The rent for the room in the dormitory or a room in a shared apartment. The cost of meals and the cost of the glass of Rioja or the Cervezas that you indulge in on warm Spanish summer evenings with friends in the street café. A ticket for the latest blockbuster cinema or a concert. Maybe also short trips within the country to discover Spain in all its beauty. These are all typical expenses that arise when studying in Spain, a country that is a member of European Union defined by commit4fitness.

In addition to tuition fees, the cost of living is the second not insignificant cost factor, both for local and international students. We will therefore devote ourselves below to the question “What does life cost in Spain?”.

The cost of living in Spain is determined by the region in which the students live and also by individual preferences and habits. Those who live in their own single apartment and regularly eat outside usually have higher expenses than students who live in a shared apartment and usually swing the wooden spoon themselves. Students who live in the Spanish metropolises of Barcelona and Madrid are also faced with higher living costs. Life is cheaper in smaller towns and in the country than in the big cities. The average cost of living in Spain is lower than in Germany.

Rent and housing costs in Spain

Rent plays a major role in the cost of living in Spain. The amount depends on the type of accommodation and the place of residence.

A room in a shared apartment in Spain costs around EUR 450 to EUR 550 per month. Students should expect outliers upwards, especially in large cities. In addition to the rent, the ancillary costs such as heating, electricity, water and garbage disposal must also be paid proportionally. There are additional costs for the Internet connection. Students may have to purchase furniture for unfurnished rooms. If you don’t feel like living with a roommate, you can also rent an apartment on your own. The costs for this are of course higher. A deposit is often required for a room in a shared apartment or a single apartment.

The classic student residence is also available in Spain. Here students can often at comparatively preiswertesten live. The monthly rent for accommodation in the dormitory without meals is around EUR 250. Those who rent a room with meals pay around EUR 500. You can rent a single room or share a room with other students. In some cases – for a service fee – towels and sheets are also made available and changed. Whether the additional costs are included in the rent varies and depends on various factors, such as the dormitory or the length of stay. Since the dormitories are often close to the university, the transport costs to the campus are also low.

Students who want to get to know the authentic everyday life of the Spaniards can live with a host family. Full or half board meals are usually included in the rent.

Food costs in Spain

The level of food costs in Spain is influenced by the individual purchasing behavior of the students. Where and what you buy and eat determines, just as in Germany and Spain, the monthly financial expenditure for catering. In Barcelona, ​​for example, students should budget between EUR 250 and EUR 350 per month. The following overview gives examples of food prices in Spain:

Costs for doing things in Spain

Even if they mainly come to Spain to study, students want to experience something while studying abroad. Therefore, expenses for businesses should also be included in the cost of living. There are numerous recreational opportunities in Spain. A real football fan, for example, will not want to miss a game of one of the world-famous Spanish football clubs. But there are also numerous offers for friends of good food, good films or cultural events. You even get that real holiday feeling under the Spanish sun for free.

Transport costs in Spain

Another component of the cost of living in Spain is the cost of using transport. Depending on the place of study, various public transport options are available, mostly buses and, in larger cities, subways or trams. A bus or subway ticket costs an average of EUR 1.50 in Spain. The ten and monthly tickets are priced at EUR 9 and EUR 45, respectively. The taxi is a widely used means of transport in Spain. The journey costs EUR 3 on average, each kilometer around EUR 1. If you want to use a car in Spain, you can expect fuel costs between EUR 1 and EUR 1.30 per liter.

Communication costs within Spain

Even if the abolition of roaming charges within the European Union is expected in June 2017, it is usually advisable to choose a Spanish provider for domestic calls with the mobile phone and the use of the mobile Internet in Spain. In order to prevent customers from using their domestic contract in the long term abroad, providers may in exceptional cases still charge roaming fees. Roaming charges increase the cost of making phone calls and surfing the net while abroad.

Students can buy a SIM card from Spanish providers or, in the case of a longer study abroad, take out a mobile phone contract in Spain. Sometimes there are special offers for students.

Students can make calls to Germany free of charge via the Internet, for example via Skype or Whatsapp Call. This can save a few euros on the cost of living in Spain.

Health care costs in Spain

At least during the semester abroad, the health insurance for students from EU countries runs through the European health insurance card. Students do not have to pay any contributions for a Spanish insurance. However, the completion of an additional private is international health insurance also advisable for a semester abroad quite even if it means additional costs. Medical repatriation, for example, is not covered by the European health insurance card.

In the case of a full course, students may have to register with a Spanish insurance company or take out the private international health insurance already mentioned.

Medicines are usually cheaper in Spain than in Germany. In Spain in particular, you should protect yourself from sunburn in summer. Sunscreen can be bought for EUR 5.