Cost of Living Comparison Between United Kingdom and Spain Cost of Living Comparison Between United Kingdom and Spain

Name: Spain
Address: ES

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,363 in United Kingdom versus $1,646 in Spain.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,474 in United Kingdom versus $2,401 in Spain.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,585 in United Kingdom versus $3,155 in Spain.

Living in United Kingdom is roughly 44% more expensive than Spain on average.

Both countries sit above the global median: United Kingdom 76% above, Spain 23% above.

United Kingdom ($1,678–$3,892) and Spain ($1,133–$3,262) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.41 £15.17

$16.17 €13.91

26.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.0 £64.7

$57.3 €49.27

51.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.13 £7.53

$10.62 €9.14

-4.61%

Cappuccino

$4.70 £3.49

$2.38 €2.05

97.48%

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

$2.36 £1.75

$2.59 €2.23

-8.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 £1.30

$1.91 €1.64

-7.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.66 £4.95

$3.49 €3.00

90.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.43 £4.78

$4.03 €3.46

59.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 £1.27

$1.24 €1.07

37.10%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 £1.21

$1.59 €1.37

2.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.29 £1.70

$1.59 €1.37

44.03%

Eggs

$4.03 £2.99

$3.05 €2.62

32.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.77 £7.26

$14.55 €12.52

-32.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.92 £6.63

$8.42 €7.24

5.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.31 £10.64

$15.52 €13.35

-7.80%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 £2.26

$2.54 €2.18

20.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 £1.19

$2.01 €1.73

-19.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.84 £2.11

$2.09 €1.80

35.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.53 £2.62

$2.53 €2.18

39.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.61 £1.19

$1.85 €1.59

-12.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.57 £1.17

$1.89 €1.63

-16.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 £0.87

$1.35 €1.16

-13.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.56 £1.16

$0.74 €0.64

110.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.03 £14.89

$6.35 €5.47

215.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.90 £8.10

$5.66 €4.87

92.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 £2.16

$1.25 €1.08

132.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.38 £2.51

$2.06 €1.77

64.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.17 £2.35

$1.69 €1.46

87.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$95.2 £70.8

$35.10 €30.20

171.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 £4.05

$4.42 €3.80

23.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 £1.18

$1.34 €1.15

18.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.31 £20.30

$26.32 €22.64

3.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 £1.48

$1.84 €1.58

8.15%

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

$37.8K £28.1K

$38.8K €33.4K

-2.72%

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

$40.2K £29.9K

$31.6K €27.2K

26.99%

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

$323 £240

$150 €129

114.40%

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

$17.22 £12.80

$20.56 €17.69

-16.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.23 £31.39

$34.49 €29.67

22.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.03 £34.21

$47.96 €41.25

-4.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.67 £11.65

$16.05 €13.80

-2.37%

Cinema Ticket

$13.48 £10.02

$8.99 €7.73

49.94%

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

$1,713 £1,274

$509 €438

236.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.8K £15.5K

$9,884 €8,502

110.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.3 £67.8

$86.5 €74.4

5.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.88 £33.36

$37.14 €31.95

20.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 £75.9

$92.0 €79.1

11.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 £77.3

$109 €93.6

-4.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,417 £1,053

$1,045 €899

35.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,132 £841

$834 €717

35.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,308 £1,715

$1,689 €1,453

36.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,839 £1,367

$1,238 €1,065

48.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,727 £4,257

$4,378 €3,766

30.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,523 £3,362

$2,747 €2,363

64.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,333 £2,477

$2,073 €1,783

60.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.75

3.51

63.82%

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

Last update for United Kingdom: May 30, 2026

Last update for Spain: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $1,265 in United Kingdom, $898 in Spain. Capital cities: $3,019 in London vs $1,566 in Madrid.

National salary averages: $3,219 in United Kingdom, $2,030 in Spain. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 41% higher in United Kingdom.

Dining out costs 58% more in United Kingdom.

Public transport is 182% more expensive in United Kingdom.

Salaries are 59% higher in United Kingdom, giving United Kingdom stronger purchasing power.

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

United Kingdom vs Spain: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $2,198 per month in Spain and $2,785 in United Kingdom, there's a 27% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Spain is simply cheaper day-to-day: 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 United Kingdom beats 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 United Kingdom, it works in regional areas but 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; United Kingdom may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.