Cost of Living in Spain: A Comprehensive Guide

Spain is famous worldwide for its love of football, stunning beaches, delicious cuisine, and rich culture. If you are planning to shift to Spain, the main and most important factor you need to consider as a student before studying in Spain is the cost of living, which includes costs of food, accommodation and utilities, transportation and many more. The average cost of living in Spain is around EUR 1625 per person, which is 2.17 times higher than the world average.

According to the ranking system, Spain holds 41st rank out of 197 countries by cost of living. If you plan to move to Spain, this blog will provide details about the cost of living in Spain, in various parameters such as education costs, housing rent, grocery costs, monthly transportation costs, utilities costs, and many others. Here we have given a summary of living expenses for various category in a table:

Categories	Approx Cost for one Person
Cost of living	EUR 700
Cost of Rent	EUR 900
Cost of Basic Utilities	EUR 129
Cost of Grocery	EUR 63
Cost of Food (Inexpensive Restaurant)	EUR 12
Cost of Transportation (One-way Ticket)	EUR 1.50

Overview of Cost of Living in Spain

Spain offers a relatively affordable cost of living compared to many other European countries, especially in smaller cities and rural areas. Its high-quality education, advanced educational programs, and living standards attract students worldwide. The average cost of living in Spain is around EUR 1625 per person, including rent, and it is around EUR 3900 for a family. Here, we have given the general breakdown of the average cost of living in Spain in different categories in detail:

Cost of Food in Spain 

For an outing or visiting a food Restaurant budget is around EUR 50 per meal for 2 person in a mid-range restaurants, which will not affect that much to the cost of living in Spain. Restaurants in Spain offer a culinary adventure with a variety of seafood options at an affordable budget. In the table below, we have demonstrated the average restaurant costs you can pay in the country:

Type of Restaurant	Approx Cost of Meal in Restaurant
Meal, Inexpensive Restaurant	EUR 12
Meal for 2 People, Mid-range Restaurant, Three-course	EUR 50
McMeal at McDonalds (or Equivalent Combo Meal)	EUR 8.5
Cappuccino (regular)	EUR 1.83

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Cost of Grocery in Spain 

The average cost of groceries in Spain is around EUR 63 per month, including meals, milk, water, vegetables, fruits and other items. Moreover, the groceries costs can impact the cost of living in Spain as it is a daily expense. Below is the list of a few grocery items with their costs available in Spain: 

Grocery Item	Price
Milk (regular), (1 litre)	EUR 1.04
Loaf of Fresh White Bread (500g)	EUR 1.28
Rice (white), (1kg)	EUR 1.31
Eggs (regular) (12)	EUR 2.44
Apples (1kg)	EUR 1.98
Banana (1kg)	EUR 1.68
Oranges (1kg)	EUR 1.69
Tomato (1kg)	EUR 2.25
Potato (1kg)	EUR 1.44
Onion (1kg)	EUR 1.57
Lettuce (1 head)	EUR 1.04
Water (1.5 liter bottle)	EUR 0.64
meat, egg, drinks and Other items	EUR 44

Cost of Housing Rent in Spain 

For accommodation in Spain your budget should be EUR 700-1500 per month for a one-bedroom apartment in a city centre.Moreover, it depends on the budget and lifestyle a person follows. Housing rent is a major part of cost of living in Spain. For your references in the table below we have given apartment rent in Spain in different areas:

Apartment Location	Average Cost
Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Centre	EUR 935
Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Centre	EUR 699
Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Centre	EUR 1,500
Apartment (3 bedrooms) Outside of Centre	EUR 1,052

Cost of Utilities in Spain

The Basic Utility Cost in Spain is around EUR 129 /month for a single person, which is relatively low from the cost of living in Spain. For your reference, we have given the Cost of Utilities in Spain for immigrant students in the country:

Utility Type	Monthly Average Cost
Basic Utility for 85m2 Apartment (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage)	EUR 129
Monthly Plan of Mobile Phone (with Calls & 10GB+ Data)	EUR 18
Internet (60+ Mbps, Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL)	EUR 31
hourly rate for cleaning help	EUR 11

Cost of Clothes in Spain 

Basic apparel products like pants and t-shirts often cost affordable in Spain, but designer or premium brands might cost more and can affect the cost of living in Spain. For your reference we have given average costs of clothes in Spain in the table below:

