Living in Marbella
In Marbella, the statutory reference rent is €8.40 per m² a month (2022) and unemployment is 3.8% (2026).
Marbella is a city in Spain, with a population of 159,786 at the start of 2025. For Marbella, the foreign population was 48,257 at the start of 2024. The unemployment rate was 3.79% in June 2026.
Pricier rent than 89% of Spanish cities that publish it, lower unemployment than 66% of Spanish cities that publish it and more recorded crime than 98% of Spanish cities that publish it.
Which Spain-wide rules apply when you move to Marbella?
National rules stay on the country page instead of being relabelled as city data.
Housing and cost
A monthly estimate placed internet service at €30 in December 2022. A monthly estimate placed basic utilities for an 85 m² home at €118 in December 2022.
How much does it cost to rent in Marbella?
Average net cold rent is 8.4 EUR/m² per month (2022), excluding heating and operating charges.
Published average over existing tenancies; a specific flat can sit either side of it. Asking-rent series, where present, are separate rows in the table.
- Average net rent (nettokalt): 8.4 EUR/m²/month · cdn.mivau.gob.es2
Supplemental estimate lane; these items are not official statistics.
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fitness club membership, monthly | 49.38 EUR/month | 31 Dec 2022 | Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v230Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context |
| Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited | 29.85 EUR/month | 31 Dec 2022 | Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v230Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context |
| Private kindergarten, monthly | 378.2 EUR/month | 31 Dec 2022 | Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v230Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context |
| Meal at an inexpensive restaurant | 10.95 EUR | 31 Dec 2022 | Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v230Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context |
| Mobile plan, 10 GB | 19.25 EUR/month | 31 Jul 2026 | Cost of Living in Marbella. Jun 2026. Prices in Marbella29Commercial estimate · Supplemental context |
| Monthly transport pass | 36.19 EUR/month | 31 Dec 2022 | Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v230Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context |
| Basic utilities, 85 m² home | 117.9 EUR/month | 31 Dec 2022 | Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v230Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context |
| Dwellings | 100,284 dwellings | 31 Dec 2021 | Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE), Spain11Official |
| Main residence dwellings | 56,490 dwellings | 31 Dec 2021 | Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE), Spain11Official |
| Secondary, seasonal or vacant dwellings | 43,791 dwellings | 31 Dec 2021 | Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE), Spain11Official |
| Average net rent (nettokalt) | 8.4 EUR/m²/monthcountry median €5.10 | 31 Dec 2022 | cdn.mivau.gob.es2Official |
| Official reference rent (median) | 800 EUR/month | 31 Dec 2024 | SERPAVI — VDP001_01 — rental price and surface indicators by municipality20Official |
Is Marbella a good place to live?
There is no universal answer. The profile scores below show who the available published evidence may suit; they are a decision aid, not a personal recommendation.
Worked out from these numbers
What does a 60 m² flat cost?
About 504 EUR a month in cold rent at the published average of 8.4 EUR/m² per month, before heating and operating charges.
Heating, water and operating charges come on top, and a specific flat can sit either side of an average.
Work and income
What is the unemployment rate in Marbella?
The unemployment rate is about 3.8 % (June 2026).
- Unemployment rate: 3.79 % · SEPE — registered unemployment by municipality, June 202631
Marbella 3.8%
Unemployment rate (%)
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gigabit broadband availability | 95.48 % | 30 Jun 2025 | SETELECO Cobertura Banda Ancha España 2021-202521Official |
| People in employment | 50,502 people | 31 Dec 2021 | Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE), Spain11Official |
| Median gross salary (regional) | 1,796 EUR/month | 31 Dec 2024 | Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE)7Official · regional context |
| Unemployment rate | 3.79 %country median 4.4% | 30 Jun 2026 | SEPE — registered unemployment by municipality, June 202631Independent |
Unemployment rate fell 87.7% between 2014 and 2026, from 30.8% to 3.8%.
What does a salary buy in Marbella?
Take-home pay after tax, minus rent and the everyday bills this city publishes. Each line names its source.
