Cost of Living Comparison Between San Sebastian and Valencia Cost of Living Comparison Between San Sebastian and Valencia

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,890 in San Sebastian versus $1,859 in Valencia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,781 in San Sebastian versus $2,660 in Valencia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,673 in San Sebastian versus $3,461 in Valencia.

Living in San Sebastian is roughly 2% more expensive than Valencia, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: San Sebastian 41% above, Valencia 39% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.67 €14.35

$15.26 €13.14

9.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.9 €48.96

$56.9 €48.98

-0.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.11 €8.71

$12.82 €11.04

-21.14%

Cappuccino

$2.15 €1.85

$2.56 €2.20

-16.02%

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

$2.68 €2.31

$2.49 €2.15

7.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 €1.76

$2.01 €1.73

1.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.93

$3.41 €2.93

-0.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 €2.04

$3.39 €2.92

-30.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.12 €0.97

1.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.06 €0.91

$1.30 €1.12

-18.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 €1.86

$1.73 €1.49

24.86%

Eggs

$2.68 €2.31

$2.94 €2.53

-8.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.04 €17.26

$11.31 €9.73

77.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.73 €5.80

$8.38 €7.21

-19.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.95 €12.87

$13.86 €11.93

7.86%

Apples (1kg)

$2.88 €2.48

$2.56 €2.20

12.50%

Banana (1kg)

$2.12 €1.82

$1.77 €1.53

19.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.95 €1.68

$2.06 €1.78

-5.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.25 €2.80

$2.35 €2.02

38.30%

Potato (1kg)

$1.88 €1.62

$1.83 €1.58

2.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.56

$1.97 €1.70

-8.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 €0.87

$1.65 €1.42

-38.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 €0.58

$0.71 €0.61

-5.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.24 €5.37

$6.50 €5.59

-4.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.96 €6.86

$5.84 €5.03

36.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 €1.04

$1.54 €1.33

-21.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 €1.80

$1.99 €1.71

5.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.18 €1.88

$1.70 €1.46

28.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.04 €31.90

$33.29 €28.66

11.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.35 €6.33

$3.57 €3.07

105.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.95 €0.82

$1.25 €1.07

-24.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.01 €19.81

$24.91 €21.45

-7.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.74 €1.50

0.57%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$34.3K €29.6K

13.65%

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

$36.0K €31.0K

$33.1K €28.5K

8.89%

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

$136 €118

$144 €124

-5.10%

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

$26.48 €22.80

$13.62 €11.73

94.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.88 €31.76

$29.97 €25.81

23.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.4 €46.87

$41.51 €35.75

31.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.20 €17.39

$13.13 €11.31

53.85%

Cinema Ticket

$9.24 €7.96

$9.95 €8.57

-7.14%

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

$469 €404

$592 €510

-20.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.0K €10.3K

$11.8K €10.1K

1.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$113 €97.6

$103 €89.0

9.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.68 €30.73

$37.03 €31.89

-3.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.1 €75.8

$101 €87.3

-13.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 €76.9

$127 €109

-29.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,288 €1,109

$1,209 €1,041

6.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$856 €737

$922 €794

-7.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,106 €1,814

$2,004 €1,725

5.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,416 €1,219

$1,352 €1,164

4.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.1K €8,671

$5,831 €5,021

72.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,554 €3,921

$3,606 €3,105

26.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,016 €2,597

$1,964 €1,691

53.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.5

3.44

1.74%

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

Last update for San Sebastian: May 30, 2026

Last update for Valencia: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,288 in San Sebastian and $1,209 in Valencia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

San Sebastian pays 54% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $57.0 in San Sebastian vs $57.0 in Valencia. Groceries flip the comparison at $279 vs $252, with Valencia cheaper for home cooking.

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

San Sebastian vs Valencia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Valencia wins on cost – living expenses run 2% lower than in San Sebastian. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Valencia the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

San Sebastian pays 54% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,288 in San Sebastian versus $1,209 in Valencia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 11% higher in San Sebastian. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Valencia – a meal for two runs $57.0 versus $57.0 in San Sebastian. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,859 in Valencia versus $1,890 in San Sebastian, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Valencia but tight or insufficient in San Sebastian. The gap between the two cities makes Valencia the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Valencia delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,859 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Valencia hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, San Sebastian and Valencia are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Valencia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in San Sebastian. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.