Cost of Living in Barcelona and Madrid

The Cost of Living in Madrid and Barcelona

When living in Spain as a student, it is crucial to know the cost of living especially if you have very little or no income and have to count every cent you spend so that you don’t run out of money. This is why we have compiled a list of some of the most common expenditures a student might have.

Below you can find the average cost of different items in both Madrid and Barcelona. It is important to note that these prices have been averaged out and the actual prices may be different depending on the quality and location.

For instance, a small bottle of water costs about 60% more in a small corner store compared to the same bottle in a chain supermarket. We have done field research and collected different prices from different sources in order to have more realistic prices.

Use the table below to know how much each item will cost you on average and plan your monthly budget accordingly prior to moving to Spain.

Prices last updated in July 2023.

ItemBarcelonaMadrid
Groceries
Milk (1L)0.850.84
Water (1.5L)0.890.95
Avocado (1 item)1.501.50
Basmati Rice (1kg)2.192.18
Banana (1kg)1.91.9
Tomato (1kg)2.12.04
Eggs (12 medium)3.23.1
Coca Cola (1.5L)2.12.15
Potato (1kg)1.801.79
Cigarettes (1 pack Marlboro)5.906.00
Transportation
Metro ride (1 single ticket)2.41.50 (variable)
Metro ride (10 rides)11.3512.2
Gasoline (1L)1.781.73
Taxi starting rate32.5
Taxi 1km1.251.2
Airport bus6.75 (Aerobús)5.00 (Exprés Aeropuerto)
Dining out
Coffee with milk1.951.85
Coca Cola (1 0.33L can)2.152
Italian pizza (1 medium)1110.5
3-course meal at an average restaraunt2023.5
Beer (1 jug)2.32.5
Accommodation
Studio / 1 bedroom flat1050-1300950-1200
2 bedroom flat1300-15001100-1350
3 bedroom flat1500-19001350-1650
4 bedroom flat+19001800-2200
Double bedroom in student residency700-900500-800
Individual room in a shared flat450-700350-500
Double room in a shared flat550-800420-650
Utilities
600Mb FiberOptics internet4045
Water (per person per month)3550
Electricity (per person per month)5050

Average monthly expenses

But you might be asking, “how much money will I need to cover my day-to-day expenses?

Well, that depends on your lifestyle but we have done some calculations and concluded that on average you will need the amounts below in order to be able to cover all your costs depending on your lifestyle:

  • Saver: If you are a saver and plan on taking the public transport almost all the time, buying groceries and almost always making your own food, then you will need between 250€ to 400€ per month excluding rent;
  • Moderate: If you enjoy going out on the weekends and go shopping once or twice a week, you will need between 400€ to 650€ per month excluding rent;
  • Spender: If you are a spender, plan on taking taxis to move around the city and enjoy spending nights outside and going to parties, then you will need between 650€ to 800€ per month excluding rent.

Want to save money? Then you should check out the Studentfy mobile app and Discounts which lets you save money on the go. It offers a variety of discounts and other awesome deals at restaurants, bars, accommodation, transportation, and more.

What items did we miss? Let us know in the comment section below and we will update the list as soon as possible.

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