RentUtilitiesTransportInternetMobileLeft over
Line-by-line breakdown and sources
| Each month | € |
|---|---|
| Take-home payOECD Taxing Wages 2025, single, no children. Includes central and local income tax and employee social contributions. | €1,463 |
| Rent, 60 m²€8.40/m² · official · cdn.mivau.gob.es · 2022-12-31 | − €504 |
| Public transport pass€36 · market price · Global Cost of Living · 2022-12-31 | − €36 |
| Utilities, 85 m²€118 · market price · Global Cost of Living · 2022-12-31 | − €118 |
| Internet€30 · market price · Global Cost of Living · 2022-12-31 | − €30 |
| Mobile plan€19 · market price · Cost of Living in Marbella. Jun 2026. Prices in Marbella · 2026-07-31 | − €19 |
| Left overbefore the bills this city does not publish | €756 |
Public employment service
No exact public employment office is currently linked to Marbella. The verified national service may still offer online registration, job search or an official office finder.
Servicio Público de Empleo Estatal — Public employment service
Country-level service information is not treated as proof of a physical office in Marbella. Sources checked through 10 Aug 2026.
Healthcare
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hospital beds per 100,000 residents | 362.8 beds per 100,000 | 31 Dec 2025 | Ministerio de Sanidad – Catálogo Nacional de Hospitales 202513Official |
| Hospitals | 6 count | 31 Dec 2025 | Catálogo Nacional de Hospitales 202513Official |
Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Marbella under the national coverage rules.
Healthcare access follows the country-wide insurance rules; local capacity facts remain city data and are not used as proof of eligibility.
Open the official coverage guideSafety
How safe is Marbella?
Police recorded about 8,681 incidents per 100,000 (2024). This counts all offences, so it is not comparable with a violent-crime-only rate from another source. Source: MIR 2024 Q4 exact III. TOTAL INFRACCIONES PENALES, enero-diciembre 2024; INE 29005 denominator.14
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Burglaries per 100,000 residents | 258.5 incidents per 100,000 | 31 Dec 2025 | ES-MinInterior-1509012-2025Q44Official |
| Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents | 8,681 incidents per 100,000country median 4,281 | 31 Dec 2024 | MIR 2024 Q4 exact III. TOTAL INFRACCIONES PENALES, enero-diciembre 2024; INE 29005 denominator.14Official |
| Violent crime per 100,000 residents | 289.8 incidents per 100,000 | 31 Dec 2025 | ES-MinInterior-1509012-2025Q44Official |
Mobility and administration
The nearest airport was AGP, 38.8 km away, with 115 listed destinations in June 2026. Gigabit broadband availability was 95.5% in June 2025.
Language courses and integration
No exact city-level course record is currently published for Marbella. These verified national programmes may still apply; use the official programme page to check local availability.
Escuelas Oficiales de Idiomas — public language education network — State Language Course
Ministry of Education, Vocational Training and Sports / autonomous education authorities
For adult language learners, residents.
Climate and air quality
Is the air quality good in Marbella?
The annual PM2.5 mean is 8 µg/m³ (2024) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³. Source: European Environment Agency5
Annual mean at the measuring site(s) serving the city; current-day readings differ.
Within WHO 2021 guidelineAbove WHO, within EU limitAbove EU legal limitCity annual mean · µg/m³
City values from the published air-quality observations. WHO 2021 guidelines and EU limit values are published constants.
