Why I May Move to This Spectacular Spanish City

The landscape unfolded unexpectedly and I knew what was coming. 

Mountain vistas to the left. The Mediterranean to the right. A tropical landscape of palms and bougainvillea and banana plants all around. And modern towns and cities that were clean and packed with shops and restaurants and big supermarkets.  

It was only a matter of time before I heard the words I expected, “I love it here.” 

And they did arrive…on our second afternoon in Malaga, Spain, as my wife, her son, and I walked from the wide beach splashed by warm, calm Mediterranean waters to the apartment we’d rented in the historic center of Malaga. 

As we strolled an entirely lovely, palm- and pine-shaded park along a wide boulevard, Yulia, my wife, turned to me and said, “This is my favorite city so far. I love Malaga.” 

And here’s the thing…I love Malaga too. 

I have traveled to Spain several times. Before I moved to Prague I was intent on living in Barcelona, one of my absolute favorite cities in the world. And I read all the International Living stories about Spain, so I know why the country is such a popular destination, and I know it offers a high quality of living paired with excellent food and wine and top-notch healthcare. 

What I’m basically saying is I know that Spain is great. 

Where Spain falls down in my view is tax rates. They are unfavorable, and they’re why I ultimately chose Prague over Barcelona. 

Alas, life changes. Situations mutate. You start off as a single guy trying to rebuild your life after the costliness of divorce…and then one day you find yourself remarried to a girl who grew up along the sea and who would really like to get back to living near the sea. 

Your perspective changes. You’re no longer thinking selfishly, but selflessly. 

And, so, Yulia and I have spent the better part of the past few months rethinking our life in Prague, as I’ve written about in previous columns. This three-week trip through Portugal, Morocco, and Spain was, in part, a tour of a few places we might like to live. 

It’s clear Malaga is the frontrunner by a country mile. 

This city is exceptional, and I don’t say that about many cities. 

Malaga is beautiful in the “picture postcard” exaggeration too many travel writers lean on. But here it’s actually quite the honest description.  

Walking though the historic city center is like walking through some kind of Spanish-Parisian mashup constructed just as a set for a period movie. Lots of old buildings here (all seemingly renovated) look transported from Belle Epoque France in the waning years of the 19th century and the runup to World War I. 

The half-hour stroll to the popular Malaqueta beach is as picturesque as one could want. Through the bustling city center…past the 11th century mountaintop redoubt that once served as a massive stone fort, up on a high hill, overlooking the harbor below…the wide, palm-lined boulevard…parks as tropical as any I’ve wandered through in Singapore or Hong Kong. 

So many restaurants. So many shopping options. Beautiful old cathedrals and churches, and apartment buildings that have been restored to modern standards but still look as though would have when they were new.  

Better is that all of this is a viable, long-term place to call home through a Spanish residency visa, one of the easier residency/work options in Europe. I’d still have to manage less favorable tax rates. But it’s clear Spanish taxes actually seem to pay for something…truly lovely and livable cities. 

On our last afternoon, we stopped for lunch at the central market, built in the 1920s, and where locals still shop daily for fresh-from-the-Mediterranean seafood and an abundance of fruits and vegetables. 

“I would eat way more fish if we lived here,” I commented after she and I finished off a two-person plate of langoustines, scallops, tuna skewers, and grilled octopus. 

“I like this lifestyle,” she said. “And I like this sangria. I would drink way more sangria here.” 

“I would definitely drink more sangria,” I agreed. “Probably make it a breakfast beverage.” 

And so it is that Malaga is our leading contender as we look for a new place to live. I will soon begin exploring the Spanish visa options, and looking at apartments to get a feel for real-world cost of living.  

Certainly, this move to Malaga—or to anywhere—is not a done deal yet. Maybe we end up staying in Prague. We’re just not sure of our next step at the moment.  

The war in Ukraine and the knock-on effects that are rippling through Europe cause both of us a great deal of concern. But then there’s the rising cost of living in Prague that means higher taxes in Malaga might actually be a wash, considering the lower rental costs here. 

For now, it’s status quo. 

But soon enough we might be changing our address.