Discover your neighborhood: Malasaña in Madrid

Many students and young expats choose Malasaña because it's an artistic and lively neighborhood to live in. Learn more about rental prices and things to do.

Jale

6 minute read

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5 Apr 2024

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Living

Malasaña is the perfect neighborhood for people who like living in a central spot with many young, creative, and energetic residents. It's one of the most vibrant and colorful areas in Madrid, where you'll find street art on every corner and cool shops, cafes, bookstores, and galleries along the streets. Being in Madrid's Universidad district, it's perfect for students who want to live near their universities and also enjoy the convenience of being centrally located.

So before you find a place to live in Madrid, find out below what Malasaña offers in terms of leisure activities, dining options, amenities, connectivity by public transport, and rental prices.

Malasaña has a progressive, creative and open-minded environment. Living here means becoming part of this welcoming and colorful community. Plus, tourists usually overlook Malasaña and hang out in more popular neighborhoods like Sol. This makes a perfect neighborhood to explore street art, historic squares, and colorful shops without the big crowds.

With so much to do, you won’t have a dull moment in Malasaña. You can sip your cafe in Madrid’s largest squares, the Plaza de España, enjoy a tasty meal at chic restaurants, find rare items in second-hand shops, gaze into galleries, visit architectural landmarks, and have the time of your life at its bars.

From supermarkets and gym facilities to pharmacies and hairdressers, Malasaña has everything you’ll need in your daily life at your fingertips.

For your regular shopping or meeting with friends, you’ll enjoy meeting at the square Plaza del Dos de Mayo, which is lined with shops, bars, and cafes.

The neighborhood has many fitness facilities like CrossFit and pilates studios. For outdoor training, you can visit parks such as Conde Duque Park, Parque de Calistenia, or the nearby Parque de Barras.

Grocery shopping is convenient in this neighborhood. You’ll find 2 branches from the Carrefour supermarket chain, a discount store Dia, Lidl, and multiple convenience stores (alimentación). There’s also Mercado de Los Mostenses, or the smaller Malasaña market where you can buy fresh produce straight from the merchants.

Several banks and their ATMs are also closeby, such as BBVA, CaixaBank, and Banco Santander. So if you need to open a bank account in Spain, you don’t have to go far.

Book lovers will enjoy Biblioteca Pública Benito Pérez Galdos and the J & J book cafe for some light reading in a cafe. You’ll even find comic stores, such as Otaku Centre or Wonderland comics.

For health checks, you’ll find a few pharmacies in the neighborhood, and you can reach the closest hospital, Hospital Universitario HM Madrid, within 12 minutes by walking or 7 minutes from the San Bernardo metro station. Also, next to this metro station is the Sandoval Health Centre for medical tests.

Malasaña is a central compact neighborhood, making it easy to walk or take the bus to any part within this neighborhood. It’s also well connected with the metro to other neighborhoods of Madrid.

There’re 9 metro stations surrounding or in close proximity to the Malasaña neighborhood.

• Station Argüelles – lines 3, 4, 6
• Station San Bernardo – lines 2 and 4
• Station Ventura Rodríguez – line 3 (take line 3 for The Complutense University)
• Station Plaza de España – lines 3 and 1
• Station Gran Vía – lines 1 and 5
• Station Tribunal – lines 1 and 10 (take line 10 for the airport and the Autonomous University of Madrid)
• Station Noviciado - line 2 (take line 2 to go to Sol)
• Station Bilbao – lines 1 and 4
• Station Santo Domingo - line 2
• Station Callao - lines 3 and 5 (take line 5 for University Carlos III of Madrid)

Traveling from Malasaña to the Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas Airport will generally take 35 min and costs €7 with public transport. You can take line 10 from Plaza de España station to Nuevos Ministerios station and then line 8 towards Aeropuerto.

Malasaña is also very well connected to the other neighborhoods of Madrid. Madrid’s most famous street Gran Vía is only a short 14-minute walk away. On the east is the vibrant and LGBTQ party district of Chueca within a 10-minute walk. On the south is the popular neighborhood of Sol, only an 11-minute metro ride from Noviciado station. On the southwest is La Latina, the oldest quarter in Madrid. It’s a 22-minute metro ride from Plaza de España station.

Art and architecture in Malasaña

There’re many entertainment venues in or around Malasaña. Visit Sala Siroco for concerts, Teatro Alfil for cabaret or flamenco shows; Microteatro Por Dinero for micro performances in an old brothel turned theatre; Teatro Maravillas for musicals, comedy, or plays; La Chocita Del Loro Senator for some improv, monologues, or standup comedy.

