The full guide
Spain is still one of the cheaper places to live in western Europe, but the gap has narrowed, and almost all of the difference between cities comes down to rent. This guide gives you realistic monthly budgets for the main cities, then breaks down each cost so you can build your own.
Monthly budgets by city
These are our estimates for November 2026, built from the figures further down. They assume you rent the whole flat on a long-term contract, use public transport and public healthcare, and eat out now and then. Rents are asking prices from idealista’s October 2026 report, so a good deal or an older contract will come in lower.
| City | Single, one-bed flat | Couple, two-bed flat | Family of four, three-bed flat |
|---|---|---|---|
| Madrid | €2,050 | €2,700 | €3,700 |
| Barcelona | €1,900 | €2,500 | €3,450 |
| Málaga | €1,650 | €2,200 | €3,100 |
| Valencia | €1,650 | €2,200 | €3,100 |
| Bilbao | €1,600 | €2,150 | €3,000 |
| Smaller provincial capital | €1,100 | €1,550 | €2,200 |
The flats are about 60 m², 70 m² and 90 m². The totals leave out private health insurance, international school fees and running a car, which can each add a few hundred euros a month.
Rent: the number that decides your budget
In October 2026 the average asking rent in Spain was €15.1 per m² a month, 5.6% more than a year earlier. The big cities sit well above that:
- Madrid: €23.4/m², so about €1,400 for a 60 m² flat
- Barcelona: €20.5/m², about €1,230
- Palma: €19.6/m², about €1,175
- Málaga: €16.7/m², about €1,000
- Valencia: €16.5/m², about €990
- Bilbao: €15.6/m², about €935
At the other end, provincial capitals such as Cáceres (€8.2/m²), Zamora (€8.4/m²) and Jaén (€8.5/m²) cost around a third of Madrid. Barcelona has barely moved in a year, while Madrid, Málaga and Valencia are still rising by 4% to 5%.
Renting a room instead
Sharing cuts the biggest cost in half or better. The median room in the second quarter of 2026 was €627 a month in Barcelona, €590 in Málaga, €575 in Madrid, €550 in Bilbao, €424 in Valencia and €400 in Sevilla.
Money you need upfront
Your first month costs far more than a normal one. On a long-term contract the legal deposit is one month’s rent, and landlords can ask for up to two more months as a guarantee, on top of the first month’s rent. On long-term homes, the landlord pays the agency fee. Our first-month budget guide covers the rest.
Bills and utilities
Electricity is the bill that moves most. The consumer group OCU tracks a typical household on the regulated PVPC tariff, and in 2026 that bill ranged from about €56 in April to €86 in September, as gas prices pushed wholesale power up through the autumn. A small flat with careful use will pay less; a big flat with electric heating, more.
- Electricity: €55 to €90 a month for most flats
- Water: often under €20 a month
- Gas, if the flat has it: depends heavily on heating, and the regulated gas tariff rose this autumn
- Fibre and a mobile line: roughly €30 to €45 a month with a budget operator
- Community fees: usually included in the rent, but ask before you sign
Most flats don’t have central heating, and many lack air conditioning in every room. Ask the landlord for a recent bill and the energy certificate before you sign. Our utilities guide explains tariffs and how to change the account holder.
Food and eating out
People in Spain spent an average of €2,873 each on food and drink in 2025, at home and out, which is about €240 a month. Newcomers usually spend more at first, so we budget €250 to €300 a month per adult for groceries. Local markets, supermarket own brands and seasonal fruit and veg bring that down.
The menú del día, a fixed-price weekday lunch with two courses, bread, a drink and dessert or coffee, now averages €14.70. It ranges from about €13.50 in the Canary Islands and Murcia to €16.30 in the Basque Country, with Catalonia at €15.70 and Madrid at €15. Tipping is optional, and rounding up is normal.
Getting around
Public transport is cheap thanks to discounts that are renewed each year:
- Madrid: the monthly zone A pass costs €32.70, the youth pass is €10 for anyone up to 26, and over-65s travel free. The discount runs to the end of 2026.
- Barcelona: the T-usual for zone 1 costs €22.80 a month, and under-30s can buy the T-jove at €45.50 for 90 days.
Prices are confirmed each January, so check before you budget for the next year. A car changes the picture: insurance, fuel, parking and the low-emission zones in big cities add up fast.
Healthcare
If you work in Spain, employed or self-employed, you pay into social security and can use the public system through your tarjeta sanitaria. If you don’t, or your visa requires it, you’ll need private cover. In August 2026 a policy for someone aged 30 to 40 cost roughly €13 to €35 a month with co-payments, or €46 to €80 without. Visa policies must have no co-payments, so budget for the higher figure.
Dental care is mostly outside the public system. In an OCU survey published in 2026, half of households had paid for dental care in the previous year, at an average of €667.
How far a salary goes
The minimum wage for 2026 is €1,221 gross a month over 14 payments, or €17,094 a year. The average gross salary, in the latest official figure for 2024, was €29,540. Rent takes a big share of local pay: idealista estimates tenants spend 37.8% of their net salary on rent on average, rising to 42% in Barcelona province and 52% in Málaga.
If you earn from abroad, the maths is kinder, but check your visa’s income rules first. The non-lucrative visa asks for €28,800 a year and the digital nomad visa about €2,849 a month.
Ways to spend less
- Look one or two train stops out. Towns on the commuter lines around Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia often rent for far less.
- Sign a long-term contract for your main home. It gives you a minimum term and limits on rent rises that seasonal lets don’t.
- Compare electricity tariffs on the CNMC comparator once you know your usage.
- Eat your main meal at lunch with a menú del día, and cook in the evening.
- Register on the padrón early. It unlocks public healthcare registration, school places and some local discounts.
- Move money with a specialist service, not your home bank. See sending money to Spain.
Common mistakes
- Budgeting from old blog posts. Rents in several cities rose by double digits in 2024 and early 2025.
- Comparing a room price in one city with a whole-flat price in another.
- Forgetting the upfront costs: up to four months’ rent before you get the keys.
- Leaving out private health insurance when your visa requires it.
- Assuming summer bills are low. Air conditioning in July and August can cost as much as winter heating.
