Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Germany and Spain

Name: Spain
Address: ES

For one person, living is cheaper in Spain: $1,754 a month against $2,056 in Germany, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

100

Cost of Living Index in Germany
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Germany Living Index
85

Cost of Living Index in Spain
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Spain Living Index

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🇩🇪 Germany

$2,056

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🇪🇸 Spain

$1,754

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Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Germany 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 Germany and in Spain actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,056 in Germany versus $1,754 in Spain.

Germany $2,056
Spain $1,754

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,129 in Germany versus $2,570 in Spain.

Germany $3,129
Spain $2,570

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,202 in Germany versus $3,386 in Spain.

Germany $4,202
Spain $3,386

Germany ($1,329–$2,658) and Spain ($928–$2,590) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.

Living in Germany is roughly 17% more expensive than in Spain on average.

Both countries sit above the global median: Germany 52% above, Spain 30% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.62 €14.79

$16.56 €14.73

0.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$72.6 €64.6

$56.6 €50.4

28.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.24 €10.89

$11.24 €10.00

8.90%

Cappuccino

$4.08 €3.63

$2.32 €2.07

75.86%

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

$3.37 €3.00

$2.57 €2.28

31.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 €2.67

$1.86 €1.66

61.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.90 €4.36

$3.34 €2.97

46.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 €3.90

$4.02 €3.58

8.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.17

$1.21 €1.08

9.09%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.88

$1.54 €1.37

37.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 €3.00

$1.63 €1.45

106.75%

Eggs

$3.91 €3.48

$3.30 €2.93

18.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.23 €12.66

$14.35 €12.76

-0.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.79 €10.49

$8.54 €7.60

38.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.95 €18.64

$16.09 €14.31

30.21%

Apples (1kg)

$3.18 €2.83

$2.45 €2.18

29.80%

Banana (1kg)

$2.06 €1.83

$2.02 €1.79

1.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 €1.98

$2.07 €1.85

7.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.14 €3.68

$2.44 €2.17

69.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 €1.30

$1.78 €1.58

-17.98%

Onion (1kg)

$1.43 €1.27

$2.01 €1.78

-28.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.60 €1.42

$1.29 €1.15

24.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 €0.95

$0.75 €0.66

41.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.67 €8.61

$6.42 €5.71

50.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.97 €5.31

$5.71 €5.08

4.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 €1.01

$1.30 €1.15

-13.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 €1.44

$1.99 €1.77

-18.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.90 €3.47

$1.70 €1.51

129.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$70.8 €62.9

$33.97 €30.22

108.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.38 €4.78

$4.58 €4.07

17.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.81 €2.50

$1.48 €1.32

89.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$38.76 €34.48

$24.59 €21.87

57.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.12 €1.88

$1.74 €1.55

21.84%

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

$32.9K €29.3K

$34.9K €31.0K

-5.67%

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

$37.7K €33.5K

$29.7K €26.4K

26.87%

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

$338 €301

$147 €131

130.35%

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

$25.29 €22.49

$17.90 €15.92

41.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.19 €42.86

$31.21 €27.76

54.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.85 €36.34

$44.57 €39.65

-8.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.91 €24.83

$15.01 €13.35

85.94%

Cinema Ticket

$14.64 €13.02

$9.24 €8.22

58.44%

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

$564 €502

$529 €470

6.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K €15.4K

$10.4K €9,212

67.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.5 €80.5

$84.8 €75.5

6.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.21 €38.44

$36.80 €32.73

17.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.3 €88.3

$89.7 €79.7

10.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 €113

$107 €94.8

19.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$917 €816

$988 €879

-7.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$696 €619

$791 €703

-11.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,660 €1,476

$1,580 €1,405

5.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,310 €1,165

$1,196 €1,064

9.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,987 €5,326

$4,059 €3,610

47.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,049 €3,601

$2,615 €2,326

54.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,321 €2,954

$1,923 €1,711

72.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.96

3.3

20.00%

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

Last update for Germany: October 12, 2026

Last update for Spain: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Germany

$696 33.8%

Spain

$791 45.1% 13.6% $95

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Germany

$412 20%

Spain

$196 11.2% 52.4% $216

Groceries & Markets

Germany

$333 16.2%

Spain

$272 15.5% 18.5% $62

Eating Out

Germany

$278 13.5%

Spain

$237 13.5% 14.7% $41

Clothing & Footwear

Germany

$162 7.9%

Spain

$143 8.2% 11.7% $19

Getting Around

Germany

$106 5.2%

Spain

$53 3% 50.1% $53

Sport & Entertainment

Germany

$70 3.4%

Spain

$63 3.6% 10.1% $7.1

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $801 in Germany, $908 in Spain. Capital cities: $1,469 in Berlin vs $1,506 in Madrid.

National salary averages: $3,101 in Germany, $1,972 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 25% more in Germany.

Public transport is 128% more expensive in Germany.

Salaries are 57% higher in Germany, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Germany.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Germany

🇪🇸 Spain

🕒 Local time

23:36 11:36 PM

Same time as Germany

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

84,358,845

47,415,750

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Germany Spain 1,870 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Germany
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

Germany vs Spain: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $2,056 per month in Germany and $1,754 in Spain, there's a 17% 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 Germany 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; Germany may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.