Cost of Living Comparison Between Alicante and Nara Cost of Living Comparison Between Alicante and Nara

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,713 in Alicante versus $1,269 in Nara.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,449 in Alicante versus $1,902 in Nara.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,185 in Alicante versus $2,536 in Nara.

Living in Alicante is roughly 35% more expensive than in Nara, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Alicante is 28% above, Nara is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.38 €15.18

$6.92 ¥1,123

151.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.8 €51.4

$34.80 ¥5,650

68.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.33 €9.03

$5.65 ¥917

82.83%

Cappuccino

$2.16 €1.89

$3.12 ¥506

-30.77%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.10

$1.13 ¥183

112.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.35

$0.73 ¥118

110.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.81 €2.46

$3.37 ¥548

-16.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.01

$3.04 ¥493

13.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.12

$1.60 ¥260

-20.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 €1.58

$1.42 ¥231

27.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 €1.36

$4.81 ¥781

-67.78%

Eggs

$2.87 €2.51

$2.43 ¥395

18.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.57 €10.11

$10.37 ¥1,684

11.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.13 €7.98

$6.47 ¥1,050

41.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.34 €12.53

$20.42 ¥3,315

-29.77%

Apples (1kg)

$2.45 €2.14

$3.50 ¥568

-30.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$2.19 ¥355

-9.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.37 €1.20

$2.61 ¥423

-47.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 €2.00

$4.40 ¥715

-47.95%

Potato (1kg)

$1.69 €1.48

$1.64 ¥266

3.05%

Onion (1kg)

$1.63 €1.42

$1.24 ¥202

31.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 €0.95

$1.38 ¥224

-21.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 €0.58

$0.84 ¥136

-21.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.96 €5.21

$3.53 ¥572

68.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.61 €4.03

$9.04 ¥1,467

-49.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 €1.04

$2.15 ¥349

-44.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 €1.60

$2.38 ¥386

-23.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.64 €1.43

$2.19 ¥355

-25.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.11 €21.94

$55.7 ¥9,042

-54.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.70 €1.48

$3.38 ¥549

-49.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.28 €1.12

$2.90 ¥470

-55.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.51 €15.30

$17.13 ¥2,780

2.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.51

$1.23 ¥199

40.65%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$39.3K €34.3K

$22.7K ¥3.7M

72.95%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$29.7K €26.0K

$16.8K ¥2.7M

77.36%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$126 €110

$131 ¥21.2K

-3.98%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$20.50 €17.91

$27.56 ¥4,474

-25.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.54 €27.56

$29.79 ¥4,836

5.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.3 €48.31

$80.9 ¥13.1K

-31.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.15 €14.99

$8.17 ¥1,326

109.91%

Cinema Ticket

$9.70 €8.47

$12.27 ¥1,991

-20.95%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$710 €620

$68.5 ¥11.1K

936.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K €9,323

$10.5K ¥1.7M

1.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.5 €60.7

$44.58 ¥7,238

55.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.04 €27.12

$29.03 ¥4,714

6.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.3 €85.0

$56.8 ¥9,219

71.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 €94.3

$90.3 ¥14.7K

19.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$968 €845

$434 ¥70.4K

123.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$773 €675

$369 ¥60.0K

109.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,479 €1,292

$623 ¥101.2K

137.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 €884

$546 ¥88.6K

85.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,255 €3,718

$2,685 ¥436.0K

58.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,141 €1,871

$1,939 ¥314.8K

10.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,943 €1,698

$1,119 ¥181.7K

73.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.58

1.78

101.12%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Alicante: July 13, 2026

Last update for Nara: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $968 in Alicante and $434 in Nara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Alicante pays 74% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $59.0 in Alicante vs $35.00 in Nara. Groceries flip the comparison at $252 vs $303, with Alicante cheaper for home cooking.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Alicante vs Nara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nara wins on cost – living expenses run 35% lower than in Alicante. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Nara the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 74% higher in Alicante, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $968 in Alicante versus $434 in Nara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $710 in Alicante versus $68.5 in Nara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Alicante pay roughly 20% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,269 in Nara versus $1,713 in Alicante, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Nara but tight or insufficient in Alicante. The gap between the two cities makes Nara the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Nara delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,269 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Nara hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Alicante and Nara are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Nara gentler on the wallet – expenses run 35% less than in Alicante. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.