Cost of Living Comparison Between Valencia and Tres Cantos Cost of Living Comparison Between Valencia and Tres Cantos

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,866 in Valencia versus $1,627 in Tres Cantos.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,717 in Valencia versus $2,357 in Tres Cantos.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,567 in Valencia versus $3,086 in Tres Cantos.

Living in Valencia is roughly 15% more expensive than Tres Cantos, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Valencia 39% above, Tres Cantos 22% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.97 €12.81

$14.79 €12.66

1.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.6 €49.30

$57.2 €48.97

0.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.77 €10.93

$10.61 €9.08

20.36%

Cappuccino

$2.58 €2.21

$2.18 €1.87

18.35%

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

$2.39 €2.04

$2.32 €1.99

3.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.68

$1.70 €1.46

15.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.46 €2.96

$3.49 €2.98

-0.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.41 €2.92

$3.55 €3.04

-3.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 €1.01

$1.17 €1.00

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 €1.12

$1.45 €1.24

-9.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 €1.45

$1.66 €1.42

1.81%

Eggs

$2.90 €2.49

$2.96 €2.53

-2.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.39 €9.75

$13.38 €11.45

-14.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.64 €7.40

$8.35 €7.15

3.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.21 €12.16

$15.28 €13.08

-7.00%

Apples (1kg)

$2.56 €2.19

$2.45 €2.10

4.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 €1.57

$2.04 €1.74

-9.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 €1.69

$1.96 €1.67

1.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 €2.10

$2.58 €2.21

-5.04%

Potato (1kg)

$1.81 €1.55

$1.70 €1.46

6.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 €1.70

$1.94 €1.66

2.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 €1.35

$1.36 €1.16

16.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 €0.65

$0.70 €0.60

8.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.73 €5.76

$6.12 €5.24

9.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.89 €5.04

$5.93 €5.07

-0.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 €1.28

$1.22 €1.04

22.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 €1.73

$2.10 €1.79

-3.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.72 €1.47

$1.73 €1.48

-0.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.26 €28.47

$33.70 €28.85

-1.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.41 €2.92

$4.10 €3.51

-16.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.21 €1.04

$1.22 €1.04

-0.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.81 €21.24

$24.31 €20.81

2.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.75 €1.50

0.57%

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

$35.3K €30.2K

$38.4K €32.8K

-7.91%

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

$32.2K €27.5K

$30.0K €25.7K

7.29%

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

$143 €122

$137 €117

4.63%

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

$13.55 €11.60

$20.48 €17.53

-33.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.12 €25.79

$31.74 €27.17

-5.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.07 €36.02

$47.17 €40.38

-10.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.64 €10.82

$14.99 €12.83

-15.68%

Cinema Ticket

$9.59 €8.21

$9.30 €7.96

3.12%

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

$591 €506

$413 €353

43.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.7K €10.0K

$7,493 €6,414

56.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €86.8

$84.2 €72.1

20.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.91 €32.45

$36.10 €30.90

5.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.1 €84.8

$87.5 €74.9

13.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 €109

$109 €93.2

16.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 €1,049

$853 €730

43.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$943 €807

$694 €594

35.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,996 €1,709

$1,296 €1,110

53.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,379 €1,181

$1,020 €873

35.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,798 €4,963

$3,713 €3,179

56.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,248 €2,781

$2,018 €1,727

61.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,075 €1,777

$3,573 €3,059

-41.92%

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: April 25, 2026

Last update for Tres Cantos: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,226 in Valencia and $853 in Tres Cantos. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tres Cantos pays 72% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $58.0 in Valencia vs $57.0 in Tres Cantos. Groceries flip the comparison at $255 vs $263, with Valencia cheaper for home cooking.

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 Tres Cantos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

On paper, Tres Cantos earns 72% 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: $1,226 in Valencia versus $853 in Tres Cantos. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Valencia pay roughly 3% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Tres Cantos – a meal for two runs $57.0 versus $58.0 in Valencia. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,627 in Tres Cantos versus $1,866 in Valencia, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tres Cantos but tight or insufficient in Valencia. The gap between the two cities makes Tres Cantos the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Tres Cantos delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,627 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Tres Cantos hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Valencia and Tres Cantos 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 Tres Cantos 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.