Many travellers find prices in Spain surprising. However, not everything is cheaper in Spain than in other countries. There are some specific products and services that stand out for their low prices, and being aware of that will always come in handy. Here you will find 5 things that are cheaper in Spain and 3 things that are, in fact, more expensive.
Top cheapest products you can buy in Spain at a low price
Tobacco and alcohol
These might not be the healthiest products, but they are fairly cheap in Spain. A cigarette pack costs about 4-5 euros in Spain, whereas in countries like the UK, France and Canada, the price more than doubles said amount. People from Australia will be amazed at the price of tobacco in Spain, since the price of 1 package of Marlboro cigarettes in Sydney is no less than AU$40 ($27). Considering all this, many tourists leave Spain with a stack of cigarettes in their luggage.
Spain is one of the largest wine producing countries in the world, and so we can find ridiculously cheap wine there. There is actually a wide range of prices when it comes to Spanish wine, but you can easily find a bottle of wine for 2-3 euros in any local shop or supermarket, and the quality is not necessarily bad. Apart from that, beer is usually cheap in most bars, and the tapas culture makes it really worth it to order a beer and eat tapas for free. And it’s much cheaper than the British pints!
Groceries
Besides being a leading wine producing country, Spain is also estimated to produce more than half of the world’s olive oil. Hence, it makes sense that this product is sold at a low price in Spain, as Spanish people use it for everyday cooking. If you ever see a Spaniard living in the UK, they will probably find its price there way too expensive. Either way, we highly recommend buying olive oil in Spain, both for its price and its high quality.
Among other cheap products you can find in Spanish shops and supermarkets, fresh fruits and vegetables are perhaps the ones that stand out the most. If you buy seasonal fruits and veggies, the price goes even lower. Bread, coffee, fish and certain types of meat are also considered inexpensive as compared to other countries.
Transport Services
According to Eurostat statistics, transport services in Spain are really cheap if we compare them to countries like Ireland, Germany or France. Its public transport services are considerably cheaper than the UK and the US too. However, it is not the cheapest country regarding transport: places like Albania, Poland and Turkey are way below Spain in that sense.
London, Dublin and New York are some of the cities with the more expensive public transport services in the world. Conversely, all forms of public transport are free in Luxembourg since 2020. In Spain, the most expensive public transport services can be found in Madrid, although there are different discounts and monthly tickets that make it more accessible to travel through the capital of Spain by bus, underground and train. If you are travelling to Spain, we suggest checking out these special tickets and discounts to save up even more money.
Clothing
Clothing is cheaper in Spain than in many other countries too. As defined by Eurostat data, the price of clothing in Spain is below most European countries. In fact, fashion in Spain is around 8% cheaper that the EU average. However, it depends on the type of clothes we are buying, and it is worth noting that Spanish footwear is not as cheap as its fashion.
3 things that are more expensive in Spain
We just had a look at the cheapest things we can find in Spain, but not everything is cheaper here. For instance, furniture is more expensive than usual, so you might want to think twice before buying furniture in Spain. According to Eurostat statistics, it stands around the EU average, with many cheaper European countries regarding furniture prices.
Electricity in Spain is remarkably expensive too. Prices vary, but it is usually above EU average, which makes it one of the most expensive European countries in terms of cost of energy.
On a similar note, consumer electronics are not cheap in Spain. Their price is slightly above EU average, although it is more or less uniform in all European countries. Nevertheless, even for people from the US, where most things cost more than they do in Spain, buying electronics in Spain is usually more expensive.
Source: Spanish Culture