Living in Málaga: Essential Information
Population
According to Spain’s National Institute of Statistics (INE), Málaga had a total population of 586,384 in 2023. The latest available stats from the Instituto de Estadística y Cartografía de Andalucía in 2022, show that 52,334 of these were foreigners. Those from Morocco make up the largest number of foreigners in the city, but it’s also very popular with those from northern Europe due its good weather, beaches and variety of jobs and amenities.
Healthcare in Málaga
The healthcare facilities you visit in Málaga will depend on if you have private or public healthcare. Generally, you will have access to public healthcare if you pay into the social security system and work or are self-employed.
There are around 19 public health clinics in the city such as Centro de salud Perchel and Centro de salud Trinidad Jesús Cautivo, but the one you go to will depend on where you live in the city.
For more serious health issues and emergencies there are two main public city hospitals – the Hospital Universitario Regional de Málaga and the Hospital Universitario Virgen de la Victoria.
If you have private health insurance, there are many different clinics and surgeries that you can visit. One of them is Centro Medico Arisur SL, which advertises that it has English-speaking doctors.
Two of the main private hospitals located in the city are Hospital Quirón Málaga and Hospital Vithas Parque San Antonio. The one you go to will depend on which accepts your type of health insurance.
Read our full guide to find out more about healthcare in Spain.
Working in Málaga
Moving to Málaga will probably mean searching for a new job or maybe having to change careers. This may be a challenge, but our handy guide to finding a job in Spain will help you out.
According to the Spanish Chamber of Commerce and local government, the majority of positions within Málaga are in the commerce sector, followed by jobs in construction, then hospitality such as hotels and restaurants. Real estate and administrative services make up the fourth and fifth most popular careers in the city.
The good news is that Málaga offers a wide variety of jobs and is home to many different international companies. This means getting hired here is a lot easier than in other smaller Andalucian towns and cities.
Málaga TechPark is home to 687 companies with over 70 international firms and 150 startups, with people of 21 different nationalities working there. Some of the big international employers based there include Google, Ericsson, Huawei and Vodafone. You can find out more about the companies based there on their website and contact them about potential jobs.
There are several traditional websites that list jobs within the area including Glassdoor and Indeed and InfoJobs. There are also a lot of vacancies listed on English-speaking jobs in Spain.
Remember, if you are from outside the EU, you will need a visa with work permission to be able to be employed in Spain. This will typically mean that the company has to sponsor you, however there are alternative visas such as the Digital Nomad Visa which allows you to be self-employed or work remotely for a company abroad.
If this is your case, then joining a coworking space is a good option, so you can benefit from reliable internet and meet other remote workers or freelancers. Some of the best co-working spaces in Málaga include Grow Working, Innovation Campus Coworking and The Living Room which has a kitchen, private meeting room, a ping-pong table and hosts weekly social events.
According to the Fair Internet Report, Málaga has an average internet speed of 197 Mbps, but around 27 percent of residents report speeds of over 300Mbps.
Schools and education in Málaga
Being a fairly big city, Málaga has a wide range of schools to choose from, ranging from kindergarten and primary all the way up to secondary and bachillerato (equivalent of A-levels in the UK). The school you choose will most likely depend on where you live in the city. If you want your children to learn in Spanish there are lots of public schools, as well as concertadas, which are semi-private.
There is one international school right in the centre of Málaga called Phoenix College. It offers education for sixth form and follows the British A-level education system.
There are three more international schools in the outskirts, yet are accessible from the city. These include the British School of Málaga offering education from ages 3 to 18, El Farol Waldorf-Steiner School focusing on a unique approach to teaching for ages 2 to 10, and Lycée Français International Malaga, the city’s French-speaking school for ages 3 to 18.
Read more about how to find the best school for your expat family in our guide.
You can also find out more about the school system in general from the Ministry of Education.
Transport in Málaga
Málaga is one of Andalucia’s big transport hubs – the gateway to the Costa del Sol and many other cities in the region. This means it’s served by a wide variety of transport options from local and long-distance buses to regional trains, a metro system and high speed trains.
The main train station is María Zambrano and the main bus station lies right next to it. There are two metro lines to get around the city and its outskirts, as well as the Cercanías which run along the coast all the way to Fuengirola. You don’t need a car if you live in Málaga with so many good options and a very walkable centre, but if you want to get out of the city a lot into the countryside or small villages, then it might be advisable.
The nearest international airports are is Málaga Airport. It’s the fourth busiest in Spain and takes on 85 percent of the air traffic in Andalucía. easyJet, Ryanair, British Airways, Jet2, Iberia, TUI, BA Euroflyer and American Airlines all fly direct to Málaga, making it a big hub.
