The big variable: housing
Rent is usually the largest cost and the most variable. Our town pages give a cost tier from € (cheapest) to €€€€ (most expensive) instead of prices, because rents change quickly. Before you move, check current listings on Idealista or Fotocasa for the exact neighbourhood.
Most expensive: Madrid, Barcelona, San Sebastián, Palma and Ibiza, Marbella and the western Costa del Sol, Sitges.
Middle: Valencia, Málaga, Bilbao, Alicante, Pamplona, Girona, the Canary Islands.
Cheapest: Extremadura, Castilla-La Mancha, Castilla y León, Galicia, Murcia, Almería and inland Andalusia.
What tends to be cheap
- Eating out at lunch: a weekday menú del día costs roughly €12 to €16 in most cities in 2026.
- Fresh produce, wine, coffee in a bar.
- Public transport (many cities have heavily discounted passes).
- Public healthcare once you are covered.
What isn’t
- Electricity bills in summer if you use air conditioning, and heating in old, poorly insulated flats in winter.
- Cars and car insurance for new residents.
- International schools.
- Imported goods in the Canary and Balearic Islands.
Budgeting tips
- Use a three-month temporary rental to learn neighbourhoods before signing a long contract.
- Remember the deposit and up to two months’ extra guarantee when you rent.
- Factor in tax: residents pay Spanish income tax on worldwide income.
