Cost of Living Comparison Between Italy and Spain Cost of Living Comparison Between Italy and Spain

Name: Spain
Address: ES

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,718 in Italy versus $1,642 in Spain.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,621 in Italy versus $2,393 in Spain.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,524 in Italy versus $3,144 in Spain.

Living in Italy is roughly 5% more expensive than in Spain on average.

Both countries sit above the global median: Italy 29% above, Spain 23% above.

Internal cost variation is higher in Spain: monthly costs span $1,125 to $3,182, compared to $1,176–$2,467 in Italy. City choice carries more weight in Spain.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.38

$16.46 €14.40

6.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$82.5 €72.1

$58.1 €50.8

42.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.72 €10.25

$10.59 €9.27

10.67%

Cappuccino

$1.92 €1.68

$2.30 €2.01

-16.52%

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

$2.99 €2.62

$2.59 €2.26

15.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.19

$1.88 €1.65

-27.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.76 €5.04

$3.41 €2.98

68.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.22 €4.57

$3.97 €3.47

31.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 €1.48

$1.18 €1.03

43.22%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 €2.04

$1.54 €1.35

51.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.05 €2.67

$1.59 €1.39

91.82%

Eggs

$3.99 €3.49

$3.05 €2.67

30.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.68 €14.59

$14.38 €12.58

15.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.57 €11.00

$8.46 €7.40

48.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.53 €17.96

$15.94 €13.95

28.80%

Apples (1kg)

$2.56 €2.24

$2.54 €2.22

0.79%

Banana (1kg)

$2.20 €1.93

$2.08 €1.82

5.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.68 €2.34

$2.02 €1.77

32.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.37 €2.95

$2.66 €2.32

26.69%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.78

$1.82 €1.59

12.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.88 €1.65

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.29

$1.35 €1.18

8.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 €0.47

$0.75 €0.66

-28.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.00 €6.12

$6.35 €5.56

10.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.09 €6.20

$5.75 €5.03

23.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 €1.58

$1.30 €1.14

38.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 €2.19

$2.11 €1.85

18.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.96 €1.71

$1.72 €1.50

13.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.58 €36.38

$35.11 €30.71

18.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.80 €5.08

$4.56 €3.99

27.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 €1.40

$1.30 €1.14

23.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.07 €30.68

$26.70 €23.36

31.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 €1.86

$1.81 €1.58

17.68%

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

$32.6K €28.5K

$39.2K €34.3K

-17.02%

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

$33.8K €29.6K

$30.6K €26.8K

10.37%

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

$225 €197

$153 €133

47.49%

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

$13.14 €11.50

$20.36 €17.82

-35.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.19 €27.29

$34.00 €29.75

-8.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 €50.0

$48.13 €42.11

18.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.85 €22.61

$16.14 €14.12

60.16%

Cinema Ticket

$10.34 €9.05

$9.37 €8.20

10.35%

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

$564 €493

$520 €455

8.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.3K €9,047

$10.2K €8,900

1.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.9 €80.4

$85.9 €75.2

6.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.54 €35.47

$36.75 €32.15

10.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.2 €85.9

$91.7 €80.2

7.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 €116

$108 €94.8

21.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$855 €748

$1,043 €912

-17.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 €580

$834 €730

-20.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,522 €1,332

$1,674 €1,464

-9.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,089 €953

$1,223 €1,070

-10.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,747 €3,278

$4,158 €3,638

-9.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,299 €2,011

$2,629 €2,301

-12.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,897 €1,659

$1,965 €1,719

-3.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.41

3.51

25.64%

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

Last update for Italy: July 11, 2026

Last update for Spain: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $742 in Italy, $897 in Spain. Capital cities: $1,328 in Rome vs $1,607 in Madrid.

National salary averages: $1,912 in Italy, $1,989 in Spain. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 21% higher in Spain.

Dining out costs 40% more in Italy.

Public transport is 33% more expensive in Italy.

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

Italy vs Spain: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $1,822 per month in Italy and $2,154 in Spain, there's a 18% 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 simply cheaper in Italy: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

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

In Italy, $2,500 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: Italy wins on affordability; Spain may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.