of 3 weeks. I've taken Alicante off the list because it's 30% British. Cartegena, Almaría, Marbella and Jerez de la Frontera remain. If I could only add one to interview, which one would you recommend for someone who wishes to "integrate" into Spanish culture and speak only Spanish? Please accept my gratitude in advance for your answer and, thank you for your excellent video.
i would like the answer to this as well
@@cristobaluribe Soy güero y gringo pero, no tengo ningún prejuicio a nadie. Si un hispanohablante tan blanco como arroz como yo quisiera hablar conmigo *en español*, siempre y cuando no tiene ningún , me encanta hablar con ellos todos los días y en la noche.
Hi there! Thank you for your question (a good one) :)
I have asked around and here are the recommendations I have received:
Jerez de la Frontera
Castillas
Galicia
Asturias
Cantabria
Cadiz
I'm afraid I haven't been to any of these places myself so I cannot elaborate more, but maybe some other people in the comments will share their opinion. And perhaps Google can give you a bit of an idea of what these places are like.
Best regard
Nina
@@FriiInfo Thank you so much!! I appreciate the answer. Those are a couple on my list
I grew up in Spain, have spent most of my life in Canada. My wife and I have similar plans as you. Have you considered Costa Brava? Or are you planning to spend winters in Spain? If so, yeah I wouldn't go further north than Alicante. if there are too many Brits in Alicante aren't you going to find more in Malaga or Marbella? maybe try interior? Cordoba, Seville?
Jerez de la Frontera sounds interesting, will have to look it up, but I want a good tennis club, which is why I'm focusing on Marbella or Malaga.
I found most of your cons to sound more like pros 🙌😃
Sounds like Malaga is great for you then! :D
@@FriiInfo absolutely 😃 Can't wait to get back next summer. 🙂
Thanks for the great video.
How about Marbella . How do you think the living fees there? Thanks
Similar, however some parts of Marbella are very exclusive and luxurios hence very expensive.
@@FriiInfo And Fuengirola ? Is it as expensive as Marbella ?
@@lioneldemun6033 Fuengirola is cheaper (in general)
@@FriiInfo Really ? I'm glad because it's the place I was most interested in.
Con number 4 is in the wrong section
¿Cuánta es la renta en el centro ciudad?
Hola, 500€ en el centro más o menos (para un estudio) 😬
When is high season there? is it summer months or winter months?
High season is July and August ☺️
@@FriiInfo Perfect thanks, I would only want to be there in the fall/winter any ways.
@@Frank-wo3qm That's also the best time in my opinion :)
Very well done
Thank you so much!
I don't know who, but someone actually needs to hear this, you've got to stop saving all your money. Venture into investing some, if you really want financial stability
Invest globally in bitcoin, gold, silver, forex market, commodities. Just don't be left out and save yourself
@@petekelvin2736 Beautifully said, I tell my folks these words everyday. It's good to save money but most people don't understand the market moves and tend to be misled in facts like this and always depend on money in the bank.
@@petekelvin2736 I understand the fact that tomorrow isn't promised to anyone, but investing today is a hard thing to do because i have no idea of how and where to invest in these?
Is Malaga safe?
Very safe indeed 😊
Do they have a homeless problem like here in Southern California?
I don't see many homeless people - but that doesn't mean that they aren't here. I doubt that it is as bad as in California though.
Shocking a skiing resort on Costa Del Sol. No palm trees in that part of the region then.
Plenty of palm trees! The ski village Sierra Nevada is located a good 2 hour (+) drive from the coast on in the mountains. That's how we can have both the snow and the beach (with palm trees) 😃
Get a map pal, Southern Spain is geographically very diverse. In short, You can ski in Sierra Nevada in the morning and sunbathe on a beach in the the afternoon down the coast in La Herradura, Almuñeca, Salobreña, or Nerja. Andalucia is the Southern California of Europe.
Looks nice... does Spain tax business owners?
What kind of taxes are you thinking of? :) I made a video about what kind of taxes I pay (I'm self-employed) : th-cam.com/video/YENVoY40L_w/w-d-xo.html
Could I live there confortably on $1,000 a month, as a single man from the U.S.?
In order to live comfortably I'd say you would need at least 1300 USD.
You can get by with only $1000 but that is a tight budget.
