Cost of living: Is it cheap to live in Spain?

The cost of living is a very important index to consider when moving to a new country. Spain is known to be one of the cheapest developed countries to live in Europe. Here in this article, we will try to portray the living expenses in Spain.

1. Compared with other developed countries: Yes, Spain is much cheaper to live in!

2. The living expenses

1. Compared with other developed countries: Yes, Spain is much cheaper to live in!

When compared with other developed counties, Spain is much cheaper to live in. According to Numbeo, Spain is one of the cheapest countries to live in Western Europe. This website records the real prices of different categories of expenses. In terms of the cost-of-living index, the most expensive Spanish city "Bilbao" is ranked as the No. 133 expensive city in Europe, way lower than cities in Switzerland, Norway, or France. If you want to find a work-life balance or retire somewhere sunny, Spain is a great option.

2. The living expenses

The living expenses depend hugely on the city you live in. However, people who live in the same cities can also differ in their lifestyles. For example, if they live with a partner or if they have kids. Here we will give a prediction based on different occasions.

• Rent and utilities:
  • If you live alone and do not share houses with other people, you need to pay higher rent and utility fees.
    • In a big city like Barcelona or Madrid, you can expect the rent and utility to be around 800 to 1800 euros.
    • In a smaller city like Málaga, you can expect a sum of 600 to 1500 euros.
  • If you live with your partner or share the house with other roommates, you will have more savings.
    • In a big city: You might spend like 350 to 750 euros, including the monthly rent and utility.
    • In a smaller city: You might spend 250 to 600 euros.

• Groceries:
  • If you do not share bills with others: You can expect 100 to 250 euros.
  • If you share bills with other people: 80 euros to 200 euros.

• Restaurants and Cafeterias:
  • This highly depends on your way of living, but on average you can expect a meal to be at about 10-30 euros/meal. Monthly restaurant expenses would be about 40 to 300 euros.

• Healthcare:
  • This could also be unpredictable if you don’t have any medical insurance. Because the fees of seeing a doctor, carrying out health tests, and getting treatments could cost you a big fortune. However, if you have private medical insurance, the fees would be free. The fee can be expected as 45 euros to 150 euros a month according to your age.

• Entertainment and interests:
  • This is also unpredictable, but we can assume a person living in Spain will spend around 50 to 200 euros on this.

In total, if you calculate the living expense range, you can expect your total monthly expense to be from 600 euros to 2500 euros. Bear in mind that the prediction above is just a general estimate. You can always save or consume as much as you would like according to your preferences.

If you like to know more about living in Spain, click one of these blogs below: 

• The best places to live in Spain for Expats with different needs
• Curious facts you need to know before moving to Spain
• Reside in Spain: live a unique Mediterranean life

Reference:

[1] OECD Better Life Index. (2021). Retrieved 13 October 2021, from https://www.oecdbetterlifeindex.org/countries/spain/

[2] Living, C., & City, C. (2021). Europe: Current Cost of Living Index by City. Retrieved 13 October 2021, from https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/region_rankings_current.jsp?region=150 

Our content will be updated according to the most recent legislation. Last update: 26/07/2023