Marbella 8.0
Annual PM2.5 (µg/m³)
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| NO₂ — annual mean | 20 µg/m³ | 31 Dec 2024 | EEA air quality statistics — ES NO2 annual mean 2024 (station MARBELLA ARCO)3Official · nearest-station reading |
| PM2.5 — annual mean | 8 µg/m³country median 8.7 | 31 Dec 2024 | European Environment Agency5Official |
| Monthly extreme high temperature | Jan 21.16 · Feb 22.8 · Mar 26.69 · Apr 28.86 · May 34.2 · Jun 35.12 · Jul 37.79 · Aug 40.64 · Sep 35.83 · Oct 32.36 · Nov 25.64 · Dec 23.19 °C | 31 Dec 2001 | NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center15Official |
| Monthly extreme low temperature | Jan -0.12 · Feb -0.1 · Mar 3.5 · Apr 6.05 · May 7.84 · Jun 11.76 · Jul 15.2 · Aug 16.5 · Sep 14.32 · Oct 6.72 · Nov 3.66 · Dec 2.59 °C | 31 Dec 2001 | NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center15Official |
| Average temperature by month | Jan 11.26 · Feb 11.61 · Mar 13.25 · Apr 15.09 · May 17.97 · Jun 21.64 · Jul 24.5 · Aug 24.85 · Sep 21.98 · Oct 18.75 · Nov 14.39 · Dec 12.24 °C | 31 Dec 2001 | NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center15Official |
Annual PM2.5 fell 36.5% between 2020 and 2024, from 12.6 to 8.0.
Population and city profile
How many people live in Marbella?
The published population was 159,786 people in January 2025. Source: Marbella - official stats12
By nationality
National passport69.8%Foreign residents30.2%
Calculated from the population and foreign-resident facts on this page.
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| City area | 117.2 km² | 20 Oct 2025 | www.ign.es22Official |
| Foreign-resident share | 29.5 % | 31 Dec 2023 | Eurostat6Official |
| Foreign residents | 48,257 people | 1 Jan 2024 | Official INE municipal population by country of nationality; foreign total derived as Total nationality minus España.17Official |
| Female residents | 81,672 people | 31 Dec 2023 | Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE)8Official |
| Male residents | 74,623 people | 31 Dec 2023 | Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE)8Official |
| Population | 159,786 people | 1 Jan 2025 | Marbella - official stats12Official |
Population rose 37.9% between 2002 and 2025, from 115,871 to 159,786.
Foreign residents rose 41.7% between 2014 and 2025, from 35,155 to 49,813.
International community in Marbella
Named groups from exact city-grain official distributions. Citizenship, birthplace, language and ancestry answer different questions and stay separate.
Country of birth
Population resident in Spain; both sexes; official INE Census 2021 municipal table · 2021 Census
| Published group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| TOTAL | 149,032 | 100.0% |
| Spain | 98,965 | 66.4% |
| South America | 13,731 | 9.2% |
| Rent of Europe | 10,011 | 6.7% |
| European Union (without Spain) | 9,791 | 6.6% |
| Africa | 8,809 | 5.9% |
| Asia | 5,062 | 3.4% |
| Central America and Caribbean | 1,812 | 1.2% |
| North America | 769 | 0.5% |
| Oceania | 82 | 0.1% |
Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source9
Citizenship
Population resident in Spain; both sexes; official INE Census 2021 municipal table · 2021 Census
| Published group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| TOTAL | 149,032 | 100.0% |
| Spanish | 109,351 | 73.4% |
| European Union (without Spain) | 11,042 | 7.4% |
| Rent of Europe | 10,238 | 6.9% |
| South America | 6,681 | 4.5% |
| Africa | 5,947 | 4.0% |
| Asia | 4,081 | 2.7% |
| Central America and Caribbean | 1,033 | 0.7% |
| North America | 602 | 0.4% |
| Oceania | 53 | 0.0% |
| Statelens | 4 | 0.0% |
Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source10
Additional context
Alternatives for people set on Marbella
Three places for the three reasons people leave a city on the shortlist: stay in the region, stay in the country, or keep the budget and change the country. A percentage appears only where both cities publish that metric from the same source, period and grain. Distances are straight lines — travel times are not collected yet.
La Línea de la Concepción as a Marbella alternative in the same region
57 km away, better on 3 of 6 metrics measured the same way, worse on 0.
- Recorded crime, per 100k: 3,691 La Línea de la Concepción vs 8,681 Marbella−57%
- Nearest airport: 1.1 km La Línea de la Concepción vs 38.8 km Marbella−97%
- Rent: €7.20/m² La Línea de la Concepción vs €8.40/m² Marbella−14%
- Residents: 64,499 La Línea de la Concepción vs 159,786 Marbella−60%
- Annual PM2.5: 8.2 µg/m³ La Línea de la Concepción vs 8.0 µg/m³ Marbellasame level
- Median gross pay, region: €1,796 La Línea de la Concepción vs €1,796 Marbellasame level
Salamanca as a Marbella alternative in the same country
A move, not a commute, at 500 km, better on 5 of 6 metrics measured the same way, worse on 1. Foreign residents cannot be compared like for like.