Could you please do a cost of living video in Malaga? Thanks!
Do you speak Spanish? Learn there? Could you do a video on that?
I speak OK Spanish. However, I know many foreigners who don't. Good idea :)
Good video. You our cons are important. Good to be warned about the lack of of local Spanish and more tourist. The main reason one usually likes to avoid.
What about schools?
There are plenty of (good) public, private, and international private schools here.
I do not have kids, but it is my understanding, that private schools aren't necessarily better than public ones.
Teachers in the public system go through rigorous testing, whereas there aren't necessarily the same standards in all private schools.
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Is hard to find j9b if u from eu and speak english
Any job? You'll probably be fine.
A job with a salary that allows you to live comfortably? That's more difficult.
Alcoholic culture ? Here in Ireland is the whole country itself...Spain is 👍
... To clarify: I am stating that the foreigners and tourists cause this alcoholic culture, not the locals..
@@FriiInfo Yes I know. Good video and info. Cheers from Ireland 🇮🇪🖐️🤗
These are not cons lol! Im in
Sounds good!
What is the problem with people drinking? They are enjoying their life, socialising at least they can enjoy, in low-income countries older adults can't afford food, or medicine .
Hi! So the alcohol culture I am referring to is not the locals. It is the tourists. I don't mind bars, but I prefer an ambiance with a balanced distribution of cafes, restaurants and bars.
On the beach, it is nice to walk by groups of people laughing while having a beer around sunset. However, when you walk around in the center (of Torremolinos for example), and tourists are sitting and drinking at 11 am - while not talking to each other - I don't know how to explain it, but it just seems kinda sad to be honest. And I don't think that vibe is good for the future of tourism in the area.
So enjoying life? The problem is; it doesn't always look that way.
-----
Of course it is all relative, but I don't think Spain can be categorized as a low-income country.
It is NOT an alcoholic city/country.
They have a social culture, where the eat and drink with love ones. The brits are the ones going to drink and smash everything.
It is only full of tourist if you go to certain areas the where they live like Torremolinos, Benalmadena.
I n fact in Málaga city you hardly find someone who speaks english, their level of english is unfortunatley very low.
In the part about alcohol I'm not talking about the Spanish.
@@FriiInfo gotcha.. I also picked that up as locals being alkies haha. Thanks for clearing up.
Tourists travel to nice places. If someone doesn´t like tourists, she/he has to live in an ugly and boring place ;)
Totally agree. When a place is nice and accessible, people will come.
Low crime rate
Lower than many places in the world - sure!
That is very important for us. Good to know. Torn between Marbella/Malaga vs Algarve.
@@hanna0322 I am in Malaga province and love it. Maybe think about which language wild suit you best. Portuguese or Spanish
My fear to move there is the Mafia and criminal.0
I haven't had any problems with the mafia or crime in general... yet? lol
Your Con assessment needs to be reviewed as there’s so many flaws to them. Le digo mas, No sabes lo que estás hablando..
Well you are very welcome to work on your on list and share it 🤷♀️
Visiting there....yes....which I have...living there...HECK NO! Why? If you're from the U.S. you know what I mean. In any foreign country things just simply don't work like they do in the U.S., especially access to multiple services, healthcare, etc. Then there's the communication and cultural custom barriers. I've lived in foreign countries for short periods and I can honestly say that although no place is perfect. By FAR the U.S. beats any place in the world. This is a personal opinion only so those of you who don't agree with this, fine.
interesting :)
Access to healthcare in the US? I'm glad it doesn't work like in the states. :o)
I beg to differ. I live in the United States. After visiting Europe for two months, I felt like I was returning to a third world country upon my return. I have a long list as to why Europe is better but I'll just mention one: electrical wires are buried or hidden in Europe but go to ANY city in the US, there are wires everywhere, just like in third world countries. Needless to say, I won't be retiring in the US when the time comes., and my main reason is healthcare (or lack thereof).
Happy to leave rat race of USA behind. Ireland is beautiful. 28 days of vacation each year. People go at a slower pace and enjoy life
I like waterfalls instead of beaches for swimming and relaxing, are there any there? 😅🤍
Yup we also have waterfalls, although depending on the season there's not always a lot of water.
Yup we also have waterfalls, although depending on the season there's not always a lot of water.