Cost of Living in Valencia 2026: Rent and Monthly Budget

A single person renting a 60 m² flat in Valencia needs about €1,805 a month, and a couple renting 80 m² needs about €2,958, using September 2026 asking rents and what INE says residents of the Comunitat Valenciana spend. Rent is the main cost: €978 of the single budget and €1,304 of the couple budget.

The rent figure is idealista’s September 2026 asking rent for Valencia city: €16.3 per m² a month. The idealista article of 1 October 2026 does not print the Valencia price in its text; the figure comes from idealista data reported by EDATV on 7 October 2026. Spending is from the INE Household Budget Survey 2025, which publishes by region, so it is the Comunitat Valenciana average rather than a Valencia city figure.

Rent in Valencia

Asking rent applies to homes listed now, so it is a good guide to what a newcomer pays and a poor guide to what a long-term tenant pays. The price depends on flat size:

Flat size	Calculation	Monthly rent
50 m²	50 × €16.3	€815
60 m²	60 × €16.3	€978
70 m²	70 × €16.3	€1,141
80 m²	80 × €16.3	€1,304

How does that compare? Madrid asks €23.4 per m², Barcelona €20.1, Málaga €16.5 and Alicante €13.9. Valencia is about 30% below Madrid (€16.3 against €23.4) and about 19% below Barcelona (€16.3 against €20.1). It is almost level with Málaga and 17% above Alicante. For a 70 m² flat, that is €1,141 in Valencia against €1,638 in Madrid, €1,407 in Barcelona and €973 in Alicante. Our guides to Madrid and Barcelona use the same method.

Everyday spending

INE reports average spending per person in the Comunitat Valenciana in 2025, with housing costs removed and utilities kept in:

Per person	A year	A month
Food (groceries)	€2,245	€187
Transport	€1,671	€139
Utilities (water, electricity, gas)	€582	€48
Leisure (recreation, culture, restaurants, hotels)	€1,985	€165
Other (clothing, health, communications, education, insurance, personal care)	€3,444	€287
Total	€9,927	€827

Monthly rows are rounded, so they can differ from the total by €1. The regional average includes children and retirees, so a working adult who eats out and travels may spend more. Compared with the average resident of Madrid (€910 a month) the Valencian average is €83 lower, and it is €7 below the national figure (€834).

Monthly budget: single person and couple

The single person rents 60 m². The couple rents 80 m² and spends twice the per-person average.

Monthly	Single (60 m²)	Couple (80 m²)
Rent	€978	€1,304
Food	€187	€374
Transport	€139	€278
Utilities	€48	€97
Leisure	€165	€331
Other	€287	€574
Total	€1,805	€2,958
Total per year	€21,660	€35,496

Rent is 54% of the single budget (€978 of €1,805) and 44% of the couple budget (€1,304 of €2,958). The couple utilities line assumes two people use twice as much as one, which overstates a shared home slightly. Not included: income tax, a private health policy, a car purchase and anything you pay before you arrive.

Budget versus visa income requirements

Both visas ask you to prove income, and the requirement is a separate number from what you will spend:

Monthly	Budget in Valencia	Non-lucrative visa	Digital nomad visa
Single	€1,805	€2,400	€2,442 (safe: €2,849)
Couple	€2,958	€3,000	€3,358 (safe: €3,918)

The non-lucrative visa asks for 400% of the IPREM for the applicant (€2,400 a month) and 100% for each family member (€600), so a couple needs €3,000. The digital nomad visa asks for €2,442 for one person and €3,358 for a couple as the Washington consulate counts it, or €2,849 and €3,918 to be safe. Both come from the rules covered in those guides.

In Valencia a single person’s budget (€1,805) sits €595 below the non-lucrative requirement and €1,044 below the digital nomad one. A couple’s budget (€2,958) is €42 below the non-lucrative minimum and €959 below the digital nomad minimum. In short, the visa thresholds, not the cost of living, set how much money you need to show.

What can move your number

• Neighborhood and size. The €16.3 is a city figure. Each extra 10 m² adds €163 a month in rent.
• Utilities in summer and winter. The INE figure is an annual average per person; a heavy air-conditioning household will be above it.
• Sharing. Two flatmates splitting a 70 m² flat (€1,141) pay €570.50 each before spending.
• Regional spending is not city spending. The Comunitat Valenciana average covers the whole region, so Valencia city residents may spend differently.

For the full five-city comparison and the national picture, read cost of living in Spain.

Sources and limits

Rent: idealista’s September 2026 figure for Valencia city, as reported by EDATV. These are asking rents in listings, not rents actually paid. Spending: INE Household Budget Survey 2025, final results published 25 June 2026 (tables 73991 and 73993). Checked 7 October 2026.