- Rent: €6.00/m² Salamanca vs €8.40/m² Marbella−29%
- Recorded crime, per 100k: 4,733 Salamanca vs 8,681 Marbella−45%
- Hospital beds, per 100k: 635.2 Salamanca vs 362.8 Marbella+75%
- Annual PM2.5: 4.0 µg/m³ Salamanca vs 8.0 µg/m³ Marbella−50%
- Nearest airport: 13.7 km Salamanca vs 38.8 km Marbella−65%
- Basic utilities, 85 m²: €150 Salamanca vs €118 Marbella+27%
- Foreign residents: 8.2% (2024) Salamanca vs 29.5% (2023) Marbellano percentage
Tallinn as a Marbella alternative in another country
A move, not a commute, at 3316 km, better on 2 of 2 metrics measured the same way, worse on 0. Rent and median gross pay, region cannot be compared like for like.
- Annual PM2.5: 3.0 µg/m³ Tallinn vs 8.0 µg/m³ Marbella−63%
- Rent: €7.33/m² (2008) Tallinn vs €8.40/m² (2022) Marbellano percentage
- Nearest airport: 5.6 km Tallinn vs 38.8 km Marbella−86%
- Median gross pay, region: €2,068 (2025) Tallinn vs €1,796 (2024) Marbellano percentage
Cities near Marbella
Published cities within 25 km, nearest first. Distances are straight-line.
- Rent
- 8.9 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2022-12-31
- Rent
- 7.6 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2022-12-31
- Rent
- 4.9 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2022-12-31
- Rent
- 5.5 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2022-12-31
- Rent
- 8.2 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2022-12-31
Alternative cities in Spain
Other cities in Spain to compare with Marbella, nearest in population first.
How does Marbella compare?
Pick a city. The answer appears here and the address bar keeps it, so the comparison can be shared; the page stays Marbella's.
Marbella in rankings
School for children who move here. School is compulsory from age 6 to 16. Newly arrived pupils get support in the school language: Regional reception programmes (aulas de enlace Madrid / aules d acollida Catalonia etc). How to enrol a child (educacionfpydeportes.gob.es).
A country-wide rule for Spain; Marbella's school authority applies it locally.
Sources: eurydice.eacea.ec.europa.eu · 2025–2026.
Common questions
Answered from the published values on this page, each with its source and date.
How many people live in Marbella?
The published population was 159,786 people in January 2025. Source: Marbella - official stats.
How much does it cost to rent in Marbella?
Average net cold rent is 8.4 EUR/m² per month (2022), excluding heating and operating charges. For a 70 m² flat that is about 588 EUR a month before utilities. Source: cdn.mivau.gob.es.
Is the air quality good in Marbella?
The annual PM2.5 mean is 8 µg/m³ (2024) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³. Source: European Environment Agency.
How safe is Marbella?
Police recorded about 8,681 incidents per 100,000 (2024). This counts all offences, so it is not comparable with a violent-crime-only rate from another source. Source: MIR 2024 Q4 exact III. TOTAL INFRACCIONES PENALES, enero-diciembre 2024; INE 29005 denominator..
What is the unemployment rate in Marbella?
The unemployment rate is about 3.8 % (June 2026). Source: SEPE — registered unemployment by municipality, June 2026.
What is the typical salary around Marbella?
The median gross salary is 1,796 EUR/month. Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE).
Is Marbella a good place to live?
Marbella may suit different people for different reasons. The page's profile scores compare published cost, work, housing, safety, healthcare and other available factors; they are a decision aid, not a universal recommendation.
Which cities are near Marbella?
Benahavís, Mijas, Coín, Alhaurín el Grande, Fuengirola are near Marbella. Typed relationship labels are shown where published; other rows use straight-line distance from admitted coordinates.
