Cost of living · Alicante
What does it cost to live in Alicante?
Alicante is a beach city on the Costa Blanca. It is an easy place to live. The sea, the old town and the airport are all close. Rent is your main cost, and it comes as two numbers. The official registered rent is about €604 a month. It is based on older leases, so it sits below today's prices. A one-bedroom advertised now asks about €886. Plan with the higher one. Here is what Alicante really costs.
Updated February 2026 · our reading of official public data · Domior Discover
Your monthly budget
What you'll spend each month
These costs come every month. Rent is the big one. The rest changes far less than people think.
A single professional
renting alone, working locally
≈ €1,490
Per month
- Rent — one-bed outside the centre
- €739
- Food and groceries
- €290
- Transport — monthly pass
- €22
- Power, water, internet and mobile
- €140
- Going out and everything else
- €300
A couple
two incomes, wanting to be central
≈ €1,850
Per month
- Rent — one-bed in the centre
- €886
- Food and groceries for two
- €470
- Transport — two passes
- €44
- Power, water, internet and mobile
- €170
- Going out and everything else
- €280
A family
two adults and children, space over postcode
≈ €2,750
Per month
- Rent — three-bed outside the centre
- €1,238
- Food and groceries for a family
- €680
- Transport
- €64
- Power, water, internet and mobile
- €210
- Kids, going out and the rest
- €560
The big one
Rent decides your budget
Rent is the number that moves. The rest barely changes.
Rent is your biggest cost, and the one you control most. Where you live changes it more than anything else. So we start there.
Renting
What different rents get you
These are what flats ask for today. Each is one flat type, at today's advertised price.
€739
A one-bed outside the centre
Working neighbourhoods like Carolinas or San Blas. A little further out, well linked by bus and tram.
Outside the centre
€886
A one-bed in the centre
In the Centro or the Ensanche, near the marina. You can walk to the beach and the old town.
In the centre
€1,238
A three-bed outside the centre
Family space in areas like San Blas or Pla del Bon Repòs. More room, still a short ride in.
Outside the centre
€1,365
A three-bed in the centre
A family-sized flat in the centre, near the seafront. This is about the most you would expect to pay.
In the centre
The rent range
What rent costs, low to high
This is the official government rent per square metre. Cheaper areas cost less per metre; central areas cost more.
The affordable end
≈ €5.47 / m²
The cheapest areas of the city, per square metre.
The typical middle
≈ €6.88 / m²
A typical area, per square metre.
The top end
≈ €8.76 / m²
The most expensive areas, per square metre.
Personal help
Which parts of Alicante fit my budget and the life I want?
Dom finds the areas that match your money and the way you want to live.
Request early accessDom is your AI companion for moving to Spain. Launching soon.
Day to day
What things cost day to day
Here is what everyday things cost in Alicante. These are market estimates, meant as a guide.
€1.89
Cappuccino
€3.17
A beer out (½ litre)
€15
Menú del día
€10
A fast-food meal
€55
Dinner for two
€43.73
A week's groceries
€1.54
Bread
€1.04
Milk
€2.94
Eggs
€0.66
Bottled water
€1.45
A single bus or metro ticket
€22
Monthly transport pass
€16.15
Mobile plan, per month
€26.02
Home internet, per month
€36.13
Gym, per month
€8.25
Cinema ticket
Good to know
What surprises people
The centre barely costs more than the edges.
In most cities you pay much more to live in the middle. In Alicante you barely do. A central one-bed asks about €886. Just outside, about €739. The gap is small. So you can live central, walk to the beach, and skip the commute.
Getting around
Do you need a car? No.
€22
A monthly pass for the city buses and the tram.
€1.45
A single ride on the bus or tram.
Moving in
What you pay before you move in
The monthly budget is the easy part. Moving in costs more at once.
First month's rent, up front
€886
Based on a one-bed in the centre at today's advertised rate.
Deposit (fianza) — one month
€886
Official. Ley de Arrendamientos Urbanos. One month's rent, held and returned.
Additional guarantee — up to two months
up to €1,772
Official. Ley de Arrendamientos Urbanos. A landlord may ask for up to two more months.
The agency fee
€0
Since the 2023 housing law the landlord pays the agency fee. You pay nothing.
Worst case, before you have keys
€3,544
First month plus deposit plus the full two-month guarantee, at €886 a month.
Or somewhere else?
Alicante, Valencia or Madrid?
Alicante
- A one-bed in the centre
- €886
- A three-bed in the centre
- €1,365
Beach city, small rents, and you can live central.
Valencia
- A one-bed in the centre
- €1,256
- A three-bed in the centre
- €1,974
Bigger, with more to do, still good value.
Madrid
- A one-bed in the centre
- €1,395
- A three-bed in the centre
- €2,447
More jobs, higher rents, and no coast.
Common questions
Good questions
Is Alicante expensive?
- No. A one-bed in the centre asks about €886 a month. Just outside, about €739. The gap is small.
How much is rent in Alicante?
- About €886 a month for a one-bed in the centre. That is today's asking price — plan around it. Further out, about €739.
Do you need a car in Alicante?
- No. The city is compact and flat. A monthly pass is about €22, and a tram runs to the beaches.
What do you pay before you move in?
- Take a flat advertised at €886. You pay the first month, one month deposit, and up to two months more. Worst case, about €3,544.
In short
The centre costs little more
Here the neighbourhood barely changes the rent. The real choice is whether you want the beach.
Personal help
Which parts of Alicante fit my budget and the life I want?
Dom finds the areas that match your money and the way you want to live.
Request early accessDom is your AI companion for moving to Spain. Launching soon.
Sources & provenance
- Zyla — Spain Cost of Living APITier 3 · ES · Retrieved Jul 30, 2026
- Domior Geographic IntelligenceTier 3 · ES-VC · Retrieved Sep 1, 2025 – Jul 30, 2026
- BOE — Ley de Arrendamientos Urbanos / Ley 12/2023Tier 1 · ES · Retrieved Jul 30, 2026