Cost of living in Spain

Send by Julien in 2005

In Madrid, Spain:

> accommodation: 625 euros inclusive (taxes, air con, shared swimming pool) for a 45 sq.m in the town center

> public transportation fares: Tube/bus 5.80 euros for 10 tickets or 1.10 euros each

> food prices: I would say 200 euros. Vegetables are quite cheap.

> health prices: I used to work as a self employee when I was in Madrid, I had to pay 150 euros per month

> eduction prices: Education is free, well you'll always have to buy books and pencils

> energy prices: I don't remember the oil price (I've got to check); for the electricity it was arount 12.5 euros per month.

> common bills (Internet, television, telephone, mobile phone):
Internet 39.90 euros per month for a 1Mo adsl line
Telephone (Telefonica): 20 euros per months (that's expensive as Telefonica hasn't got any competitor)
Television: We didn't have to pay for it
Mobile phone: That's expensive, we used top up plans

> prices of a good menu in a traditional restaurant
12 euros for a regular meal in the town center, with wine bread and coffee included

> prices of a beer and of a coffee in a regular pub
A beer: 1.5 euros
A coffee: 1 euro

Sent by Manilva15b in January 2006

I live in Casares, a small municipality on (but not very affected by) the Costa del Sol, Andalucía, Southern Spain.  In fact I live at the very top of town (435m up) with a castle for a back wall.

> accommodation prices
Zero: Lucky enough to have bought outright with no mortgage.

> public transportation fares (tube, bus etc ...)
What public transport?  OK, there's a bus twice a day into Estepona at about 1.50 euro.  Not only do you need a car, but one with low gears.

> food prices(per month, how much does it cost you?)
About 400 euro monthly for a family of five.

> health prices (for those who need medical insurance)
Paid for through my Social Security by my employer, though it costs them about 29% of my salary.

> eduction prices (if you need to pay)
Free, except for books and materials, which the regional and local government help with - See Los Reyes Magos visitaron Casares on the blog.

> energy prices (oil, electricity)
Diesel for the car about 0.97 euro per litre at the moment.  Electricity about 30 euro bimonthly, gas (butano) now 11 euro per bottle which lasts 2 months.

> common bills (Internet, television, telephone, mobile phone)
Just signed up for ADSL (not yet working - Any tips out there for getting an ADSL router recognized by my laptop?) at 36 euro monthly; TV - zero; Water 3, yes THREE euro bimonthly; Telephone (currently) about 100 euro bimonthly, but expected to fall drastically when I go ADSL; Mobile 20-40 euro a month.

> prices of a good menu in a traditional restaurant
Menu del día from 7.50 to 11 euro (One of Franco's innovations I am grateful for)

> prices of a beer and of a coffee in a regular pub
cerveza (tubo or caña) 1 euro locally, coffee 50 cents to 1 euro locally.  Double these prices on the 'Costa'.

> Miscellaneous
Union dues 36 euro annually (but saves me at least 25 euro on doing my tax declarations)
Car insurance about 180 euro annually for a 250cc bike.
Cinema tickets 5 euro per person.

Sent by Jaime in Feb 2007

I live in Barcelona,  Spain.

My prices are for us, 2 married people, prices are in euros

> accommodation prices

monthly: 850 for 2 bedroom 65 square m flat - 20 minutes walk from work

> public transportation fares (tube, bus etc ...)

50 a month - these are 10 travel tickets

> food prices(per month, how much does it cost you?)

450 a month - this is 3 meals a day and snacks but doesn't include eating out which we do a few times a month

> health prices (for those who need medical insurance)

100 per month

> eduction prices (if you need to pay)

100 per month for spanish classes

> energy prices (oil, electricity)

> common bills (Internet, television, telephone, mobile phone)

100 per month (electricty, gas, water, mobile phone etc.) no internet or phone

> prices of a good menu in a traditional restaurant

50 for the two of us.

> prices of a beer and of a coffee in a regular pub

each Beer: 3E? coffee 2E, I don't really know exactly

Sent by bcnexpat in March 2007

I live in Barcelona, Spain in the central part of city that borders with Eixample and Montjuic:

> accommodation prices
I pay 1200 euro a month for 65sq mtrs, all newly renovate flat (was rented as 85 sq mtrs; they measure the walls in total sq meters).
However: I also paid a deposit (6 months) of 7200 euro plus 1st month rent, plus agent fee: in total 10,800 euro before they would even give the key. This is not some rare rip-off but NORMAL here and a common requirement from non-spanish nationals.
Fridge and washing machine (not included).
Same size flat for about 800 month can be found in poor condition or non-central.

I have been looking for one year for a 150-170sq mtr spacious flat in good condition, central, and am willing to pay 1600 a month. I can't find one.

> public transportation fares (tube, bus etc ...)
Cheap. 2 euro for single rides. I buy metro cards in rides of 10 for 6.90.
It includes buses, trains and even Ferro Carrils.
Taxi: about 20 euro from airport to central Barcelona. You can take a taxi within most destinations in the center for about 10 euro.

> food prices (per month, how much does it cost you?)
I spend about 200 a month on modest food for home cooking (no meat included). It can be done cheaper for one person.

