The cost of living on the Costa Blanca in 2026: the real budgets

On the Costa Blanca in 2026, the heaviest cost is rent, but it stays milder than in Valencia or Madrid: around €12.5/m²/month in Alicante, so roughly €875 for a 70 m² place, on a two-speed coast (premium Benidorm and the Marina Alta above, Torrevieja, the Vega Baja and the interior below). Excluding rent, day-to-day life for one person comes to around €700/month. Here are realistic budgets by profile, as ballpark figures to adjust for your town.

Rent, the real issue

Averages from the property portals' indices in 2026:

Jávea, Moraira and Altea play above these averages (rare year-round supply against the seasonal market), the interior clearly below. Increases are in double digits on coastal flats. The full how-to, lease and traps included, is in our guide to renting on the Costa Blanca.

Bills and subscriptions

Water, electricity and gas for a flat of around 85 m²: about €140/month, with peaks in summer (air con runs a lot on the coast) and mid-winter. Fibre internet: around €30-35/month. Mobile plan: around €14/month. If you live in a residence or urbanización, budget too for community charges that can climb with a pool and gardens: ask the amount before you sign.

Eating: groceries and restaurants

Groceries: around €200 to €320/month for one person, €500 to €600 for a family of four, at the usual chains (Mercadona, Consum, Lidl). The menú del día (starter, main, dessert, drink, at lunchtime): €10 to €15 away from the tourist zones, one of the great local pleasures. A coffee: around €2; a beer at the bar: around €3. The tourist seafronts (Benidorm, Calpe in summer) run their own prices: two streets back is often enough to return to local rates.

Getting around

The TRAM linking Alicante to Benidorm and on to Dénia is the coast's backbone: a single ticket costs €1.45 in zone A, €2.80 for two zones, €3.90 for three, and the rechargeable Móbilis card brings a trip below 90 cents (10 journeys for €8.70), per the official TRAM fares. In town, urban buses stay cheap. A car remains essential in the urbanizaciones and inland: factor in fuel, insurance and the IVTM (the municipal vehicle tax). We cover it all in our guide to getting around the Costa Blanca.

How much in total? Typical budgets

Single person: roughly €1,300 to €2,000/month, rent included, depending on the town. Couple: around €1,900/month with a two-bed in Alicante or Torrevieja. Family (3-4 people): from €2,800 to €3,300/month to live comfortably, more in the premium Marina Alta. Excluding rent, day-to-day life for one person is around €700/month.

Cheaper than back home?

Yes: the province stays cheaper than Madrid, Barcelona and even Valencia on city rent, and Spain overall sits roughly 20 to 30% below the UK and much of Western Europe for daily life. The two local things to watch: the rapid rise in coastal rents (Benidorm and Torrevieja leading), and the huge gap between towns, double the price between the Vega Baja and Moraira. An honest caveat: these figures come from crowdsourced databases (Numbeo) and listed-price observatories (Idealista, Fotocasa). They are reference points, not absolute truths: your real budget will mostly depend on your rent.

Frequently asked questions

How much is rent on the Costa Blanca in 2026? From ~€10.6/m² in Dénia to €16.3/m² in Benidorm, so roughly €740 to €1,140 for a 70 m² flat. Alicante city runs at €12.5/m², cheaper than Valencia.

Can you live without a car? Yes along the TRAM line (Alicante-Benidorm-Dénia) and in the town centres; barely in the urbanizaciones and inland, where a car is the norm.

What budget for a retired couple? Around €1,900 to €2,400/month rent included in a mid-sized coastal town, depending on the home and how often you go out. Premium Marina Alta budgets sit above that.

Is life cheaper than back home? Yes, on the order of 20 to 30% cheaper day-to-day than the UK, especially on restaurants, transport and services. Electricity and summer air con are the items that surprise people the other way.

For the practical next steps: opening your bank account and the full journey of your first 90 days.

Sources

• Numbeo: cost of living in Alicante (May 2026)
• Idealista: rent trends in Alicante
• NoticiasCV: rising flat rents on the coast
• TRAM d'Alacant: official fares
• Numbeo: Spain cost-of-living comparison

Figures recorded in July 2026: ballpark ranges, not quotes. Prices change fast, so check the sources before any decision. This is not financial advice. The Daily Costa Blanca is an AI-assisted publication with human review. Spotted a mistake? Drop us a line and we'll fix it. How we work.