Living in Spain: cost of living, rents and the salary you need

Updated 2 October 2026

How much do you need to earn to live in Spain? Here are rents in the main cities, the minimum wage, healthcare, residence permits and moving costs, with the official source of every figure. For your own case, the calculator starts from your real budget, in your city, and moves it to Spain.

Work out my budget in Spain

Example: the same life, elsewhere

A single person living in London in a one-bedroom home, with the average spending of a similar household, spends about £3,350 a month. To keep the same life in Madrid, they would need about €1,410 net a month locally (−64%), i.e. 1.1 times the SMI.

For a couple with two children in a two-bedroom home (state school), it would take about €2,590 net a month in Madrid, i.e. 1.9 times the SMI.

Calculated on 2 October 2026 with the official averages of London and the destination’s prices. Yours depends on your city, home and habits: the calculator works it out in a few minutes, no sign-up.

Rents in Spain

City	Studio	1 bedroom	2 bedrooms	3-bedroom house
Madrid	€410	€660	€960	€1,180
Barcelona	€400	€650	€940	€1,140
Valencia	€240	€390	€560	€710
Zaragoza	€230	€370	€530	€550
Seville	€270	€430	€630	€600
Palma	€290	€470	€670	€790
Málaga	€280	€450	€650	€660
A Coruña	€210	€340	€490	€480
Vigo	€220	€360	€520	€480
Las Palmas de Gran Canaria	€240	€380	€550	€480
Murcia	€190	€310	€450	€450
Valladolid	€200	€320	€460	€570

Monthly rent in EUR, outside the most sought-after areas. Studio 28 m², 1 bedroom 45 m², 2 bedrooms 65 m², house 95 m² where rent is known per m². Ministry of Housing (SERPAVI), from 2024 tax returns: median rent per m² in each municipality (flats, houses separately), updated with the Eurostat rent index (August 2026).

Wages

The SMI is €1,330 net a month (€1,420 gross).

Median wage: €24,500 gross a year.

Healthcare

With a job, Social Security covers you; otherwise, the special agreement with the public system (€60 a month) after one year.

In the example above: with a job, public health insurance is deducted from your salary: nothing more to pay.

Visa and residence permit

Residence and work permits, on the official foreigners’ portal. Not needed for Europeans, who simply register.

Cost: €110 per person.

National visa and residence card (TIE).

To live on income from abroad: the international telework visa, with income of at least twice the Spanish minimum wage and a degree or three years’ experience; for retirees and people living on savings, the non-lucrative residence visa.

Moving in and everyday life

Deposit: 1 month’ rent
Agency fees: No fees for the tenant
School: Free state school
Electricity: €0.27 per kWh
Home cleaning: €10 an hour

Frequently asked questions

What salary do you need to live in Madrid?

For a single person keeping the same life as in London: about €1,410 net a month, i.e. 1.1 times the SMI.

How much is rent in Madrid?

About €660 a month for a one-bedroom home and €960 for a two-bedroom home, according to Ministry of Housing (SERPAVI), from 2024 tax returns.

Do you need a residence permit to live in Spain?

Residence and work permits, on the official foreigners’ portal. Not needed for Europeans, who simply register. Cost: €110 per person.