> health prices (for those who need medical insurance)
600 euro a year, full-coverage, LaCaixa (best insurance in Spain). It is not necessary to have separate health insurance here.
Socialized government healthcare is free but has long waiting lines. My appointments take 3-6 weeks to get. Medications are very cheap.

> eduction prices (if you need to pay):
Language classes: 300-800 a month from known schools

> energy prices (oil, electricity):
My Fincasa charge me 75 euro per month. Fixed.

> common bills (Internet, television, telephone, mobile phone)
DSL internet 40 euro a month
Phone line (that allows outside calls and unlimted local) 31 euro a month
Phone bill, without call rates, will stay stable at 80-100 a month with Telefonica.

Cellphone: I signed up for a 7 euro a month service, and 0,08 per call. Bill ends up about 35 euro p/m even without calculating the call rates... Don't ask how. This is Telefonica.

> prices of a good menu in a traditional restaurant
Normal is 8-15 euro per plate (2 star, average). Appertizers or desert not included. Non tourist areas.
Snack-bars with take aways are about 5 euro per snack (ex. pita, dorum).
Tapas run from 2.5 to 5 euro per piece.

> prices of a beer and of a coffee in a regular pub
Very cheap. Cava (champagne) 2 euro a glass average.
Beer about 2 euro, and coffee from 1,10 to 1,80 euro.
These prices are in non-tourist areas. In tourist areas, double or tripple the price.

Sent by oreneta in March 2007

BCNexpat looks pretty accurate to me...

Schools:  we pay 100 Euros a month for each child to go to a 'private' Catholic school

We pay, outside of BCN, 650 per month for a three bedroom, largish apt with a large terrace and a view of the sea and the mountains.

Gas, 30 Euros a month
Water 30 euros a quarter
Electricity, 30 Euros a month

a coffee and croissant, around a Euro fifty.

Hi from northern Spain (Galicia)

prices are for a rural location small village (15 permanent) near Monforte / Lugo / Ourense.

Rent: few - Apartment 1 room central heating etc ca 150+ Euro/month

Houses: 50K (Euro) buys you a 80-100m2 incl. bodegas and garden. Expect to spend at least anothter 50-70% to bring it up to full stanadard.

If you are resident expect to pay 20 Euros/year tax on it.

Rubbish: 5 Euros bimonthly

Roadtax: 2 liter 135BHP 5 seater 87 Euros / year

Car insurance: third party only with no claims bonus 200 Euro / year (As a non European no claims is not possible as you may have to retake your driving test and are classed as new driver)

Petrol: 95er presently 1.06 liter was 1.22 Diesel 1.08

Food: 200-400 for 2 depends on availability in the garden and excess from the neighbors as well as amount of guests.

Wine: Red (Mencia Ribeira Sacra) 15 Liter box 17 Euro

Coffee: at the bar 80-90 Cents at the table 1 Euro+
Tappa: Drink and tappa 90 Cents - 1.25

Lunsh / dinner: Menu al dia 7.50 - 8.50 3 course includes wine / water and coffee

Electricity: 200m2+ including a rental 80 Euros bimonthly
(Standing charge depends on the power you want - unit is ca 9 Cents) It's single phased and above 25A standing charges rise steeply.

Water: zero (own well) waste water: zero (own pozzo negro)
If available communal it is metered but very cheap.

Heating: Oil is expensive (so is gas) but pellets are available. We spend for 200m2+ ca. 7-800 Euro/year

Gas: Butano 15Kg's 12.50 was 13.75 (hot water one every two month same for cooking)

Wood: Trailorload 200 Euro (chopped and aged)

School: Sorry don't know

Heathinsurance: probably like mentioned in posts before (we are SERGAS basic as we are EU citicens - free)

Public transport: If it exists it is cheap. RENFE (Spanish railway) has 7 day advance offers and 15 day advance offers
for medium and large distance e.g. Monforte - Madrid (450Km) sleeper double cabin 30 Euro per person one way.

ADSL: not very common due to large distances to exchanges - I pay 40 Euro 3Mb including all national calls.
Often radiophones are installed (Internet lousy)
New radiophones come into service with improved connectivity - so they say)

I hope this is informative - please note this is for a rural location in Galicia.

Martin (LifeInGalicia)

Expat.com wrote:

Hi everybody,

It would be very interesting and useful to exchange informations about the cost of living in Spain. The idea is to help those who would like to live in Spain.

Don't forget to mention where you are living (Madrid, Barcelona, or any other city or region)

Let's compare the:

> accommodation prices (how much does it cost to rent or to buy an accommodation in Spain?)

> public transportation fares (tube, bus etc ...)

> food prices(per month, how much does it cost you?)

> health prices (for those who need medical insurance)

> eduction prices (if you need to pay)

> energy prices (oil, electricity)

> common bills (Internet, television, telephone, mobile phone)

> prices of a good menu in a traditional restaurant

> prices of a beer or a coffee in a regular pub

Thanks in advance for your participation!

I agree with Ghaziabad. New COL data would be great.

Here's what I'm hoping for...

Please take a moment or two to add your '2 cents' to the Spain costs overview on this site: Numbeo.com. (can't post the link since I'm new but it's what you think it'd be...)

It'd help us tremendously...an accurate budget means we can eat.

(We're turning in our Spain retirement visa application tomorrow.)

Thank you!