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.

Item	Barcelona	Madrid
Groceries
Milk (1L)	0.85	0.84
Water (1.5L)	0.89	0.95
Avocado (1 item)	1.50	1.50
Basmati Rice (1kg)	2.19	2.18
Banana (1kg)	1.9	1.9
Tomato (1kg)	2.1	2.04
Eggs (12 medium)	3.2	3.1
Coca Cola (1.5L)	2.1	2.15
Potato (1kg)	1.80	1.79
Cigarettes (1 pack Marlboro)	5.90	6.00
Transportation
Metro ride (1 single ticket)	2.4	1.50 (variable)
Metro ride (10 rides)	11.35	12.2
Gasoline (1L)	1.78	1.73
Taxi starting rate	3	2.5
Taxi 1km	1.25	1.2
Airport bus	6.75 (Aerobús)	5.00 (Exprés Aeropuerto)
Dining out
Coffee with milk	1.95	1.85
Coca Cola (1 0.33L can)	2.15	2
Italian pizza (1 medium)	11	10.5
3-course meal at an average restaraunt	20	23.5
Beer (1 jug)	2.3	2.5
Accommodation
Studio / 1 bedroom flat	1050-1300	950-1200
2 bedroom flat	1300-1500	1100-1350
3 bedroom flat	1500-1900	1350-1650
4 bedroom flat	+1900	1800-2200
Double bedroom in student residency	700-900	500-800
Individual room in a shared flat	450-700	350-500
Double room in a shared flat	550-800	420-650
Utilities
600Mb FiberOptics internet	40	45
Water (per person per month)	35	50
Electricity (per person per month)	50	50

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.