Stop by Liria Palace to see art in an 18th-century palace or visit Museo Municipal de Arte Contemporáneo for contemporary art.

To marvel at the architecture, visit Teatro Lara, to see a grand performance venue from 1880. The Plaza de España square is an architectural landmark with famous sculptures of Don Quixote and Sancho Panza. Overlooking the square, you’ll find the Spanish capital’s tallest historic skyscrapers, Torre de Madrid and Edificio España.

From stores selling handmade items (Magro Cardona) to unique Spanish ceramics (Hijo de Epigmenio), Malasaña is home to many such indie designers, hipster concept stores, and local boutiques.

Vintage shopping is also popular, and you have plenty of options, such as Mucho vintage, Aramayo vintage, Flamingos vintage kilo, Temple Susu, and Sabor vintage. Alternatively, the 2 flea markets, Adelita Market and Plaza 2 de Mayo market, won’t disappoint!

At the northwest tip of Malasaña, you’ll find Europe’s biggest department store group — El Corte Inglés Princesa. Inside, you’ll find several brands across departments such as sports, fashion, toys, home decoration, and electronics. There’re also big brands scattered around the streets of Malasaña, such as Mango, Decathlon, Primark, and Zara.

Hungry? Dining recommendations in Malasaña

The colorful streets of Malasaña are full of delicious restaurants and hipster cafes. Whether you’re after traditional Spanish tapas, international dishes, or vegan burgers, you’ll find options for every taste.

• For the best brunch or breakfast, visit Ojalá.
• Have churros from La Churrería Madrid 1883, the oldest churrería in Madrid.
• For a light lunch and Scandinavian-style sandwiches, Misión Café is the go-to spot.
• Ribeira do Miño is a staple place for Galician tapas, especially seafood.
• For a quick bite and assorted beers, drop by at Bodega de la Ardosa.
• For delicious vegan food, try Vegan Alamo, Delish vegan doughnuts, or Vega.
• For an unforgettable dining experience with a menu of classic Spanish dishes, go to Media Racíon.
• For a little bit of everything, try Saint Ildephonsus Market, a food hall with over 20 stalls selling delicious global food and cocktails.

Nightlife scene at Malasaña

The party scene in Malasaña is grungy, edgy, and indie. Like the nightlife in other Spanish cities, nightlife in Malasaña starts very late and lasts until dawn. Go to laid-back pubs and bars for pre-drinks (Lolina Vintage Café and Fábrica Maravillas), tastefully designer cocktail bars (1862 Dry Bar) for a fancy night out, or beer halls serving craft beers (Fábrica Maravillas) for quality drinks. To dance the night way, you have several options in this compact neighborhood, from La Vía Láctea and MADKLYN to Club Malasaña and Sala Republik club.

Malasaña is a charming, artistic district where many young professionals, expats, and students reside. By calling Malasaña your home, you’ll become a part of this blooming, dynamic community.

More importantly, living in Malasaña is convenient as it’s in close proximity to the happening Gran Vía district. The rent prices are also lower than in other central neighborhoods such as Plaza de la Puerta del Sol and Barrio de La Latina. Since rent takes up the biggest portion of your living costs, living in Malasaña will help you avoid expensive rentals.

To give you a reference, expect to pay the following rent prices on average:

1. Furnished Private Room with utilities (best for students): €700.
2. Furnished Studio with utilities (best for singles, couples, or new graduates): €900.
3. Furnished 1-bedroom apartment with utilities (best for couples or families): €1,150.

Here’re some tips for housing in Malasaña:

1. If you’re a student, renting close to Plaza de España metro station will be convenient for you to travel to your university.
2. If you prefer quiet neighborhoods, make sure you don’t rent around the popular nightlife street Gran Vía.

Overall, start searching for rental accommodation in Malasaña at least 3 months in advance to find something that will please you and fit your budget. To do this from abroad, using a trusted online rental platform that lets you book in advance is super helpful.

You can do a few things to make your transition to living in Malasaña smooth as possible.

1. Use Google Maps to discover the neighborhood and its surroundings before renting the apartment.
2. Before signing a contract, ensure you understand your rights and responsibilities as a tenant in Spain to avoid paying unnecessary costs.
3. Learn a few Spanish phrases. Especially in markets and convenience stores, sellers don’t speak English.
4. Get familiar with your neighbors and become active in the community by checking Facebook pages. It’s the best way to make new connections and feel safe in your new neighborhood.
5. Download mobile apps to get help in your daily life. Glovo is an excellent app for ordering in, and Citymapper is for using public transport.

Once you find your new home, don't forget to open a Spanish bank account to arrange automatic payments for your monthly rent and utilities.

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