Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between France and Spain

Name: Spain
Address: ES

For one person, living is cheaper in Spain: $1,754 a month against $1,948 in France, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. The total is higher in France despite lower rent and utilities.

94

Cost of Living Index in France
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France Living Index
85

Cost of Living Index in Spain
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Spain Living Index

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🇫🇷 France

$1,948

/mo nomad

🇪🇸 Spain

$1,754

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in France and in Spain

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in France and in Spain actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,948 in France versus $1,754 in Spain.

France $1,948
Spain $1,754

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,964 in France versus $2,570 in Spain.

France $2,964
Spain $2,570

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,980 in France versus $3,386 in Spain.

France $3,980
Spain $3,386

France ($1,127–$2,673) and Spain ($928–$2,590) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.

Living in France is roughly 11% more expensive than in Spain on average.

Both countries sit above the global median: France 44% above, Spain 30% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.62 €14.76

$16.56 €14.71

0.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.2 €60.5

$56.6 €50.3

20.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.28 €11.80

$11.24 €9.98

18.15%

Cappuccino

$3.93 €3.49

$2.32 €2.06

69.40%

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

$3.40 €3.02

$2.57 €2.28

32.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.89

$1.86 €1.65

14.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.60 €5.86

$3.34 €2.96

97.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.52 €4.91

$4.02 €3.57

37.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 €1.21

$1.21 €1.08

12.40%

White Bread (500g)

$2.04 €1.81

$1.54 €1.37

32.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.64 €2.35

$1.63 €1.45

61.96%

Eggs

$4.13 €3.67

$3.30 €2.93

25.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.61 €17.41

$14.35 €12.74

36.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.49 €11.98

$8.54 €7.59

57.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.83 €19.39

$16.09 €14.29

35.67%

Apples (1kg)

$3.04 €2.70

$2.45 €2.18

24.08%

Banana (1kg)

$2.27 €2.02

$2.02 €1.79

12.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.01 €2.67

$2.07 €1.84

45.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.71 €3.30

$2.44 €2.16

52.05%

Potato (1kg)

$2.26 €2.01

$1.78 €1.58

26.97%

Onion (1kg)

$2.49 €2.21

$2.01 €1.78

23.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 €1.35

$1.29 €1.15

17.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.74

$0.75 €0.66

12.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.81 €12.27

$6.42 €5.70

115.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.94 €7.05

$5.71 €5.07

39.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.69 €2.39

$1.30 €1.15

106.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 €2.72

$1.99 €1.76

54.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.06 €1.83

$1.70 €1.51

21.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.9 €50.5

$33.97 €30.17

67.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.94 €4.38

$4.58 €4.07

7.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.09 €1.85

$1.48 €1.31

41.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$38.08 €33.82

$24.59 €21.84

54.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.83

$1.74 €1.54

18.39%

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

$34.2K €30.4K

$34.9K €31.0K

-1.82%

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

$34.8K €30.9K

$29.7K €26.4K

17.24%

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

$216 €192

$147 €130

46.93%

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

$19.73 €17.52

$17.90 €15.90

10.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.44 €30.59

$31.21 €27.72

10.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.80 €31.80

$44.57 €39.58

-19.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.92 €18.58

$15.01 €13.33

39.37%

Cinema Ticket

$13.36 €11.87

$9.24 €8.21

44.59%

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

$860 €763

$529 €470

62.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.0K €10.6K

$10.4K €9,197

15.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €91.0

$84.8 €75.3

20.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.11 €40.06

$36.80 €32.68

22.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €92.6

$89.7 €79.6

16.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$136 €121

$107 €94.7

27.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$853 €758

$988 €878

-13.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$699 €621

$791 €702

-11.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,535 €1,364

$1,580 €1,403

-2.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,197 €1,063

$1,196 €1,062

0.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,449 €4,839

$4,059 €3,605

34.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,591 €3,189

$2,615 €2,322

37.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,688 €2,388

$1,923 €1,708

39.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

3.3

14.55%

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

Last update for France: October 13, 2026

Last update for Spain: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

France

$699 35.9%

Spain

$791 45.1% 13.1% $92

Groceries & Markets

France

$376 19.3%

Spain

$272 15.5% 27.7% $104

Eating Out

France

$286 14.7%

Spain

$237 13.5% 17.3% $50

Monthly Utilities & Internet

France

$270 13.9%

Spain

$196 11.2% 27.4% $74

Clothing & Footwear

France

$174 9%

Spain

$143 8.2% 18% $31

Getting Around

France

$81 4.1%

Spain

$53 3% 34.5% $28

Sport & Entertainment

France

$63 3.2%

Spain

$63 3.6% 0.8% $0.5

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $779 in France, $908 in Spain. Capital cities: $1,580 in Paris vs $1,506 in Madrid.

National salary averages: $2,713 in France, $1,972 in Spain. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 17% higher in Spain.

Dining out costs 12% more in France.

Public transport is 69% more expensive in France.

Salaries are 38% higher in France, and purchasing power comes out stronger in France.

Good to know

🇫🇷 France

🇪🇸 Spain

🕒 Local time

05:42 5:42 AM

Same time as France

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

68,373,433

47,415,750

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.13 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

France Spain 1,050 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

France
Spain

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

At $1,948 per month in France and $1,754 in Spain, there's a 11% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is cheaper in Spain: lower grocery prices, cheaper commutes, and more affordable meals out. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

In Spain, $3,000 covers most cities easily; in France 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: Spain wins on affordability; France may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.