For one person, living is cheaper in Cuba: $1,273 a month against $1,775 in Spain, rent and utilities included – about $6,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most 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 Cuba actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,775 in Spain versus $1,273 in Cuba.
Spain $1,775
Cuba $1,273
Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,606 in Spain versus $1,737 in Cuba.
Spain $2,606
Cuba $1,737
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,438 in Spain versus $2,201 in Cuba.
Spain $3,438
Cuba $2,201
📏
Spain ($931–$2,610) and Cuba ($185–$1,570) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.
🌍
Living in Spain is roughly 39% more expensive than in Cuba on average.
📊
Spain (30% above) and Cuba (6% below) straddle the global median.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Spain
Cuba
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.69€15.00
$6.18CUP 148
170.06%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$55.7€50.0
$24.62CUP 591
126.24%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$11.37€10.21
$6.65CUP 160
70.98%
Cappuccino
$2.42€2.17
$1.71CUP 40.99
41.52%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.68€2.41
$1.82CUP 43.65
47.25%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.79€1.61
$1.10CUP 26.46
62.73%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$3.42€3.08
$2.04CUP 48.93
67.65%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.88€3.48
$2.43CUP 58.3
59.67%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Spain
Cuba
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.20€1.08
$2.69CUP 64.6
-55.39%
White Bread(500g)
$1.48€1.33
$1.20CUP 28.83
23.33%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.67€1.50
$1.98CUP 47.56
-15.66%
Eggs
$3.42€3.07
$3.41CUP 81.9
0.29%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$14.17€12.73
$5.86CUP 141
141.81%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$8.33€7.48
$5.11CUP 123
63.01%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$16.20€14.56
$11.44CUP 275
41.61%
Apples(1kg)
$2.45€2.20
$4.19CUP 101
-41.53%
Banana(1kg)
$2.03€1.83
$1.16CUP 27.86
75.00%
Oranges(1kg)
$2.08€1.87
$1.78CUP 42.63
16.85%
Tomato(1kg)
$2.58€2.32
$1.88CUP 45.08
37.23%
Potato(1kg)
$1.83€1.64
$1.88CUP 45.17
-2.66%
Onion(1kg)
$2.00€1.80
$2.55CUP 61.2
-21.57%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.31€1.18
$0.96CUP 23.14
36.46%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.77€0.69
$0.94CUP 22.52
-18.09%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$6.36€5.72
$3.20CUP 76.8
98.75%
Wine(Bottle)
$5.64€5.07
$9.55CUP 229
-40.94%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.30€1.17
$1.79CUP 42.86
-27.37%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.09€1.87
$2.10CUP 50.4
-0.48%
🚌 Getting Around
Spain
Cuba
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$1.64€1.48
$0.17CUP 4.17
864.71%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$32.91€29.57
$19.66CUP 472
67.40%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$4.43€3.98
$2.31CUP 55.4
91.77%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$1.47€1.32
$0.38CUP 9.16
286.84%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$24.98€22.45
$19.70CUP 473
26.80%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.77€1.59
$1.29CUP 31.08
37.21%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.5K€31.9K
$70.7KCUP 1.7M
-49.75%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$30.6K€27.5K
$73.0KCUP 1.8M
-58.05%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Spain
Cuba
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$149€134
$36.43CUP 874
309.77%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$17.67€15.88
$34.75CUP 834
-49.15%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$31.88€28.64
$225CUP 5,403
-85.84%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Spain
Cuba
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$44.24€39.75
$39.62CUP 951
11.66%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$15.29€13.74
$12.71CUP 305
20.30%
Cinema Ticket
$9.66€8.68
$1.02CUP 24.57
847.06%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Spain
Cuba
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$544€489
$115CUP 2,767
372.11%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$10.6K€9,530
$13.5KCUP 323.1K
-21.22%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Spain
Cuba
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$84.9€76.3
$42.90CUP 1,030
97.90%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$37.11€33.35
$35.23CUP 845
5.34%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$89.2€80.1
$71.7CUP 1,720
24.41%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$106€95.0
$71.0CUP 1,704
48.97%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Spain
Cuba
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,056€949
$332CUP 7,972
218.06%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$808€726
$454CUP 10.9K
77.88%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,621€1,456
$876CUP 21.0K
84.94%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,246€1,120
$589CUP 14.1K
111.56%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$4,135€3,716
$355CUP 8,524
1064.36%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$2,633€2,365
$335CUP 8,044
685.48%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Spain
Cuba
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$1,999€1,796
$35.80CUP 859
5484.30%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
3.3
9.38
-64.82%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Spain: October 24, 2026
Last update for Cuba: 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%
Cuba
$454 35.7% ↓ 43.8%$354
🛒Groceries & Markets
Spain
$272 15.3%
Cuba
$240 18.9% ↓ 11.5%$31
🍽Eating Out
Spain
$239 13.5%
Cuba
$117 9.2% ↓ 51.3%$123
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Spain
$199 11.2%
Cuba
$296 23.3% ↑ 49%$97
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Spain
$143 8%
Cuba
$99 7.8% ↓ 30.3%$43
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Spain
$64 3.6%
Cuba
$42 3.3% ↓ 34.4%$22
🚌Getting Around
Spain
$51 2.9%
Cuba
$25 1.9% ↓ 52%$27
🏠Accommodation & Living
Spain
$1.2K 36.3%
Cuba
$589 26.8% ↓ 52.7%$657
🛒Groceries & Markets
Spain
$646 18.8%
Cuba
$562 25.5% ↓ 13.1%$84
🍽Eating Out
Spain
$763 22.2%
Cuba
$352 16% ↓ 53.9%$411
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Spain
$217 6.3%
Cuba
$331 15% ↑ 52.9%$115
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Spain
$317 9.2%
Cuba
$221 10% ↓ 30.3%$96
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Spain
$142 4.1%
Cuba
$96 4.4% ↓ 32.5%$46
🚌Getting Around
Spain
$106 3.1%
Cuba
$49 2.3% ↓ 53.2%$56
Cost Breakdown
🏠National rent averages: $920 in Spain, $380 in Cuba. Capital cities: $1,508 in Madrid vs $243 in Havana.
💰National salary averages: $1,972 in Spain, $37 in Cuba. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.
Cost Highlights
⭐Rent is 142% higher in Spain.
⭐Dining out costs 104% more in Spain.
⭐Public transport is 35% more expensive in Spain.
⭐Salaries are about 53 times higher in Spain, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Spain.
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 Cuba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How does the cost of living in Cuba compare to the cost in Spain?
At $1,273 per month in Cuba and $1,775 in Spain, there’s a 39% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.
How do daily expenses compare in Cuba vs Spain?
Day-to-day life is cheaper in Cuba: 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.
Is rent more expensive in Cuba or in Spain?
Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $920 in Spain and $380 in Cuba. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.
Which country is better for expats: Cuba or Spain?
It depends on what you’re after: Cuba wins on affordability; Spain may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.