Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Spain and Australia

Name: Australia
Address: AU

For one person, living is cheaper in Spain: $1,754 a month against $2,542 in Australia, rent and utilities included – about $9,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

85

Cost of Living Index in Spain
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Spain Living Index
124

Cost of Living Index in Australia
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Australia Living Index

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🇪🇸 Spain

$1,754

/mo nomad

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,542

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Spain and in Australia

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Spain and in Australia actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,754 per month in Spain vs $2,542 in Australia, rent included.

Spain $1,754
Australia $2,542

A couple spends around $2,570 per month in Spain vs $3,717 in Australia, rent included.

Spain $2,570
Australia $3,717

A family of three spends $3,386 per month in Spain vs $4,893 in Australia, rent included.

Spain $3,386
Australia $4,893

Cost ranges are similar: Spain spans $928–$2,590, Australia $1,646–$3,152. City choice affects budget similarly in either country.

The cost of living in Spain is roughly 31% lower than in Australia on average.

Both Spain and Australia are pricier than the global median – Spain by 30%, Australia by 88%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.56 €14.73

$17.16 A$24.69

-3.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.6 €50.4

$83.9 A$121

-32.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.24 €10.00

$11.20 A$16.12

0.36%

Cappuccino

$2.32 €2.07

$3.92 A$5.64

-40.82%

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

$2.57 €2.28

$2.83 A$4.07

-9.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 €1.66

$2.30 A$3.31

-19.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.34 €2.97

$7.68 A$11.06

-56.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 €3.58

$8.25 A$11.87

-51.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 €1.08

$1.76 A$2.53

-31.25%

White Bread (500g)

$1.54 €1.37

$2.77 A$3.99

-44.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 €1.45

$2.19 A$3.16

-25.57%

Eggs

$3.30 €2.93

$4.99 A$7.18

-33.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.35 €12.76

$9.94 A$14.31

44.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.54 €7.60

$9.03 A$12.99

-5.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 €14.31

$15.25 A$21.94

5.51%

Apples (1kg)

$2.45 €2.18

$3.67 A$5.28

-33.24%

Banana (1kg)

$2.02 €1.79

$3.05 A$4.39

-33.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.07 €1.85

$3.12 A$4.50

-33.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.44 €2.17

$4.56 A$6.56

-46.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 €1.58

$2.81 A$4.04

-36.65%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 €1.78

$2.39 A$3.44

-15.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.29 €1.15

$2.35 A$3.39

-45.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 €0.66

$1.64 A$2.36

-54.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.42 €5.71

$38.42 A$55.3

-83.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.71 €5.08

$13.77 A$19.82

-58.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 €1.15

$4.69 A$6.75

-72.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 €1.77

$5.08 A$7.31

-60.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.70 €1.51

$2.72 A$3.91

-37.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.97 €30.22

$95.8 A$138

-64.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €4.07

$3.54 A$5.10

29.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.32

$1.55 A$2.23

-4.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.59 €21.87

$40.00 A$57.6

-38.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.74 €1.55

$1.30 A$1.87

33.85%

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

$34.9K €31.0K

$28.2K A$40.5K

23.76%

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

$29.7K €26.4K

$28.5K A$40.9K

4.29%

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

$147 €131

$198 A$285

-25.92%

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

$17.90 €15.92

$28.75 A$41.37

-37.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.21 €27.76

$58.6 A$84.4

-46.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.57 €39.65

$56.7 A$81.6

-21.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.01 €13.35

$19.08 A$27.46

-21.33%

Cinema Ticket

$9.24 €8.22

$15.02 A$21.62

-38.48%

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

$529 €470

$2,154 A$3,099

-75.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K €9,212

$17.9K A$25.8K

-42.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.8 €75.5

$78.0 A$112

8.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.80 €32.73

$54.8 A$78.8

-32.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.7 €79.7

$112 A$161

-19.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 €94.8

$124 A$179

-14.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$988 €879

$1,540 A$2,215

-35.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$791 €703

$1,222 A$1,758

-35.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,580 €1,405

$2,478 A$3,566

-36.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,196 €1,064

$1,930 A$2,778

-38.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,059 €3,610

$8,153 A$11.7K

-50.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,615 €2,326

$6,053 A$8,711

-56.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,923 €1,711

$3,944 A$5,676

-51.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.3

5.93

-44.35%

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

Last update for Spain: October 13, 2026

Last update for Australia: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Spain

$791 45.1%

Australia

$1.2K 48.1% 54.5% $431

Groceries & Markets

Spain

$272 15.5%

Australia

$370 14.6% 36.3% $99

Eating Out

Spain

$237 13.5%

Australia

$293 11.5% 24% $57

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Spain

$196 11.2%

Australia

$286 11.2% 45.8% $90

Clothing & Footwear

Spain

$143 8.2%

Australia

$166 6.5% 16.1% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Spain

$63 3.6%

Australia

$87 3.4% 37.6% $24

Getting Around

Spain

$53 3%

Australia

$118 4.6% 124% $65

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $908 in Spain vs $1,366 in Australia. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,506 in Madrid and $1,716 in Canberra.

Average salary: $1,972 in Spain vs $3,849 in Australia. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 50% higher in Australia.

Dining out costs 44% more in Australia.

Public transport is 159% more expensive in Australia.

Salaries are 95% higher in Australia, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Australia.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Spain

🇦🇺 Australia

🕒 Local time

07:00 7:00 AM

16:00 4:00 PM

9 h ahead of Spain

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

47,415,750

26,473,055

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.695 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Spain Australia 17,570 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Spain
Australia

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

Spain vs Australia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Spain is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 45% lower on average.

Housing costs more in Australia: a central one-bedroom averages $1,366 versus $908 in Spain.

Groceries, public transport, and eating out all cost less in Spain, adding to the overall 45% price gap.

$3,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Spain, but in Australia it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Spain is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.