Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Valencia and Alicante

For one person, living is cheaper in Alicante: $1,832 a month against $2,092 in Valencia, rent and utilities included – about $3,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Valencia, Spain
Alicante, Spain
Valencia
🇪🇸 Spain
$2,092
/mo nomad
Alicante
🇪🇸 Spain
$1,832
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Valencia and in Alicante

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Valencia and in Alicante actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,092 in Valencia versus $1,832 in Alicante.

  • Valencia $2,092
  • Alicante $1,832

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,017 in Valencia versus $2,803 in Alicante.

  • Valencia $3,017
  • Alicante $2,803

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,942 in Valencia versus $3,773 in Alicante.

  • Valencia $3,942
  • Alicante $3,773

Living in Valencia is roughly 14% more expensive than in Alicante, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Valencia 54% above, Alicante 35% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Valencia
Alicante
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$18.72 €16.78
$16.62 €14.89
12.64%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$66.0 €59.1
$66.6 €59.7
-0.96%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.11 €10.85
$11.26 €10.09
7.55%
Cappuccino
$2.72 €2.43
$2.27 €2.03
19.82%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.49 €2.23
$2.23 €2.00
11.66%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.09 €1.87
$1.35 €1.21
54.81%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.32 €2.97
$3.40 €3.05
-2.35%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.58 €4.11
$3.44 €3.09
33.14%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Valencia
Alicante
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.20 €1.08
$1.11 €0.99
8.11%
White Bread (500g)
$1.35 €1.21
$1.58 €1.42
-14.56%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.78 €1.59
$1.62 €1.45
9.88%
Eggs
$3.40 €3.05
$3.31 €2.97
2.72%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.72 €9.61
$17.03 €15.26
-37.05%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.76 €6.95
$9.50 €8.52
-18.32%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.88 €14.23
$18.01 €16.14
-11.83%
Apples (1kg)
$2.46 €2.20
$2.57 €2.30
-4.28%
Banana (1kg)
$1.89 €1.69
$1.98 €1.77
-4.55%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.83 €1.64
$1.88 €1.68
-2.66%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.66 €2.39
$2.81 €2.51
-5.34%
Potato (1kg)
$1.69 €1.52
$1.98 €1.77
-14.65%
Onion (1kg)
$1.86 €1.67
$1.92 €1.72
-3.12%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 €1.03
$1.18 €1.06
-2.54%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.80 €0.71
$0.69 €0.62
15.94%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.69 €6.00
$6.48 €5.80
3.24%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.64 €5.05
$5.43 €4.87
3.87%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.34 €1.20
$1.20 €1.08
11.67%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.64 €1.47
$2.11 €1.89
-22.27%
🚌 Getting Around
Valencia
Alicante
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.18 €1.95
$1.59 €1.42
37.11%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$38.70 €34.68
$26.28 €23.55
47.26%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.48 €4.02
$2.99 €2.68
49.83%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.28 €1.15
$1.35 €1.21
-5.19%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$23.48 €21.04
$16.78 €15.04
39.93%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.80 €1.61
$1.76 €1.58
2.27%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.8K €30.3K
$30.7K €27.6K
9.91%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.3K €28.1K
$31.4K €28.2K
-0.31%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Valencia
Alicante
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$155 €139
$140 €125
10.89%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$15.96 €14.30
$18.65 €16.71
-14.42%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$33.43 €29.95
$29.25 €26.21
14.29%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Valencia
Alicante
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$40.25 €36.07
$41.61 €37.29
-3.27%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$8.70 €7.80
$17.16 €15.37
-49.30%
Cinema Ticket
$10.80 €9.68
$8.03 €7.19
34.50%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Valencia
Alicante
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$573 €513
$797 €715
-28.14%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,639 €8,637
$9,186 €8,232
4.93%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Valencia
Alicante
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$93.3 €83.6
$85.8 €76.9
8.69%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.41 €38.00
$35.23 €31.57
20.38%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$95.8 €85.9
$94.7 €84.9
1.18%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$116 €104
$104 €93.1
11.46%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Valencia
Alicante
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,468 €1,316
$1,064 €953
38.03%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,095 €981
$879 €788
24.60%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,331 €2,089
$1,815 €1,626
28.46%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,653 €1,482
$1,531 €1,372
8.00%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,549 €4,972
$4,204 €3,767
31.97%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,319 €2,974
$2,229 €1,997
48.90%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Valencia
Alicante
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,854 €1,661
$1,903 €1,705
-2.57%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.41
2.99
14.05%

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

Last update for Valencia: October 27, 2026

Last update for Alicante: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Valencia
$1.1K
Alicante
$879 19.7% $216
Eating Out
Valencia
$263
Alicante
$232 11.7% $31
Groceries & Markets
Valencia
$253
Alicante
$289 14.3% $36
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Valencia
$204
Alicante
$187 8.2% $17
Clothing & Footwear
Valencia
$156
Alicante
$144 8% $12
Sport & Entertainment
Valencia
$62
Alicante
$58 6.8% $4.2
Getting Around
Valencia
$58
Alicante
$42 27.3% $16

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,468 in Valencia and $1,064 in Alicante. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Alicante pays 3% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $66 in Valencia vs $67 in Alicante for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $253 vs $289 per month, with Valencia cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇪🇸 Valencia
🇪🇸 Alicante
🕒 Local time
07:40 7:40 AM
07:40 7:40 AM
Same time as Valencia
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
807,693
349,282
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
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  • Valencia Alicante 130 km
From you
  • Valencia
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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
Valencia vs Alicante: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Valencia or Alicante?
Alicante wins on cost – living expenses run 12% 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.
Are salaries higher in Valencia or in Alicante?
On paper, salaries run 3% lower in Valencia. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Valencia compared to Alicante?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,468 in Valencia versus $1,064 in Alicante. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do childcare costs compare in Valencia and in Alicante?
Childcare runs $573 in Valencia versus $797 in Alicante. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How expensive is transport in Valencia compared to Alicante?
A monthly transit pass in Alicante runs roughly 32% less than in Valencia. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Valencia or Alicante?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
How safe is Valencia compared to Alicante?
Safety-wise, Valencia and Alicante are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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