Cost of Living Comparison Between Spain and Western Sahara Cost of Living Comparison Between Spain and Western Sahara

Name: Western Sahara
Address: EH

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,642 in Spain versus $641 in Western Sahara.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,392 in Spain versus $1,013 in Western Sahara.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,142 in Spain versus $1,384 in Western Sahara.

Living in Spain is roughly 156% more expensive than in Western Sahara on average.

Spain (23% above) and Western Sahara (52% below) straddle the global median.

Internal cost variation is higher in Spain: monthly costs span $1,122 to $3,254, compared to $641–$641 in Western Sahara. City choice carries more weight in Spain.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.06 €14.00

$3.92 MAD 36.82

309.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.9 €49.57

$29.26 MAD 275

94.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.30 €8.98

$4.78 MAD 44.86

115.48%

Cappuccino

$2.32 €2.02

$1.60 MAD 14.99

45.00%

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

$2.60 €2.27

$0.52 MAD 4.93

400.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 €1.60

$0.31 MAD 2.95

493.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.43 €2.99

$3.51 MAD 32.97

-2.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.97 €3.46

$4.77 MAD 44.74

-16.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 €1.04

$0.79 MAD 7.40

50.63%

White Bread (500g)

$1.52 €1.33

$0.60 MAD 5.65

153.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.67 €1.46

$1.80 MAD 16.91

-7.22%

Eggs

$2.98 €2.60

$1.37 MAD 12.84

117.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.42 €12.58

$11.54 MAD 108

24.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.59 €7.49

$3.44 MAD 32.24

149.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.95 €13.91

$9.42 MAD 88.4

69.32%

Apples (1kg)

$2.51 €2.19

$1.52 MAD 14.23

65.13%

Banana (1kg)

$2.07 €1.81

$1.14 MAD 10.68

81.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 €1.78

$0.68 MAD 6.38

200.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 €2.30

$0.56 MAD 5.29

371.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$0.48 MAD 4.50

266.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$0.36 MAD 3.41

450.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.35 €1.17

$0.91 MAD 8.52

48.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 €0.65

$0.56 MAD 5.30

32.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.27 €5.46

Wine (Bottle)

$5.75 €5.01

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 €1.14

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.80

$3.51 MAD 32.95

-41.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.77 €1.54

$0.60 MAD 5.62

195.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.49 €30.07

$11.75 MAD 110

193.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.49 €3.91

$0.76 MAD 7.15

490.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.32 €1.15

$0.64 MAD 6.03

106.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.12 €23.64

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.80 €1.57

$1.28 MAD 12.00

40.63%

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

$38.2K €33.3K

$39.1K MAD 366.7K

-2.20%

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

$30.8K €26.9K

$26.4K MAD 247.7K

16.72%

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

$149 €130

$33.34 MAD 313

346.34%

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

$20.14 €17.56

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.50 €29.21

$22.48 MAD 211

49.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.30 €40.37

$22.92 MAD 215

102.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.61 €13.61

$35.39 MAD 332

-55.89%

Cinema Ticket

$9.40 €8.20

$3.49 MAD 32.78

169.34%

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

$522 €455

$290 MAD 2,719

80.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,880 €8,613

$3,502 MAD 32.9K

182.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.1 €76.8

$34.23 MAD 321

157.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.98 €31.36

$58.3 MAD 547

-38.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.0 €77.6

$76.5 MAD 718

16.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 €94.2

$81.6 MAD 765

32.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,039 €906

$350 MAD 3,282

197.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$820 €715

$177 MAD 1,659

363.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,689 €1,472

$702 MAD 6,587

140.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,214 €1,058

$289 MAD 2,714

319.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,301 €3,750

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,604 €2,270

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,982 €1,728

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.51

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

Last update for Spain: July 27, 2026

Last update for Western Sahara: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $898 in Spain, $349 in Western Sahara. Capital cities: $1,561 in Madrid vs $349 in Laayoune.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 157% higher in Spain.

Dining out costs 83% more in Spain.

Public transport is 175% more expensive in Spain.

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 Western Sahara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $2,188 per month in Spain and $641 in Western Sahara, there's a 241% 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 Western Sahara: 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 Spain is consistently higher than in Western Sahara across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In Western Sahara, $800 covers most cities easily; in Spain 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: Western Sahara wins on affordability; Spain may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.