Málaga is a city, not a resort
This matters more than it sounds. Most of the Costa del Sol trades on holidays and seasons; Málaga city trades on people living here all year — a university, a port, a growing services sector and a rental market that does not empty out in November.
For a buyer that has two practical consequences. Stock does not sit around waiting for a winter discount, so there is less room to hold out for a lower price. And the reduced rates of transfer tax in Andalusia all require the property to be your main home, so in Málaga they come into play often — in a second-home purchase along the coast they never do.
What it costs on top of the price
Resale property in Andalusia carries transfer tax of 7%, flat, whatever the price. Buy new build and there is no transfer tax at all: it is VAT at 10% plus stamp duty at 1.2%.
Then notary, Land Registry, valuation and the paperwork agent on top. Our Andalusia tax page sets the rates out with the article of the law beside each one, and the purchase cost calculator turns them into a number for a specific price.
Getting a mortgage here from abroad
Spanish banks lend to non-residents, but at a lower share of the value than to someone living here, and the file has to be built rather than submitted. Where it usually stalls is not the lending decision: it is the NIE, the Spanish account, and evidencing where the money came from.
Start the feasibility study before you view anything. Knowing your real ceiling turns a viewing list into a shortlist, and it is what stops a reservation deposit going into a purchase that was never going to complete.
Areas we cover
Centro and Soho. Small flats in old buildings, much of it refurbished. The state of the building and of the community matters more here than anywhere — it is exactly what a valuation marks down.
Teatinos. Where the city has grown, with the university, the hospital and relatively recent developments. Main-home buyers who borrow.
Pedregalejo and El Palo. Beach inside the city and low-rise building. A mix of year-round homes and people wanting a second place without leaving Málaga.
Churriana and the west. More land and more detached housing, close to the airport. Self-builds turn up regularly here, and they are financed differently.
A free feasibility study before you reserve anything
Costs worked out with Andalusia tax applied, not estimated
The whole purchase run remotely if you cannot be here
Frequently asked questions
How much do Spanish banks lend to non-residents?
Less than to a resident, and how much less depends on the bank and on your profile. Get the figure confirmed in writing before you sign a reservation rather than after.
Is Málaga city cheaper than the coast?
They are different markets rather than cheaper and dearer. The city runs all year and has a working rental market; the resort towns are seasonal. Which suits you depends on whether you will live in it, let it, or both.
What tax will I pay?
On resale property, transfer tax of 7%. On new build, VAT at 10% plus 1.2% stamp duty. Reduced rates exist but every one of them requires the property to be your main home.
Can you help if I am paying cash?
Yes. Removing the mortgage removes one step and leaves all the others: negotiation, tax, valuation, the registry check, the notary. That is where a buyer unfamiliar with the Spanish system loses money.