Airbnb Occupancy Rate in Malaga, Spain, Data & Trends 2026

Over the analysis period of June 2025 to May 2026, Malaga posted 75% average occupancy, the highest of the 28 Spanish cities tracked and a full 12 points above the national average of roughly 63%. That translates to about 270 booked nights a year, an exceptionally high utilisation that reflects how the city now sells across all four seasons rather than just summer.

Average daily rate sits at 130 euros, comfortably above the country average near 122 euros and seventh-highest among the tracked cities, producing average monthly revenue of around 2,808 euros per listing. Year-on-year revenue growth was a modest 2%, a sign the market is maturing and supply is dense rather than still climbing. Seasonality of 70% confirms a real summer peak but a far flatter curve than coastal resort markets, which is exactly what makes Malaga attractive for operators who need cash flow outside July and August.

Malaga has shifted from a quick stopover on the way to the Costa del Sol resorts into a year-round city-break destination in its own right, and that transformation drives most of its Airbnb demand. The city pulls a broad mix of guests: culture travellers heading for the Picasso Museum, the Centre Pompidou, the Carmen Thyssen and the Roman Theatre; beachgoers using La Malagueta and the eastern Pedregalejo coast; and a fast-growing flow of remote workers and long-stay visitors drawn by mild winters and the airport's dense European route network.

Cruise traffic into Malaga's port and the city's role as the gateway to the wider Costa del Sol add a steady layer of short-stay demand, while business and conference travel through the Palacio de Ferias keeps midweek nights filling in shoulder months. The result is one of Andalusia's most resilient short-let markets, with the historic centre and the beach districts competing hardest for nightly bookings.

The Centro Historico is the prime short-let zone: the Alcazaba, the cathedral, Calle Larios and the museums sit within walking distance, so listings here achieve the highest occupancy and rate but face the tightest competition and the strictest new-licence limits. Soho, the arts district just south of the centre around the CAC contemporary art museum, has been heavily redeveloped and appeals to younger, design-minded guests while staying walkable to everything.

La Malagueta is the beach-and-port district, commanding premium rates for sea views and walk-to-sand access but skewing seasonal and crowded in summer. Further east, Pedregalejo and El Palo offer a quieter, more residential seafront stay popular with families and longer bookings. Inland barrios away from the tourist core trade lower nightly rates for steadier year-round occupancy and, crucially, are where any new licence is now far harder to obtain.