The average worker in Malaga is earning nowhere near enough to be happy, a new study has found.
The research by Purdue University estimates that residents in the Costa del Sol capital would need an annual gross salary of €76,893 to reach the ‘optimum level of wellbeing’.
By comparison, official figures show the average salary in the province is just €21,479 a year.
That leaves a gap of more than €55,000 between what the average employee earns and what the study identifies as the ideal income for happiness.
The figure for Malaga is broadly in line with the national estimate, with researchers calculating that Spaniards need an annual income of €77,192 to reach the same level of wellbeing.
The study adjusts its figures according to local living costs, including housing, transport, utilities and leisure spending.
For Malaga residents, the findings are likely to resonate amid rising living costs and an increasingly expensive housing market.
Recent data suggests that buying a home in the province now requires the equivalent of almost 13 years of gross salary for the average worker.
Among Spain’s largest cities, Madrid recorded the highest ‘happiness salary’, with researchers estimating residents would need to earn €89,759 a year.
Barcelona followed on €88,562, while Palma de Mallorca came third at €88,263.
The higher figures reflect the increased cost of living in those cities, particularly when it comes to housing and everyday expenses.
Bilbao ranked fourth with a required salary of €81,680, followed by Oviedo on €80,184.
Malaga came next on €76,893, narrowly ahead of Santa Cruz de Tenerife (€76,744), Alicante (€76,145), Valencia (€75,696) and Sevilla (€74,649).
The lowest figure among the cities included in the ranking was Granada, where researchers estimated an annual income of €73,153 would be enough to reach the same level of wellbeing.
While the study focuses on income, researchers stress that happiness is influenced by a range of factors beyond earnings, including health, relationships and quality of life.
