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: $1,832 in San Sebastian versus $1,866 in Valencia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,740 in San Sebastian versus $2,693 in Valencia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,648 in San Sebastian versus $3,521 in Valencia.

Living in San Sebastian costs roughly 2% less than in Valencia, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: San Sebastian 37% above, Valencia 40% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.47 €14.41

$15.15 €13.26

8.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.5 €51.2

$58.4 €51.1

0.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.82 €8.59

$12.53 €10.96

-21.63%

Cappuccino

$2.19 €1.92

$2.62 €2.29

-16.41%

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

$2.67 €2.33

$2.43 €2.12

9.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 €1.84

$1.98 €1.73

6.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.54 €3.09

$3.49 €3.06

1.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 €1.98

$3.55 €3.11

-36.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 €1.04

$1.17 €1.02

1.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.05 €0.92

$1.36 €1.19

-22.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.09 €1.83

$1.66 €1.46

25.90%

Eggs

$2.78 €2.43

$2.90 €2.54

-4.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.06 €17.55

$11.44 €10.01

75.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.78 €5.93

$8.68 €7.59

-21.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.80 €12.95

$14.04 €12.28

5.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.84 €2.49

$2.60 €2.28

9.23%

Banana (1kg)

$2.17 €1.90

$1.86 €1.63

16.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 €1.74

$2.00 €1.75

-1.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.21 €2.81

$2.34 €2.05

37.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.80 €1.58

$1.90 €1.67

-5.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.62

$2.01 €1.76

-7.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 €0.93

$1.58 €1.38

-32.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.64 €0.56

$0.71 €0.62

-9.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.43 €5.63

$6.69 €5.86

-3.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.78 €6.81

$5.73 €5.01

35.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 €1.09

$1.49 €1.30

-16.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 €1.91

$2.01 €1.76

8.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.12 €1.85

$1.78 €1.55

19.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.99 €32.37

$34.20 €29.92

8.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.72 €6.76

$3.39 €2.96

127.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.93 €0.82

$1.20 €1.05

-22.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.09 €20.20

$25.04 €21.90

-7.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.80 €1.57

$1.82 €1.59

-1.10%

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

$39.0K €34.1K

$34.7K €30.4K

12.18%

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

$35.9K €31.4K

$32.7K €28.6K

9.56%

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

$137 €120

$145 €127

-5.45%

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

$27.02 €23.64

$13.42 €11.74

101.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.83 €31.34

$29.78 €26.05

20.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.0 €46.35

$41.93 €36.68

26.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.29 €17.75

$12.64 €11.06

60.52%

Cinema Ticket

$9.05 €7.92

$9.92 €8.68

-8.77%

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

$455 €398

$592 €518

-23.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.8K €10.3K

$11.7K €10.2K

0.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$115 €100

$101 €88.1

13.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.82 €31.34

$37.44 €32.76

-4.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 €79.1

$97.6 €85.4

-7.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.9 €78.7

$127 €111

-29.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 €1,096

$1,218 €1,066

2.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$865 €757

$942 €824

-8.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,131 €1,864

$1,931 €1,689

10.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,413 €1,236

$1,351 €1,182

4.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,799 €8,573

$5,702 €4,989

71.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,366 €3,820

$3,308 €2,894

32.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,952 €2,583

$1,963 €1,717

50.39%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Valencia: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,252 in San Sebastian and $1,218 in Valencia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

San Sebastian pays 50% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $59.0 in San Sebastian vs $58.0 in Valencia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $279 vs $255 per month, with Valencia cheaper across the board.

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

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

Average pay runs 50% higher in San Sebastian, 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: $1,252 in San Sebastian versus $1,218 in Valencia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Valencia pay roughly 9% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in San Sebastian – a meal for two runs $59.0 versus $58.0 in Valencia. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,832 in San Sebastian versus $1,866 in Valencia, a $2,000 budget is realistic in San Sebastian but tight or insufficient in Valencia. The gap between the two cities makes San Sebastian the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but San Sebastian delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,832 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes San Sebastian 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 San Sebastian gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Valencia. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.