🇪🇸 Spain · A realistic 2026 budget for newcomers — rent, food, transport, and what a month actually costs.
Wondering how far your salary goes in Alicante? Here’s what everyday life costs, in local prices — the numbers that matter when you’re deciding to move or negotiating a package.
What things cost
One-bed flat, Centro or Ensanche-DiputaciónEUR 800–1,150 / month
One-bed flat, San Blas, Carolinas or BabelEUR 600–850 / month
Utilities and internet, one personEUR 105–165 / month
Groceries, one personEUR 210–290 / month
TRAM and city bus travelEUR 30–45 / month with a travel card
Good to know
Population
≈340,000 in the city; ≈1.9 million in Alicante province, which has one of Spain's highest shares of foreign residents
Languages
Castilian Spanish and Valencian, both co-official; Alicante city is predominantly Castilian-speaking. English is unusually widely spoken along the coast
Currency
Euro (EUR)
Time zone
CET (GMT+1); CEST (GMT+2) from late March to late October
Power plug
Type C and F, 230 V / 50 Hz
Climate
Hot semi-arid to Mediterranean — one of the driest and sunniest cities in mainland Europe, with very mild winters and autumn gota fría storms
Driving side
Right
Regional tax
Comunitat Valenciana sets half of IRPF and applies wealth tax above a 1,000,000 euro exempt minimum, raised from 500,000 with effect from the end of 2025
Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.
A note on budgeting
Rent is usually the swing factor — location and whether bills are included move the number most. Build your estimate from the rent band above, add a monthly living figure, and keep a buffer for one-off setup costs (deposits, a residence permit, a local SIM, first-month transport). Globe Quest turns this into a personalized Alicante checklist so nothing setup-related catches you off guard.
Plan your move to Alicante
A free, AI-personalized plan — the language, culture, and setup steps timed to your move date.