If you are doing your research and wondering what are the living costs in Spain, The underlying question is not just how much everything costs, but how to build some stability without giving up your life.
At Curiara We always talk about those who support from afar with dignity, as they are our beacon and an example to follow. That is why, getting your budget in order is essential, and it doesn't have to be a way of living with cutbacks, but it is a way to find the calm to move forward, always keeping your loved ones in mind, even if there is distance between you and them.
In this article you will find some official data to understand the economic context of Spain and an overview of the Spanish economy. a practical guide to the cost of living in Spain with a realistic and undramatic approach.
In case you don't know, the living costs in Spain move with inflation, and the official benchmark for measuring inflation is the Consumer Price Index (CPI) published by the INE. The National Statistical Institute reports in its reference table that the annual CPI rate was 2.9 1TPR3Q in December 2025 and 2.6 1TPR3Q in January 2026.
This does not affect your own budget, but it does help you understand why the supermarket, electricity or some utilities may go up more in certain months. When you understand the context, it is easier to decide calmly and not out of surprise.
A useful official figure to help you get your bearings: average household expenditure
To talk about the living costs in Spain, If we take into account the price of rents or the price of the shopping basket, we have to take into account the average figure.
This changes greatly depending on the city, but it is a solid benchmark for looking at household spending as a whole.
The Household Budget Survey (HBS) of the INE indicates that the average expenditure per household per year increased by 4.4% by 2024, 34,044 euros, and that the average expenditure per person was 13,626 euros.
The EPF also shows how priorities change according to the level of expenditureHouseholds with the lowest expenditure spent 60.2% of their budget on housing and supplies, food and non-alcoholic beverages. In contrast, the highest spending households spent more than a third (33.9%) on transport, catering, accommodation and recreation, sport and culture.
This is important for migrants coming to Spain because it reminds you of something very simple to keep in mind at the beginning: most of the budget usually goes to the essentials, And that is not a flaw in your approach, it is the most normal thing to do and a phase that everyone goes through.
How to build your budget in Spain
A well-structured budget that supports you does not consist of prohibiting everything, but of giving everything the place it deserves. The wisest way to do this, without looking at averages that are sometimes unrepresentative, is to work in three steps: the basics, what gets you going and what keeps you going.
Step 1: What sustains you
Here is what essential for life: housing, food, necessary transport, supplies and health care. This layer is what is protected first because it is your base, what keeps you upright to move forward.
Step 2: What moves you forward
This includes all the formalities, training, courses or working tools you need, i.e. any expenditure that turns your adaptation into progress.
In Curiara, progress, in fact, we understand it as a collective sense, as we your advancement can mean that yours will advance as well., Those you have far away and who depend in some way on you.
Step 3: What keeps you going
You must take into account and give the value it deserves to the leisure, culture, sport, because at the end of the day these are the places where you create community. The INE shows that in households with higher expenditure, more weight is given to leisure and culture.
Which gives you a clue, it turns out that living a full life is also an important part of your consumption when there is room in the monthly budget.
Housing and utilities: the part that weighs most heavily
In almost all budgets, the housing and supplies are the block that most conditions the month. Therefore, rather than giving you an average price (which changes depending on the city and neighbourhood), the key is to make decisions that reduce uncertainty.
Do a good price search for the area in which you want to live and choose a home according to your means. Remember that this is a fixed cost, whether it is a mortgage or a rental, so don't get overly attached to the price you take on, as this can affect your budget for life.
In Spain, many day-to-day formalities will be easier when your municipal situation is in order, as you can access all the services that are available to you. municipal services that can sustain your adaptation and take care of your daily well-being.
Although each municipality has its own particularities, the idea is the same: it is essential to register so that your basic and address details are correctly reported.
In Curiara you have a useful guide on how to obtain proof of address in Spain, a step that often facilitates some basic formalities.
Formalities and documents
There are expenses that you don't see, but that continue to sustain your life. We are referring to the documentsthe quotesthe fees or the displacements to be able to do all this, as well as the money you have to spend on the copies needed for many procedures. In a migrant budget, reserve a part for the procedures is not a luxury, it is a way to reduce risks.
Feeding
Food is often the most flexible and, at the same time, the most fixed expense, because you eat every day; you can't do without it. Here Much depends on the individual and the type of food they eat., But it is a fixed monthly expense that you have to regulate in order not to spend your entire salary. Because Migrating is also about learning to cook your new life without losing yourself.
Transport
Transport is not only money, it is also energy and time. So you won't be surprised at the end of the month, calculate your spending per week (not only monthly) and review your actual commuting routine.
Obviously, if your job or school changes, your transport will change, and that quick adjustment is part of taking care of your budget. Consistency in small gestures like these also sustains the accounts at the end of the month.
Full life in Spain
Spain as a place to live offers something valuable: community, culture, public spaces, accessible leisure in many places and a social life that helps to sustain you emotionally.
The INE, by showing that households with higher expenditure spend more money on leisure and culture, reminds you that welfare is also part of consumption when there is some margin.
And if you can't afford the high cost of leisure, don't worry, you can create your own version with low-cost options: walking in the street, going to libraries to read your favourite book, signing up for municipal activities, playing sports in parks and spending quality time with your people.
When the budget also supports your family
Of course, it should not be forgotten that many migrants in Spain are not only self-supporting but also self-supporting., but also support their own from afar. At Curiara we see it like this: send remittances is a way of being proudly present and sending a clear message that you are still there, even if you are thousands of kilometres away.
So that this gesture of sending money does not compete with your monthly budget for rent or food, make it a conscious fixed cost. Make a note of the day and the amount to send, so that you have a margin for unforeseen events.
And if you want to close this plan with a simple, yet very useful gesture, go back to the calendar and date your careThe day of payment, the day to check your expenses and the day of your shipment, because sustaining is also about turning what is important into routine.
In a context where prices are constantly moving, keep your budget up to date This is not a trivial control, it is a compass. It helps you to adjust your spending without guilt when something goes up, to prioritise the essentials when it's time and to reserve a space for what makes you feel at home, even if you're far away.
Because to migrate is not to disappear, but rather to be in another way, with dignity, with pride and with a shared future. All of that also shows in how you look after your money, your wellbeing and your peace of mind every month, so don't stop taking care of your budget to sustain a full life.