Cost of Living Comparison Between Valencia and Zaragoza Cost of Living Comparison Between Valencia and Zaragoza

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,866 in Valencia versus $1,777 in Zaragoza.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,693 in Valencia versus $2,608 in Zaragoza.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,521 in Valencia versus $3,438 in Zaragoza.

Living in Valencia is roughly 5% more expensive than in Zaragoza, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Valencia 40% above, Zaragoza 33% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.15 €13.26

$17.07 €14.93

-11.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.4 €51.1

0.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.53 €10.96

$10.63 €9.30

17.87%

Cappuccino

$2.62 €2.29

$2.18 €1.91

20.18%

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

$2.43 €2.12

$3.05 €2.67

-20.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 €1.73

$1.88 €1.64

5.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.06

$4.25 €3.72

-17.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.55 €3.11

$3.53 €3.09

0.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 €1.02

$1.38 €1.21

-15.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 €1.19

$2.37 €2.07

-42.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.66 €1.46

$1.21 €1.06

37.19%

Eggs

$2.90 €2.54

$2.59 €2.26

11.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.44 €10.01

$17.07 €14.94

-32.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.68 €7.59

$7.78 €6.81

11.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.04 €12.28

$21.07 €18.43

-33.36%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 €2.28

$2.64 €2.31

-1.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.86 €1.63

$2.07 €1.81

-10.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 €1.75

$2.53 €2.21

-20.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.34 €2.05

$3.46 €3.02

-32.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.67

$2.08 €1.82

-8.65%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$2.35 €2.06

-14.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 €1.38

$1.90 €1.66

-16.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 €0.62

$0.78 €0.68

-8.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.69 €5.86

$6.41 €5.61

4.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.73 €5.01

$4.42 €3.86

29.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 €1.30

$1.17 €1.02

27.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 €1.76

$2.40 €2.10

-16.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.78 €1.55

$1.76 €1.54

1.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.20 €29.92

$34.90 €30.54

-2.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.39 €2.96

$2.38 €2.08

42.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.20 €1.05

$1.00 €0.88

20.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.04 €21.90

$30.88 €27.02

-18.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.59

$1.81 €1.59

0.55%

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

$34.7K €30.4K

$38.3K €33.5K

-9.20%

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

$32.7K €28.6K

$30.5K €26.7K

7.39%

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

$145 €127

$114 €100

27.05%

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

$13.42 €11.74

$20.72 €18.13

-35.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.78 €26.05

$36.13 €31.61

-17.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.93 €36.68

$41.27 €36.11

1.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.64 €11.06

$11.08 €9.69

14.08%

Cinema Ticket

$9.92 €8.68

$9.95 €8.71

-0.30%

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

$592 €518

$515 €450

15.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.7K €10.2K

$8,340 €7,297

40.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €88.1

$74.6 €65.3

34.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.44 €32.76

$42.02 €36.77

-10.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.6 €85.4

$89.7 €78.5

8.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 €111

$111 €96.9

14.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,066

$861 €753

41.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$942 €824

$794 €694

18.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,931 €1,689

$1,125 €984

71.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,351 €1,182

$1,173 €1,026

15.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,702 €4,989

$3,213 €2,811

77.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,308 €2,894

$1,960 €1,715

68.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,963 €1,717

$1,986 €1,737

-1.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.44

3.75

-8.27%

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

Last update for Valencia: July 12, 2026

Last update for Zaragoza: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,218 in Valencia and $861 in Zaragoza. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Zaragoza pays 1% 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 $58.0 in Zaragoza for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $255 vs $306 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 Zaragoza: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Valencia and Zaragoza differ by about 5% in total monthly costs ($1,866 vs $1,777 including rent). Zaragoza is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 1% lower in Zaragoza. 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: $1,218 in Valencia versus $861 in Zaragoza. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Zaragoza runs roughly 2% less than in Valencia. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $592 in Valencia versus $515 in Zaragoza. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,777 in Zaragoza versus $1,866 in Valencia, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Zaragoza but tight or insufficient in Valencia. The gap between the two cities makes Zaragoza the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Valencia and Zaragoza 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 Zaragoza gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Valencia. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.