How much does it cost to live in Valencia, Spain

First, let’s take a look at the current rental market in Valencia.
Short-term and long-term rental prices can vary significantly — a 4-week holiday stay typically costs much more than renting on a 12-month lease. To keep things consistent and avoid seasonal fluctuations, we’ll focus on prices for April 2025.

4-Week Short-Term Stay

If you’re planning to rent an apartment for just a month, the most common platform to use is Airbnb. Here’s what you can expect:

• Apartments: €70–€130 per night, or around €2,500–€3,500 for a 4-week stay
• Private rooms: €30–€50 per night, or around €900–€1,000 for 4 weeks

As you can see, short-term rentals come at a premium price.

6–12 Month Long-Term Stay

For longer stays, students usually search through local Spanish rental platforms like Idealista, Fotocasa, or Pisos.com. Current average prices in Valencia are:

• Apartments: €900–€1,300 per month
• Individual rooms: €350–€450 per month

Clearly, long-term renting is much more affordable compared to short-term options.

Important Factors That Affect Pricing

Rental prices on these platforms are guidelines only and may vary depending on several factors:

• Whether you have a work contract in Spain or the EU
• If not, whether you can pay 3–6 months’ rent upfront
• Whether you hold a Spanish residence permit
• Whether you have a Spanish bank account

Additionally, keep in mind that many listings are posted by real estate agents, not private owners. If you rent through an agency, you’ll usually be charged an agency fee equivalent to one month’s rent (around €900–€1,300).

When budgeting for your stay in Valencia, don’t forget to factor in the cost of utilities — including water, electricity, gas (if your apartment has it), and Wi-Fi.

We’ll share real examples based on what we currently pay, but keep in mind that prices can vary depending on your rental contract, consumption habits, and any special promotions offered by utility providers at the time.

Valencia boasts a well-developed and highly connected public transport system, making it easy to get around the city without needing a car. You can choose from:

• Buses
• Metro (subway)
• Taxis
• City bikes, known as Valenbisi

If you prefer using buses or the metro, the current price for 10 trips is €5 for a new transport card and €4 for each recharge.

This discounted rate is available until June 30, 2025, as part of a subsidy program by the Valencian authorities. After that, prices may either remain the same or return to the regular rate of €8–€9 per 10 trips.

With the same SUMA transport card, you can access the metro, tram, and buses both within Valencia and in the surrounding suburbs. Additionally, if you are under the age of 31, you can use public transportation for free until June 30, 2025.

Another fantastic transportation option in Valencia is Valenbisi — the city’s public bicycle-sharing system. Once you receive your residence card, you can subscribe to Valenbisi for just €29 per year — yes, that’s less than €30 for 12 months of unlimited access!

If you’re visiting as a tourist, there’s also a 1-week access pass available for €13.

Valenbisi makes it easy to get anywhere in Valencia. Here’s how it works:

• You can ride a bike for up to 30 minutes at a time.
• When you reach a station, you can switch to a new bike and continue riding — effectively allowing you to travel all day if needed.
• With around 300 Valenbisi stations across the city, you’re never far from your next pickup or drop-off point.

While the bikes are a bit heavy, Valencia’s flat landscape and extensive network of bike lanes along major roads make cycling a very convenient and eco-friendly way to explore the city.

Valencia has a wide variety of supermarket chains to choose from. The most recognizable is MERCADONA — Spain’s largest supermarket brand — known for its competitive prices, although the product variety in each category is a bit more limited.

Other popular supermarket chains include:

• Lidl
• Aldi
• Carrefour
• Alcampo (also known as Auchan in other countries)

In our household, we do most of our weekly shopping at a local supermarket called CONSUM. On average, we spend around €90–€100 per visit, buying everything we need. Of course, we occasionally pick up extras during the week (like water, bread, or snacks), but overall, our monthly grocery expenses are about €400 for two adults.

For a family of four, a monthly grocery budget of around €700 would generally be more than enough to cover a comfortable lifestyle in Valencia.

Valencia is a true paradise for food lovers, with around 3,500 restaurants across the city. Even if you visited a new place every day, it would take you nearly 10 years to try them all!

Spanish cuisine offers an incredible variety, and Valencian cuisine is no exception. While paella is Valencia’s most famous dish, locals usually prefer tapas for everyday meals during the week.

In Spain, it’s common to eat five times a day:

1. Desayuno (breakfast): Coffee with milk (café con leche) and a croissant, or toast with tomato and jamón, or butter and jam. Typical price: €3–€5
2. Almuerzo (brunch): Light meal, often similar in price to desayuno (€3–€5)
3. Comida (lunch): Main meal of the day. Price: €10–€15, depending on the restaurant
4. Merienda (afternoon snack): Small snack, often coffee, pastry, or fruit
5. Cena (dinner): Evening meal. Price: €15–€30 for a typical dinner menu

As for coffee, expect to pay around €1.20 for a black coffee (café americano) and about €1.60 for a café con leche.

Of course, prices can vary — you can find a charming café offering great food at modest prices, or treat yourself to a Michelin-starred experience for €200 or more.

Now that we’ve covered the cost of living in Valencia, let’s talk about local salaries. The reality is that salaries in Valencia are considerably lower compared to cities like Madrid, Barcelona, or countries like Germany and France. From our own experience, the median monthly salary in Valencia is around €1,300 after taxes (net salary).

In many cases, salaries don’t vary much across different professions. Whether you work as a language school teacher, a barista at Starbucks, or a sales agent at an insurance company, you can expect roughly the same monthly income, typically between €1,200 and €1,500 net.

Of course, there are exceptions:

• Highly skilled professionals, such as software developers, engineers, or medical specialists, working for international companies or in the tech sector can earn significantly more, sometimes €2,500–€3,500+ net per month.
• Entrepreneurs and freelancers have no salary cap, but their income depends heavily on the success of their business and market demand.

According to recent 2024 statistics:

• The minimum wage in Spain is €1,134 gross per month
• The average gross salary in the Valencian Community is approximately €2,050 per month
• After taxes, the average net salary in Valencia typically falls between €1,300–€1,500

Despite lower wages compared to larger cities, Valencia’s lower cost of living often balances the lifestyle equation — allowing residents to enjoy a very comfortable quality of life.