Cost of living and property cheaper in southern Spain than north, study finds

Cities in southern Spain are far more affordable places to live then their northern neighbours, a new study has found. The weather is usually better, too.

The great North-South divide that has shaped British politics, class and football rivalries for decades is not just restricted to the UK.

A new study by Kelisto.es found that there are stark North-South divisions in Spain when it comes to living costs, but – unlike the UK – it is the south that offers the best value for money…

According to the portal’s research, the cost of living in Barcelona is 30.17% higher than the national average, while in southern cities such as Jaén and Cáceres, the cost of living is 12% and 16% lower than the average.

Northern cities such as San Sebastián and Madrid were also much higher than the mean, and the same story was true for the Majorcan capital, Palma, where living costs are 14% higher than average.

When it comes to buying property, Spaniards and foreigners alike are better off looking in the south, where prices – both in terms of monthly rent and cost per square metre to purchase – are far lower. For example, an 80 m2 home in Barcelona, San Sebastián or Bilbao will cost in the region of €241,000 to €328,000, whereas in the south that cost is an average of just €131,000.

In assessing living costs, Kelisto.es took into account all of the parameters that add up to daily living, such as the amount of tax residents of each city have to pay, public transport costs, accommodation costs, the price of petrol, the average price of daily essentials, and the cost of leisure pursuits such as cinema tickets, a meal for two and the price of a glass of beer.

There were 50 cities covered in total, and the research showed a strong correlation between those cities with the highest wages and those with the highest living costs.

“For example, San Sebastián has a cost of living that exceeds the national average by 27.85%,” said Kelisto.es spokesperson Estefanía González. “But household income in the city was also 25.36% above the national average.

“The same applies to some of the cities with the lowest cost of living. In Teruel, the 10^th cheapest city in the country, the costs faced by its citizens are 8.29% below the national average, but their income is also 10.88% lower than the average wage in the country.”