Cost of Living Comparison Between Valencia and San Sebastian Cost of Living Comparison Between Valencia and San Sebastian

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,859 in Valencia versus $1,890 in San Sebastian.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,660 in Valencia versus $2,781 in San Sebastian.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,461 in Valencia versus $3,673 in San Sebastian.

Living in Valencia costs roughly 2% less than in San Sebastian, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Valencia 39% above, San Sebastian 41% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.26 €13.14

$16.67 €14.35

-8.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.9 €48.98

$56.9 €48.96

0.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.82 €11.04

$10.11 €8.71

26.81%

Cappuccino

$2.56 €2.20

$2.15 €1.85

19.07%

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

$2.49 €2.15

$2.68 €2.31

-7.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 €1.73

$2.04 €1.76

-1.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.41 €2.93

$3.40 €2.93

0.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 €2.92

$2.37 €2.04

43.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 €0.97

$1.14 €0.98

-1.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 €1.12

$1.06 €0.91

22.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.73 €1.49

$2.16 €1.86

-19.91%

Eggs

$2.94 €2.53

$2.68 €2.31

9.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.31 €9.73

$20.04 €17.26

-43.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.38 €7.21

$6.73 €5.80

24.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.86 €11.93

$14.95 €12.87

-7.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.56 €2.20

$2.88 €2.48

-11.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.77 €1.53

$2.12 €1.82

-16.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.95 €1.68

5.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.35 €2.02

$3.25 €2.80

-27.69%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 €1.58

$1.88 €1.62

-2.66%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.70

$1.81 €1.56

8.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.65 €1.42

$1.01 €0.87

63.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 €0.61

$0.67 €0.58

5.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.50 €5.59

$6.24 €5.37

4.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.84 €5.03

$7.96 €6.86

-26.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.33

$1.21 €1.04

27.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 €1.71

$2.09 €1.80

-4.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.70 €1.46

$2.18 €1.88

-22.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.29 €28.66

$37.04 €31.90

-10.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.57 €3.07

$7.35 €6.33

-51.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.25 €1.07

$0.95 €0.82

31.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.91 €21.45

$23.01 €19.81

8.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.74 €1.50

$1.75 €1.51

-0.57%

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

$34.3K €29.6K

$39.0K €33.6K

-12.01%

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

$33.1K €28.5K

$36.0K €31.0K

-8.16%

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

$144 €124

$136 €118

5.37%

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

$13.62 €11.73

$26.48 €22.80

-48.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.97 €25.81

$36.88 €31.76

-18.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.51 €35.75

$54.4 €46.87

-23.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.13 €11.31

$20.20 €17.39

-35.00%

Cinema Ticket

$9.95 €8.57

$9.24 €7.96

7.68%

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

$592 €510

$469 €404

26.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.8K €10.1K

$12.0K €10.3K

-1.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €89.0

$113 €97.6

-8.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.03 €31.89

$35.68 €30.73

3.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €87.3

$88.1 €75.8

15.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 €109

$89.3 €76.9

41.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 €1,041

$1,288 €1,109

-6.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$922 €794

$856 €737

7.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,004 €1,725

$2,106 €1,814

-4.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,352 €1,164

$1,416 €1,219

-4.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,831 €5,021

$10.1K €8,671

-42.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,606 €3,105

$4,554 €3,921

-20.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,964 €1,691

$3,016 €2,597

-34.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.44

3.5

-1.71%

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

Last update for Valencia: June 1, 2026

Last update for San Sebastian: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,209 in Valencia and $1,288 in San Sebastian. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

San Sebastian pays 54% 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: $57.0 in Valencia vs $57.0 in San Sebastian for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $252 vs $279 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 San Sebastian: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Valencia wins on cost – living expenses run 2% lower than in San Sebastian. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Valencia the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, San Sebastian earns 54% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,209 in Valencia versus $1,288 in San Sebastian. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 11% higher in San Sebastian. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Valencia – a meal for two runs $57.0 versus $57.0 in San Sebastian. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,859 in Valencia versus $1,890 in San Sebastian, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Valencia but tight or insufficient in San Sebastian. The gap between the two cities makes Valencia the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Valencia delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,859 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Valencia hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Valencia and San Sebastian 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 Valencia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in San Sebastian. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.