Cost of Living Comparison Between Spain and France Cost of Living Comparison Between Spain and France

Name: France
Address: FR

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,686 in Spain versus $1,882 in France.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,489 in Spain versus $2,896 in France.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,291 in Spain versus $3,910 in France.

Living in Spain costs about 10% less than in France on average.

Both countries sit above the global median: Spain 23% above, France 38% above.

Spain ($959–$2,683) and France ($1,155–$2,831) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.13 €14.93

$17.26 €15.04

-0.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.2 €49.86

$69.7 €60.7

-17.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.60 €10.11

$13.65 €11.89

-15.02%

Cappuccino

$2.40 €2.09

$3.93 €3.42

-38.93%

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

$2.73 €2.38

$3.41 €2.97

-19.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 €1.65

$2.24 €1.95

-15.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.57 €3.11

$7.04 €6.14

-49.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 €3.45

$5.94 €5.17

-33.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 €1.09

$1.35 €1.18

-6.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.54 €1.34

$2.11 €1.84

-27.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 €1.42

$2.76 €2.40

-40.94%

Eggs

$3.44 €3.00

$4.39 €3.82

-21.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.42 €12.56

$19.90 €17.34

-27.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.89 €7.75

$14.11 €12.29

-37.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.49 €14.37

$22.54 €19.63

-26.84%

Apples (1kg)

$2.49 €2.17

$3.24 €2.82

-23.15%

Banana (1kg)

$2.13 €1.85

$2.40 €2.09

-11.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 €1.94

$3.01 €2.63

-26.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 €2.22

$3.79 €3.30

-32.98%

Potato (1kg)

$1.81 €1.57

$2.25 €1.96

-19.56%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.74

$2.43 €2.12

-17.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.35 €1.17

$1.64 €1.43

-17.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 €0.66

$0.85 €0.74

-10.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.91 €6.02

$14.21 €12.38

-51.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.98

$7.96 €6.93

-28.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 €1.15

$2.85 €2.48

-53.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.86

$3.31 €2.89

-35.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.71 €1.49

$2.16 €1.88

-20.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.14 €30.61

$60.8 €52.9

-42.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.66 €4.06

$5.02 €4.37

-7.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 €1.35

$2.22 €1.93

-30.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.59 €22.29

$39.58 €34.49

-35.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.76 €1.54

$2.14 €1.87

-17.76%

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

$36.2K €31.5K

$36.1K €31.4K

0.40%

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

$30.2K €26.3K

$35.8K €31.2K

-15.59%

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

$155 €135

$225 €196

-31.25%

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

$18.12 €15.78

$20.49 €17.85

-11.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.66 €28.45

$34.52 €30.08

-5.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.15 €40.20

$38.46 €33.51

19.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.65 €13.63

$21.29 €18.54

-26.49%

Cinema Ticket

$10.01 €8.72

$13.94 €12.14

-28.19%

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

$560 €488

$900 €784

-37.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K €9,348

$12.8K €11.2K

-16.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.1 €75.9

$106 €92.1

-17.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.45 €33.49

$46.73 €40.71

-17.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 €80.1

$108 €94.3

-15.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 €94.3

$142 €124

-23.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,042 €908

$896 €780

16.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$814 €709

$713 €621

14.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,627 €1,418

$1,563 €1,362

4.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,246 €1,086

$1,231 €1,073

1.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,266 €3,716

$5,536 €4,823

-22.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,607 €2,271

$3,796 €3,307

-31.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,046 €1,782

$2,779 €2,421

-26.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.29

3.77

-12.73%

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

Last update for Spain: September 14, 2026

Last update for France: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $932 in Spain, $809 in France. Capital cities: $1,567 in Madrid vs $1,590 in Paris.

National salary averages: $2,029 in Spain, $2,799 in France. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 15% higher in Spain.

Dining out costs 12% more in France.

Public transport is 61% more expensive in France.

Salaries are 38% higher in France, and purchasing power comes out stronger in France.

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 France: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $1,993 per month in France and $1,821 in Spain, there's a 9% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in Spain: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in France is consistently higher than in Spain across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In Spain, $3,000 covers most cities easily; in France it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after: Spain wins on affordability; France may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.