Clothes Items	Average Cost
1 pair of jeans	EUR 72
1 summer dress in a high street store	EUR 29
1 pair of sport shoes	EUR 73
1 pair of men’s leather business shoes	EUR 85

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Cost of Transportation in Spain 

Spain has an amazing public transportation system facilitated with trains, trams, buses, car, metro, etc,.Transportation cost in Spain contributes around EUR 33 per month for local city transport and it comes under the overall cost of living in Spain. Here are various modes of transportation with their fare costs:

Items	Average Cost
1 litre (1/4 gallon) of Gasoline	EUR 1.61
Monthly ticket public transport	EUR 33
One-way Ticket (Local Transport)	EUR 1.50
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)	EUR 3.50
Taxi 1km (Normal Tariff)	EUR 1.20

Cost of Personal Care in Spain

The cost of personal care in Spain including cold medicine, antibiotics, deodorant, toilet paper, toothpaste, and a haircut cost you around EUR 40 for a person. For your reference we have given a few personal care items with their costs:

Personal Care Items	Average Cost
Cold medicine for 6 days	EUR 8
1 box of antibiotics	EUR 8
Deodorant, roll-on (50ml ~ 1.5 oz.)	EUR 2.48
4 rolls of toilet paper	EUR 1.92
Tube of toothpaste	EUR 1.98
Standard men’s haircut	EUR 18

Cost of Entertainment in Spain

Depending on your interests, costs of entertainment in Spain is around EUR 50-100 per month for cinema, concerts, etc. Here, we have given various costs of entertainment in Spain:

Entertainment Items	Average Cost
Basic dinner out for two in neighbourhood pub	EUR 32
2 tickets to the movies	EUR 16
2 tickets to the theatre	EUR 52
1 cocktail drink in the downtown club	EUR 10
1 month of gym membership in the business district	Basic dinner out for two in a neighbourhood pub

Tuition Fee in Spain 

The cost of studying in Spain is comparatively lower than in other counties. The tuition fee differs depending on the duration of the program and the type of program. Some of the private universities in Spain set their own fee structure which is as high as EURO 20,000. Here is the idea for the fee structure of Spain’s Education: 

Course Level	Average Cost of Program
Bachelors Programs	750 EUR to 2,500 EUR per year
Master Program	1,000 EUR to 3,500 EUR per year

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Why Study in Spain? 

There are a lot of Benefits to studying in Spain which make you stand out in a crowd of students, and help students with various opportunities which help brighten their careers. Name of top universities in Spains are Pompeu Fabra University, Autonomous University of Barcelona , University of Barcelona , Autonomous University of Madrid , University of Navarra , University of Valencia, Complutense University of Madrid , University of Rovira i Virgili, University of Alcala . Here a few points due to which these Spain universities are well-known and famous:

• The education system is well-known and famous. That’s why Spain is a popular choice for international students, as an international student you can explore varieties of programs including Graduate, postgraduate and Doctoral Programs. 
• Spain is a prominent destination for international students from all over the world due to its rich culture, pleasant temperature, opulent lifestyle, excellent higher education system, and exchange opportunities.
• One of the top subjects to study in Spain is computer science. The nation is well-known for having universities that can meet the academic needs of pupils
• Study abroad opportunities in Spain provide international students with a significantly lower cost of living than in other Western and European nations.

Things You Need to Know Before Moving to Spain 

When thinking about moving, it’s crucial to pick a neighbourhood that fits your lifestyle and price range. Here is few things that you need to consider before shifting to Spain:

• Spanish culture is rich in traditions, which have an impact on how the people of Spain go about their daily lives. This includes how they greet one another, how they go about dating, what they eat in different regions, and how they celebrate local holidays.
• Spanish, Catalan, Galician, and Basque are Spain’s four official languages. Spanish is the first or second language for 99% of people.
• Look into the city’s numerous neighbourhoods and whether they have strong public transit connections to find the perfect rental home.
• Its four seasons are separated by its climate. Maximum temperatures are achieved in the hot and dry months of July and August across the entire nation. The coldest temperatures take place in the north of Spain during the months of December, January, and February, which are also the months with the most rainfall.

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FAQs on Cost of Living in Spain

So, this was all about the cost of living in Spain. Many Indian students dream of pursuing education in foreign nations due to the exposure and career growth they offer. Consider joining a free counselling session with Leverage Edu if you plan to study abroad.