Costa del Sol hotels are the second most expensive along Spain's coastline

Data from the INE national institute of statistics confirms, month after month, this general rise in prices within the tourism sector, affecting both accommodation and catering.

A report by Turismo Costa del Sol sets the record: hotels in the Costa del Sol are the second most expensive along the Spanish coast. The latest Costa del Sol price barometer, covering June, puts the average cost of a night's stay in a hotel across the province at 214 euros, following a rise of almost 6% compared with the same period in 2025.

The figures show that only in the Balearic Islands is it more expensive to spend a night in a hotel. The average cost there is 247 euros per night, confirming an even higher price growth (7.8%).

The report analyses accommodation prices in the Costa del Sol in comparison with those of its competitors. It also highlights user satisfaction levels, by compiling and analysing data from the municipalities of Malaga, Torremolinos, Fuengirola, Mijas, Marbella, Benalmádena, Estepona, Rincón de la Victoria, Nerja, Torrox, Vélez-Málaga, Manilva, Casares and Algarrobo.

Booking.com serves as the data source for hotel establishments, which the INE classifies as hotels, Paradores and tourist flat complexes, with ratings ranging from one to five stars.

To assess the competitiveness of Malaga, this research also extends to competing domestic destinations such as Costa de la Luz, Costa de Almería, Costa Blanca, Costa Brava, the Canary Islands and the Balearic Islands. The Portuguese Algarve and Antalya in Turkey serve as the main international competitors. The price data for this study was based on a total of over 2.8 million records.

The report breaks down the average prices for three-, four- and five-star hotels and notes that, in the top category, the Costa del Sol is the destination with the highest prices, surpassing the Balearic Islands.

A night in a five-star hotel in the Costa del Sol costs an average of 506 euros, compared with 483 euros on the Balearic Islands. In the other categories, the province of Malaga ranks second, while the Balearic Islands lead the way in terms of the highest hotel prices.

For four-star hotels, the average rate in the province is 212 euros, while a night in a three-star hotel costs 146 euros. This is the category in which the rate increase is highest, at 4.5%. For four- and five-star hotels, the increase has been around 3.5%.

Despite these prices and constant rises, tourists' ratings remain remarkably high. On a scale of zero to ten, visitors give the destination a score of 8.3 for value for money, representing an increase of almost 1% compared with the same period last year.

However, in the ranking of Spanish coastal destinations, the Costa del Sol has slipped to fifth place. The list is topped by the Costa de la Luz, in Cadiz, where the average price for a night in a hotel stands at 198 euros, having risen by over 6%. The Cadiz coastline is followed by the Balearic Islands, the Costa Brava and the Costa Blanca, with rates for the latter two destinations standing at 147 and 196 euros respectively.

Bringing up the rear in the list, due to its lower costs, is an Andalusian destination: the province of Almeria, with rates of 116 euros, despite the fact that the sector has increased its prices by 6.3%. The Almeria coastline also ranks at the bottom in terms of tourist satisfaction.

Just behind it is Antalya, where the average rate is also among the lowest, just ahead of Almeria. A night's stay in a hotel in this Turkish region, home to large hotel complexes, costs 126 euros, even though rates are also on the rise, up 3.3%, despite the impact the US-Iran conflict is having on the area.

The other international destination and competitor to the Costa del Sol is the Portuguese Algarve, which is hot on the heels of the province of Malaga in terms of the average price of accommodation, standing at 199 euros, following a more moderate increase of 3.7%. However, tourists' ratings of their experience relegate it to seventh.

Tourist ratings have improved, except in Huelva, where they have remained at last year's levels.

The most highly rated aspect of a stay in the province's hotels is the service provided by the staff. Their work receives the highest score, 9.15 out of ten. In fact, this, along with the location of the establishments, achieves an "outstanding" rating, compared with "highly commendable" ratings for comfort, services and cleanliness.

The study places the Costa del Sol in fifth position in the ranking for each of the factors.

Access the broad Malaga and Costa del Sol news index