Cost of Living Comparison Between France and Spain Cost of Living Comparison Between France and Spain

Name: Spain
Address: ES

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,853 in France versus $1,642 in Spain.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,836 in France versus $2,393 in Spain.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,819 in France versus $3,144 in Spain.

Living in France is roughly 13% more expensive than in Spain on average.

Both countries sit above the global median: France 39% above, Spain 23% above.

Internal cost variation is higher in Spain: monthly costs span $1,125 to $3,182, compared to $1,465–$2,823 in France. City choice carries more weight in Spain.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.17 €15.01

$16.46 €14.38

4.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.2 €61.3

$58.1 €50.7

20.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.68 €11.08

$10.59 €9.25

19.74%

Cappuccino

$3.65 €3.19

$2.30 €2.01

58.70%

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

$3.24 €2.83

$2.59 €2.26

25.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 €1.95

$1.88 €1.65

18.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.04 €6.16

$3.41 €2.98

106.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 €4.98

$3.97 €3.47

43.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 €1.14

$1.18 €1.03

11.02%

White Bread (500g)

$1.99 €1.74

$1.54 €1.34

29.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.59 €2.27

$1.59 €1.39

62.89%

Eggs

$4.30 €3.75

$3.05 €2.67

40.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.74 €18.12

$14.38 €12.56

44.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.89 €12.13

$8.46 €7.39

64.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.13 €18.47

$15.94 €13.93

32.56%

Apples (1kg)

$3.12 €2.73

$2.54 €2.22

22.83%

Banana (1kg)

$2.39 €2.08

$2.08 €1.82

14.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.07 €2.68

$2.02 €1.77

51.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.60 €3.14

$2.66 €2.32

35.34%

Potato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.12

$1.82 €1.59

33.52%

Onion (1kg)

$2.51 €2.20

$1.88 €1.65

33.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$1.35 €1.18

14.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 €0.71

$0.75 €0.66

8.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.06 €12.28

$6.35 €5.55

121.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.01 €7.00

$5.75 €5.02

39.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 €2.22

$1.30 €1.14

95.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 €2.75

$2.11 €1.85

49.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 €1.94

$1.72 €1.50

29.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$71.1 €62.2

$35.11 €30.67

102.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.48 €4.79

$4.56 €3.99

20.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.95 €1.70

$1.30 €1.13

50.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.82 €32.17

$26.70 €23.33

37.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 €1.82

$1.81 €1.58

15.47%

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

$38.2K €33.4K

$39.2K €34.3K

-2.65%

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

$36.7K €32.0K

$30.6K €26.7K

19.77%

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

$209 €183

$153 €133

37.15%

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

$25.77 €22.51

$20.36 €17.79

26.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.50 €30.14

$34.00 €29.71

1.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.15 €33.33

$48.13 €42.05

-20.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.93 €16.54

$16.14 €14.10

17.29%

Cinema Ticket

$13.87 €12.12

$9.37 €8.19

48.03%

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

$812 €710

$520 €454

56.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.8K €10.3K

$10.2K €8,888

15.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €91.2

$85.9 €75.1

21.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.80 €39.14

$36.75 €32.11

21.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 €92.8

$91.7 €80.1

15.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$142 €124

$108 €94.7

31.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$899 €786

$1,043 €911

-13.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$683 €597

$834 €729

-18.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,636 €1,429

$1,674 €1,462

-2.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,280 €1,119

$1,223 €1,069

4.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,465 €4,775

$4,158 €3,633

31.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,707 €3,239

$2,629 €2,297

40.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,735 €2,390

$1,965 €1,717

39.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.66

3.51

4.27%

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

Last update for France: July 11, 2026

Last update for Spain: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $792 in France, $897 in Spain. Capital cities: $1,607 in Paris vs $1,607 in Madrid.

National salary averages: $2,771 in France, $1,989 in Spain. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 13% higher in Spain.

Dining out costs 15% more in France.

Public transport is 52% more expensive in France.

Salaries are 39% higher in France, and purchasing power comes out stronger in France.

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

France vs Spain: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rent in Spain is consistently higher than in France across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In France, $3,000 covers most cities easily; in Spain it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after: France wins on affordability; Spain may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.