Measurement units Temperature, distance and clock format
Last update: Oct 2026
Cost of Living Comparison Between Spain and Austria
For one person, living is cheaper in Spain: $1,775 a month against $2,242 in Austria, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.
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 Austria actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,775 in Spain versus $2,242 in Austria.
Spain $1,775
Austria $2,242
Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,606 in Spain versus $3,363 in Austria.
Spain $2,606
Austria $3,363
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,438 in Spain versus $4,484 in Austria.
Spain $3,438
Austria $4,484
📏
Spain ($931–$2,610) and Austria ($1,363–$2,695) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.
🌍
Living in Spain costs about 21% less than in Austria on average.
📊
Both countries sit above the global median: Spain 30% above, Austria 65% above.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Spain
Austria
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.69€14.95
$17.71€15.86
-5.76%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$55.7€49.88
$77.0€69.0
-27.65%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$11.37€10.18
$13.66€12.23
-16.76%
Cappuccino
$2.42€2.16
$4.52€4.05
-46.46%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.68€2.40
$3.73€3.34
-28.15%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.79€1.60
$2.95€2.64
-39.32%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$3.42€3.07
$5.50€4.93
-37.82%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.88€3.47
$5.61€5.02
-30.84%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Spain
Austria
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.20€1.07
$1.74€1.55
-31.03%
White Bread(500g)
$1.48€1.33
$2.63€2.36
-43.73%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.67€1.50
$2.33€2.08
-28.33%
Eggs
$3.42€3.06
$4.74€4.24
-27.85%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$14.17€12.69
$18.99€17.01
-25.38%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$8.33€7.46
$14.15€12.67
-41.13%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$16.20€14.51
$22.18€19.86
-26.96%
Apples(1kg)
$2.45€2.20
$2.84€2.54
-13.73%
Banana(1kg)
$2.03€1.82
$2.37€2.13
-14.35%
Oranges(1kg)
$2.08€1.86
$3.14€2.82
-33.76%
Tomato(1kg)
$2.58€2.31
$4.15€3.72
-37.83%
Potato(1kg)
$1.83€1.64
$2.17€1.94
-15.67%
Onion(1kg)
$2.00€1.79
$2.17€1.94
-7.83%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.31€1.17
$1.95€1.75
-32.82%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.77€0.69
$0.92€0.83
-16.30%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$6.36€5.70
$7.67€6.87
-17.08%
Wine(Bottle)
$5.64€5.05
$8.93€8.00
-36.84%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.30€1.17
$1.45€1.30
-10.34%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.09€1.87
$1.95€1.74
7.18%
🚌 Getting Around
Spain
Austria
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$1.64€1.47
$3.45€3.09
-52.46%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$32.91€29.48
$61.5€55.1
-46.52%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$4.43€3.96
$5.54€4.96
-20.04%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$1.47€1.31
$2.47€2.21
-40.49%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$24.98€22.38
$38.48€34.47
-35.08%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.77€1.59
$1.89€1.69
-6.35%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.5K€31.8K
$30.4K€27.2K
16.84%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$30.6K€27.4K
$31.6K€28.3K
-3.00%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Spain
Austria
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$149€134
$348€312
-57.14%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$17.67€15.83
$15.29€13.69
15.57%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$31.88€28.55
$34.39€30.80
-7.30%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Spain
Austria
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$44.24€39.62
$41.15€36.86
7.51%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$15.29€13.70
$25.02€22.41
-38.89%
Cinema Ticket
$9.66€8.65
$13.73€12.30
-29.64%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Spain
Austria
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$544€487
$438€392
24.27%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$10.6K€9,499
$16.8K€15.0K
-36.83%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Spain
Austria
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$84.9€76.0
$97.0€86.9
-12.47%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$37.11€33.24
$43.31€38.79
-14.32%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$89.2€79.9
$104€93.3
-14.36%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$106€94.7
$130€116
-18.49%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Spain
Austria
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,056€946
$1,007€902
4.86%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$808€723
$824€738
-1.99%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,621€1,452
$1,828€1,637
-11.33%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,246€1,116
$1,435€1,286
-13.19%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$4,135€3,704
$7,398€6,626
-44.10%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$2,633€2,358
$4,695€4,205
-43.93%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Spain
Austria
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$1,999€1,790
$3,083€2,761
-35.15%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
3.3
3.52
-6.25%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Spain: October 24, 2026
Last update for Austria: October 27, 2026
Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Spain
$808 45.5%
Austria
$824 36.8% ↑ 2%$16
🛒Groceries & Markets
Spain
$272 15.3%
Austria
$387 17.3% ↑ 42.4%$115
🍽Eating Out
Spain
$239 13.5%
Austria
$302 13.5% ↑ 26.3%$63
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Spain
$199 11.2%
Austria
$398 17.8% ↑ 100%$199
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Spain
$143 8%
Austria
$168 7.5% ↑ 18.1%$26
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Spain
$64 3.6%
Austria
$69 3.1% ↑ 7.9%$5
🚌Getting Around
Spain
$51 2.9%
Austria
$93 4.2% ↑ 81.9%$42
🏠Accommodation & Living
Spain
$1.2K 36.3%
Austria
$1.4K 32% ↑ 15.2%$189
🛒Groceries & Markets
Spain
$646 18.8%
Austria
$918 20.5% ↑ 42.1%$272
🍽Eating Out
Spain
$763 22.2%
Austria
$987 22% ↑ 29.3%$224
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Spain
$217 6.3%
Austria
$413 9.2% ↑ 90.9%$197
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Spain
$317 9.2%
Austria
$374 8.3% ↑ 18.1%$57
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Spain
$142 4.1%
Austria
$162 3.6% ↑ 13.9%$20
🚌Getting Around
Spain
$106 3.1%
Austria
$193 4.3% ↑ 82.8%$88
Cost Breakdown
🏠National rent averages: $920 in Spain, $1,011 in Austria. Capital cities: $1,508 in Madrid vs $1,359 in Vienna.
💰National salary averages: $1,972 in Spain, $2,850 in Austria. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.
Cost Highlights
⭐Rent is 10% higher in Austria.
⭐Dining out costs 32% more in Austria.
⭐Public transport is 84% more expensive in Austria.
⭐Salaries are 45% higher in Austria, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Austria.
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 Austria: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the cost difference between Austria and Spain?
At $2,242 per month in Austria and $1,775 in Spain, Spain comes out about 21% cheaper. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.
Which country is cheaper for everyday spending?
Day-to-day life is cheaper in Spain: lower grocery prices, cheaper commutes, and more affordable meals out. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.
Which country has higher housing costs?
Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $1,011 in Austria and $920 in Spain. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.
Should I move to Austria or to Spain?
It depends on what you’re after: Spain wins on affordability, while salaries, visas, language, and lifestyle can tip the balance either way.