How many people born in Spain live in Marbella?
The official country of birth distribution records 98,965 people (66.4%) in the source-defined population for 2021 Census. This is a country of birth measure, not a general estimate of ethnicity or migration status.
Cite this page
Open a format to select or copy this ImmigrationDB compilation citation. The native disclosure and text fallback work without JavaScript.
APA citation
ImmigrationDB. (2026, October 16). Marbella, Spain: population, rent, salary, cost of living [ImmigrationDB compilation; version fdbab21321420c14d7117c792541a24a]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/es/marbella/ Retrieved 2026-10-16. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/BibTeX citation
@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_marbella-spain-population-rent-salary-cost-of-living_ac666e6b7862,
author = {ImmigrationDB},
title = {Marbella, Spain: population, rent, salary, cost of living},
publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
year = {2026},
date = {2026-10-16},
version = {fdbab21321420c14d7117c792541a24a},
url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/es/marbella/},
note = {Retrieved 2026-10-16. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}Markdown citation
[Marbella, Spain: population, rent, salary, cost of living](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/es/marbella/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; version fdbab21321420c14d7117c792541a24a; retrieved 2026-10-16; built 2026-10-16.This citation identifies the ImmigrationDB compilation/page. Underlying source publishers and datasets retain their own terms; inspect the Sources section and cite those records separately. View the underlying source records.
Sources
- Catálogo Nacional de Hospitales 2025 sanidad.gob.es · checked 2026-07-16
- cdn.mivau.gob.es cdn.mivau.gob.es · checked 2026-08-26
- EEA air quality statistics — ES NO2 annual mean 2024 (station MARBELLA ARCO) EEA air quality statistics · air.discomap.eea.europa.eu · checked 2026-07-31
- ES-MinInterior-1509012-2025Q4 estadisticasdecriminalidad.ses.mir.es · checked 2026-09-15
- European Environment Agency air.discomap.eea.europa.eu · checked 2026-08-03
- Eurostat ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-08-02
- Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE) servicios.ine.es · checked 2026-08-06
- Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE) ine.es · checked 2026-08-07
- Instituto Nacional de Estadistica (INE), Spain servicios.ine.es · checked 2026-08-30
- Instituto Nacional de Estadistica (INE), Spain servicios.ine.es · checked 2026-08-30
Show 21 more sources
- Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE), Spain ine.es · checked 2026-08-07
- Marbella - official stats ine.es · checked 2026-07-14
- Ministerio de Sanidad – Catálogo Nacional de Hospitales 2025 sanidad.gob.es · checked 2026-08-03
- MIR 2024 Q4 exact III. TOTAL INFRACCIONES PENALES, enero-diciembre 2024; INE 29005 denominator. estadisticasdecriminalidad.ses.mir.es · checked 2026-07-16
- NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center power.larc.nasa.gov · checked 2026-08-03
- oecd.org place coordinates oecd.org · checked 2026-08-28
- Official INE municipal population by country of nationality; foreign total derived as Total nationality minus España. ine.es · checked 2024-01-01
- OpenFlights — routes.dat OpenFlights · raw.githubusercontent.com · checked 2026-07-14
- OurAirports — airports.csv OurAirports · davidmegginson.github.io · checked 2026-07-14
- SERPAVI — VDP001_01 — rental price and surface indicators by municipality SERPAVI · cdn.mivau.gob.es · checked 2026-09-12
- SETELECO Cobertura Banda Ancha España 2021-2025 digital.gob.es · checked 2025-06-30
- www.ign.es ign.es · checked 2026-08-30
- Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
- Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
- Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
- Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
- Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
- Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
- Cost of Living in Marbella. Jun 2026. Prices in Marbella numbeo.com · checked 2026-07-27
- Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v2 Global Cost of Living · kaggle.com · checked 2026-07-27
- SEPE — registered unemployment by municipality, June 2026 SEPE · sepe.es · checked 2026-07-26
Spotted a number that looks wrong? Every value here carries its source and date — tell us what you found and we will re-check it against the source.