Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Spain and France

Name: France
Address: FR

For one person, living is cheaper in Spain: $1,775 a month against $1,962 in France, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. The total is higher in France despite lower rent and utilities.

86

Cost of Living Index in Spain
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Spain Living Index
94

Cost of Living Index in France
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France Living Index

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🇪🇸 Spain

$1,775

/mo nomad

🇫🇷 France

$1,962

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Spain and in France

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 France actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,775 in Spain versus $1,962 in France.

Spain $1,775
France $1,962

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,606 in Spain versus $2,999 in France.

Spain $2,606
France $2,999

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,438 in Spain versus $4,037 in France.

Spain $3,438
France $4,037

Spain ($931–$2,610) and France ($1,181–$2,732) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.

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

Both countries sit above the global median: Spain 30% above, France 44% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.69 €14.95

$16.74 €14.99

-0.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.7 €49.88

$66.4 €59.5

-16.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.37 €10.18

$13.62 €12.20

-16.52%

Cappuccino

$2.42 €2.16

$3.95 €3.54

-38.73%

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

$2.68 €2.40

$3.42 €3.06

-21.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 €1.60

$2.06 €1.85

-13.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.42 €3.07

$6.88 €6.16

-50.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.47

$5.46 €4.89

-28.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 €1.07

$1.31 €1.18

-8.40%

White Bread (500g)

$1.48 €1.33

$2.03 €1.82

-27.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.67 €1.50

$2.58 €2.31

-35.27%

Eggs

$3.42 €3.06

$4.34 €3.89

-21.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.17 €12.69

$19.75 €17.69

-28.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.33 €7.46

$13.45 €12.05

-38.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.20 €14.51

$21.73 €19.46

-25.45%

Apples (1kg)

$2.45 €2.20

$3.04 €2.72

-19.41%

Banana (1kg)

$2.03 €1.82

$2.29 €2.05

-11.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.86

$2.90 €2.60

-28.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.58 €2.31

$3.55 €3.18

-27.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 €1.64

$2.19 €1.96

-16.44%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.79

$2.39 €2.14

-16.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.31 €1.17

$1.58 €1.42

-17.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 €0.69

$0.81 €0.73

-4.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.36 €5.70

$13.70 €12.27

-53.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.64 €5.05

$8.05 €7.21

-29.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 €1.17

$2.66 €2.38

-51.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 €1.87

$3.05 €2.73

-31.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.64 €1.47

$2.07 €1.86

-20.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.91 €29.48

$59.6 €53.3

-44.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 €3.96

$5.05 €4.52

-12.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.47 €1.31

$2.09 €1.87

-29.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.98 €22.38

$36.96 €33.10

-32.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.77 €1.59

$2.11 €1.89

-16.11%

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

$35.5K €31.8K

$35.2K €31.5K

0.99%

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

$30.6K €27.4K

$37.3K €33.4K

-17.99%

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

$149 €134

$220 €197

-32.05%

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

$17.67 €15.83

$19.75 €17.69

-10.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.88 €28.55

$34.36 €30.77

-7.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.24 €39.62

$35.58 €31.86

24.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.29 €13.70

$20.37 €18.24

-24.94%

Cinema Ticket

$9.66 €8.65

$13.47 €12.07

-28.29%

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

$544 €487

$898 €804

-39.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.6K €9,499

$12.3K €11.0K

-13.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.9 €76.0

$101 €90.8

-16.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.11 €33.24

$45.51 €40.76

-18.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.2 €79.9

$105 €94.4

-15.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 €94.7

$139 €124

-23.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,056 €946

$877 €786

20.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$808 €723

$703 €629

14.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 €1,452

$1,556 €1,394

4.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,246 €1,116

$1,248 €1,117

-0.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,135 €3,704

$5,494 €4,921

-24.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,633 €2,358

$3,778 €3,384

-30.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,999 €1,790

$2,716 €2,432

-26.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.3

3.78

-12.70%

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

Last update for Spain: October 24, 2026

Last update for France: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Spain

$808 45.5%

France

$703 35.8% 13% $105

Groceries & Markets

Spain

$272 15.3%

France

$374 19.1% 37.7% $102

Eating Out

Spain

$239 13.5%

France

$289 14.8% 20.9% $50

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Spain

$199 11.2%

France

$274 14% 37.7% $75

Clothing & Footwear

Spain

$143 8%

France

$176 9% 23.3% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Spain

$64 3.6%

France

$63 3.2% 1.6% $1

Getting Around

Spain

$51 2.9%

France

$83 4.3% 62.7% $32

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $920 in Spain, $810 in France. Capital cities: $1,508 in Madrid vs $1,622 in Paris.

National salary averages: $1,972 in Spain, $2,718 in France. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 14% higher in Spain.

Dining out costs 12% more in France.

Public transport is 65% more expensive in France.

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

Good to know

🇪🇸 Spain

🇫🇷 France

🕒 Local time

02:34 2:34 AM

Same time as Spain

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

47,415,750

68,373,433

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Spain France 1,050 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Spain
France

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 France: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $1,962 per month in France and $1,775 in Spain, Spain comes out about 10% cheaper. 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 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.

It depends on what you’re after: Spain wins on affordability, while salaries, visas, language, and lifestyle can tip the balance either way.