Cost of Living Comparison Between Valencia and Alicante Cost of Living Comparison Between Valencia and Alicante

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,120 in Valencia versus $1,847 in Alicante.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,069 in Valencia versus $2,878 in Alicante.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,018 in Valencia versus $3,909 in Alicante.

Living in Valencia is roughly 15% more expensive than in Alicante, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Valencia 55% above, Alicante 35% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.73 €16.33

$20.17 €17.58

-7.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.8 €60.0

$68.7 €59.9

0.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.74 €11.10

$11.54 €10.06

10.40%

Cappuccino

$2.84 €2.47

$2.25 €1.96

26.22%

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

$2.59 €2.26

$2.13 €1.86

21.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.79

$1.39 €1.21

47.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.39 €2.96

$3.42 €2.98

-0.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.58 €4.00

$3.46 €3.01

32.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 €1.10

$1.13 €0.98

11.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 €1.20

$1.67 €1.46

-17.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.68 €1.47

4.76%

Eggs

$3.66 €3.19

$3.34 €2.91

9.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.13 €9.70

$18.60 €16.22

-40.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.94 €6.92

$9.82 €8.56

-19.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.53 €14.41

$16.66 €14.53

-0.78%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

$2.71 €2.36

-4.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 €1.69

$2.16 €1.88

-10.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 €1.66

$1.84 €1.60

3.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.57 €2.24

$2.74 €2.39

-6.20%

Potato (1kg)

$1.67 €1.46

$1.92 €1.67

-13.02%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 €1.59

$2.15 €1.87

-15.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.22 €1.07

$1.28 €1.11

-4.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$0.68 €0.59

17.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.86 €5.98

$6.63 €5.78

3.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.62 €4.90

$5.85 €5.10

-3.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.19

$1.20 €1.04

14.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 €1.54

$2.15 €1.87

-18.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$1.62 €1.41

40.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.18 €35.89

$27.59 €24.05

49.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.53 €3.95

$3.23 €2.81

40.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.40 €1.22

$1.41 €1.23

-0.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.63 €21.47

$17.63 €15.37

39.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.72 €1.50

$1.77 €1.54

-2.82%

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

$36.8K €32.1K

$36.4K €31.8K

0.91%

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

$30.3K €26.4K

$29.7K €25.9K

1.93%

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

$163 €142

$145 €127

12.09%

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

$16.52 €14.40

$19.26 €16.79

-14.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.40 €30.86

$30.53 €26.62

15.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.85 €38.23

$43.24 €37.69

1.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.34 €7.27

$17.77 €15.49

-53.07%

Cinema Ticket

$10.86 €9.46

$9.62 €8.39

12.89%

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

$605 €527

$727 €634

-16.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.2K €8,882

$9,781 €8,527

4.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.4 €81.4

$88.5 €77.2

5.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.02 €37.50

$36.56 €31.87

17.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.9 €85.3

$98.5 €85.9

-0.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €105

$108 €94.5

11.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,433 €1,249

$1,033 €900

38.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 €920

$841 €733

25.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,347 €2,046

$1,800 €1,569

30.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,691 €1,474

$1,583 €1,380

6.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,697 €4,966

$4,384 €3,821

29.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,336 €2,908

$2,109 €1,838

58.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,974 €1,721

$1,936 €1,687

2.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.38

2.99

13.04%

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

Last update for Valencia: September 14, 2026

Last update for Alicante: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,433 in Valencia and $1,033 in Alicante. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Valencia pays 2% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $69.0 in Valencia vs $69.0 in Alicante for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $261 vs $296 per month, with Valencia cheaper across the board.

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

Valencia vs Alicante: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Alicante wins on cost – living expenses run 15% lower than in Valencia. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Alicante the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 2% higher in Valencia, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,433 in Valencia versus $1,033 in Alicante. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $605 in Valencia versus $727 in Alicante. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Valencia pay roughly 14% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,847 in Alicante versus $2,120 in Valencia, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Alicante but tight or insufficient in Valencia. The gap between the two cities makes Alicante the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Alicante delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,847 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Alicante hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Valencia and Alicante are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Alicante gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Valencia. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.