Cost of Living Comparison Between Australia and Spain Cost of Living Comparison Between Australia and Spain

Name: Spain
Address: ES

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,538 per month in Australia vs $1,688 in Spain, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,664 per month in Australia vs $2,494 in Spain, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,789 per month in Australia vs $3,299 in Spain, rent included.

The cost of living in Australia is about 50% higher than in Spain on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Both Australia and Spain are pricier than the global median – Australia by 85%, Spain by 23%.

Cost ranges are similar: Australia spans $1,207–$3,344, Spain $980–$2,739. City choice affects budget similarly in either country.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.15 A$25.32

$17.19 €14.84

5.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.3 A$122

$57.3 €49.43

52.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.04 A$15.41

$11.55 €9.96

-4.42%

Cappuccino

$4.01 A$5.59

$2.43 €2.10

65.02%

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

$2.97 A$4.15

$2.61 €2.25

13.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 A$3.33

$1.87 €1.61

27.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.91 A$11.03

$3.48 €3.00

127.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.96 A$11.11

$3.97 €3.43

100.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.83 A$2.55

$1.26 €1.09

45.24%

White Bread (500g)

$2.88 A$4.02

$1.52 €1.31

89.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.39 A$3.34

$1.66 €1.44

43.98%

Eggs

$5.19 A$7.24

$3.43 €2.96

51.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.94 A$13.88

$14.76 €12.74

-32.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.14 A$12.76

$8.78 €7.58

4.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.28 A$21.32

$16.77 €14.47

-8.88%

Apples (1kg)

$3.66 A$5.11

$2.61 €2.25

40.23%

Banana (1kg)

$3.07 A$4.29

$2.12 €1.83

44.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.24 A$4.52

$2.13 €1.84

52.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.70 A$6.55

$2.67 €2.31

76.03%

Potato (1kg)

$2.90 A$4.04

$1.91 €1.65

51.83%

Onion (1kg)

$2.46 A$3.43

$2.01 €1.74

22.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.50 A$3.48

$1.35 €1.16

85.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 A$2.46

$0.80 €0.69

120.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$38.84 A$54.2

$6.61 €5.70

487.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.50 A$20.24

$5.65 €4.88

156.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.92 A$6.87

$1.31 €1.13

275.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.12 A$7.14

$2.14 €1.85

139.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.95 A$4.12

$1.70 €1.47

73.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$94.9 A$132

$35.28 €30.44

168.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.65 A$5.10

$4.58 €3.96

-20.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.61 A$2.24

$1.53 €1.32

5.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.79 A$56.9

$25.69 €22.16

58.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 A$1.81

$1.79 €1.54

-27.37%

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

$28.2K A$39.4K

$37.2K €32.1K

-24.16%

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

$29.5K A$41.2K

$30.9K €26.7K

-4.48%

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

$204 A$284

$151 €130

34.82%

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

$29.50 A$41.17

$17.98 €15.51

64.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.7 A$81.9

$33.12 €28.58

77.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.3 A$80.0

$46.74 €40.33

22.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.45 A$27.15

$15.95 €13.76

21.94%

Cinema Ticket

$15.70 A$21.91

$10.10 €8.71

55.45%

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

$2,139 A$2,985

$561 €484

281.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.4K A$25.7K

$11.1K €9,566

66.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.7 A$113

$86.8 €74.9

-7.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.5 A$80.2

$37.58 €32.42

52.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 A$163

$91.5 €78.9

27.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 A$178

$109 €94.2

16.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,635 A$2,281

$1,046 €902

56.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,289 A$1,799

$825 €712

56.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,474 A$3,453

$1,637 €1,412

51.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,961 A$2,736

$1,267 €1,093

54.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,452 A$11.8K

$4,290 €3,702

97.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,152 A$8,585

$2,675 €2,308

129.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,067 A$5,675

$2,046 €1,766

98.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.92

3.29

79.94%

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

Last update for Australia: August 31, 2026

Last update for Spain: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,423 in Australia vs $927 in Spain. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,824 in Canberra and $1,583 in Madrid.

Average salary: $3,932 in Australia vs $2,039 in Spain. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 54% higher in Australia.

Dining out costs 44% more in Australia.

Public transport is 167% more expensive in Australia.

Salaries are 93% higher in Australia, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Australia.

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

Australia vs Spain: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Spain is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 22% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

Housing costs more in Australia, and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but Australia consistently has higher rents.

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Spain, contributing to the overall 22% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$3,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Spain, but in Australia it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Spain is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.