I lived in Spain for a year – 4 things were much cheaper than in the UK

Living in Valencia, Spain had many perks. Warm weather, stunning beaches and excellent food. But one of the greatest joys was watching less money leave my bank account each month.

According to Numbeo, the UK’s cost of living is 32.5% higher than in Spain, excluding rent with UK rent running £343 a month more expensive, according to costliving.net. But, while Spain's lower cost of living is a major draw, it's the surprisingly cheap everyday essentials that help locals stretch their money further than in the UK.

When browsing Spanish supermarkets, I was pleasantly surprised to find essential items costing less than a euro. For example, Mercadona, a popular Spanish supermarket chain, offers a pint of milk for €0.82 euros per litre (£0.71) while my local Tesco at home sold a pint of milk for £1.05.

While these saving were small, the costs added up over the course of the year, leaving me grateful for the extra money that could be put towards savings or travel.

Other perks included Spain's excellent selection of fresh fruit and vegetables, which I found often fresher, tastier and better value than those back in the UK.

While during my time of residency, as a student, I was able to use transport for free through Valencia’s previous ‘Carnet Jove’ scheme, even now a regular single journey, one-zone ticket on the Valencia metro only costs €1.50 (£1.29).

Compared with paying £3.10 for a standard peak-time Tube journey in London, it felt like a major victory for my wallet. As Valencia is a highly walkable city, I was also fortunate to have the option of getting around on foot instead of relying on public transport if I didn’t want to.

While not necessarily an essential expense, I was surprised by how affordable alcohol was in supermarkets, as well as how generously spirits were poured in bars and clubs.

At Mercadona, a 1.5 litre bottle of Don Simón Sangría typically costed around €1.95 (£1.68) while options like Tinto de Verano (red wine with lemon) costed around €1.95 (£1.29).

I saved hundreds of pounds over the course of the year, even while eating and drinking out – particularly compared with the UK, where restaurant wine prices surged by 40% between 2020 and 2025, according to UKHospitality.

While the UK does admittedly offer excellent regular high street discounts, many Spanish restaurant chains offered excellent prices all-year round.

One example is Tiki Taco, where each taco is as cheap as €1 (£0.86) each. Other well-known spots included 100 Montaditos, famous for its 100 varieties of small sandwiches, also from €1 (£0.86) each.

Brits looking to travel to Spain this summer should also look out for the phrase ‘Menu del Día’ which is offered in many Spanish cafés. The deal usually incudes a 3-course lunch of starter, main, drink, and dessert or coffee, typically between €10 to €15 euros.