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: $1,792 in Italy versus $1,688 in Spain.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,735 in Italy versus $2,494 in Spain.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,678 in Italy versus $3,299 in Spain.

Living in Italy is roughly 6% more expensive than in Spain on average.

Both countries sit above the global median: Italy 30% above, Spain 23% above.

Italy ($1,168–$2,645) and Spain ($980–$2,739) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.31 €18.39

$17.19 €14.84

23.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.6 €70.4

$57.3 €49.43

42.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.64 €10.04

$11.55 €9.96

0.78%

Cappuccino

$2.02 €1.75

$2.43 €2.10

-16.87%

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

$3.15 €2.72

$2.61 €2.25

20.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.45 €1.25

$1.87 €1.61

-22.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.69 €4.91

$3.48 €3.00

63.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.94 €5.13

$3.97 €3.43

49.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 €1.46

$1.26 €1.09

34.13%

White Bread (500g)

$2.48 €2.14

$1.52 €1.31

63.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.97 €2.56

$1.66 €1.44

78.92%

Eggs

$4.32 €3.73

$3.43 €2.96

25.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.42 €15.04

$14.76 €12.74

18.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.79 €11.04

$8.78 €7.58

45.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.28 €18.36

$16.77 €14.47

26.89%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.28

$2.61 €2.25

1.15%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 €1.91

$2.12 €1.83

4.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.79 €2.41

$2.13 €1.84

30.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.37 €2.91

$2.67 €2.31

26.22%

Potato (1kg)

$2.10 €1.81

$1.91 €1.65

9.95%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.70

$2.01 €1.74

-1.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.60 €1.38

$1.35 €1.16

18.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 €0.49

$0.80 €0.69

-28.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.15

$6.61 €5.70

7.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.59 €6.55

$5.65 €4.88

34.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 €1.59

$1.31 €1.13

41.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 €2.15

$2.14 €1.85

16.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.70 €1.47

17.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.09 €38.91

$35.28 €30.44

27.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.80 €5.00

$4.58 €3.96

26.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.79 €1.54

$1.53 €1.32

16.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.95 €30.16

$25.69 €22.16

36.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 €1.83

$1.79 €1.54

18.99%

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

$37.4K €32.2K

$37.2K €32.1K

0.46%

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

$36.3K €31.3K

$30.9K €26.7K

17.43%

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

$239 €206

$151 €130

58.03%

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

$12.14 €10.48

$17.98 €15.51

-32.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.42 €27.11

$33.12 €28.58

-5.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.9 €47.40

$46.74 €40.33

17.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.84 €21.44

$15.95 €13.76

55.74%

Cinema Ticket

$10.92 €9.43

$10.10 €8.71

8.12%

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

$568 €490

$561 €484

1.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.2K €10.6K

$11.1K €9,566

10.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.7 €80.8

$86.8 €74.9

7.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.71 €35.13

$37.58 €32.42

8.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €90.5

$91.5 €78.9

14.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$139 €120

$109 €94.2

27.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$857 €740

$1,046 €902

-18.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$657 €567

$825 €712

-20.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,476 €1,274

$1,637 €1,412

-9.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,093 €943

$1,267 €1,093

-13.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,786 €3,267

$4,290 €3,702

-11.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,332 €2,012

$2,675 €2,308

-12.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,928 €1,664

$2,046 €1,766

-5.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.57

3.29

8.51%

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

Last update for Italy: August 31, 2026

Last update for Spain: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $758 in Italy, $927 in Spain. Capital cities: $1,244 in Rome vs $1,583 in Madrid.

National salary averages: $1,967 in Italy, $2,039 in Spain. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 22% higher in Spain.

Dining out costs 29% more in Italy.

Public transport is 43% 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 $1,907 per month in Italy and $1,860 in Spain, there's a 3% 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 Spain: 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 Italy is consistently higher than in Spain across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

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