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So, you have scoured the internet and found out what a great country Spain is. Reino de España, the Kingdom of Spain, the largest country in Southern Europe, has finally drawn your attention. Hours and hours of research to find out about the famous Spanish cuisine, the music, the culture, or maybe you’re just a huge Barcelona or Real Madrid fan. You’ve graduated high school or university and are looking for the perfect destination for studying abroad, and secretly you’ve fallen in love with Spain.
But this love comes at a premium. Literally speaking, the cost of living in Spain for Indian students; so, let’s break this down into small digestible pieces.
Spain is an excellent destination for studying for many reasons.
The educational system is executed properly, it’s very well organized, and is oriented in a way to allow students to grow to their maximum potential, and
The cultural aspect of Spain is well renowned and with plenty of art galleries and museums and monuments.
One of the most vastly spoken languages is Spanish, with around 420 million speakers worldwide.
The atmosphere is comfortable, laid back, and generally very pleasant.
The most important reason is affordable tuition fees, which facilitate the students to pursue a degree without breaking the bank or having to pay lifelong loans like in the USA, or UK. It’s no secret why Spain is the third cheapest country in Western Europe and often poses to be a desirable student destination for Indian students owing to the relatively low cost of living in Spain for Indian Students. Let us see how much is the cost of living in Spain for Indian students.
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Cost of Living in Spain for Indian Students
Accommodation
Accommodation by Type
Home Stay
International students can opt to stay with a host family. These are littered throughout Spain, each providing an enjoyable experience that is unique to each household, leaving the resident with a lifetime of experience. Home-stays in Madrid, Barcelona, and other cities typically cost about €7 to €60 per night. This converts as ₹587 to ₹5032
Dormitories
Most universities and colleges in Spain offer dormitories and student housing on campus. While this option is dependent on the particular institution chosen, it is a viable option given the low cost that they incur and the fact that their location is very near to the institution.
Studio Apartments
Rentals in the form of studio apartments are available throughout Spain, one of the most common options that students generally go for. They come included with everything a college student needs from a bedroom area, a small kitchen, on-site laundry, TV, internet plus much more. This, however, is not cheap and comes at a cost. Studio apartments are available at rentals for a period of 30 days to 12 months. The cost of living in Spain for Indian students can take various price levels, from €250, all the way up to €2500 and more per month. In Indian currency, this amounts to ₹21000 – ₹209671.
Apartments
If someone prefers their place, an apartment can also be rented. However, then you’d have to go through the trouble of dealing with agents in rental home businesses. This is especially true in large cities like Madrid and Barcelona, where these tend to fill up quite fast. Renting costs starts from €600 to about €1300 on the higher side. Again, after conversion, it stands at ₹50300 to ₹109000. Obviously, this varies depending on which part of the country the flat is being rented. The cost of living for Indian students in Spain is pretty high on this one and is not often a very viable option for people looking to stay within a tight budget.
After all, the cost of housing can always be shared with multiple roommates, except for dormitories.
Accommodation by City
Accommodation in the city varies widely depending on the location, which affects the cost of living in Spain for Indian students on average. Cities like Madrid, Barcelona cost an arm and a leg, while Valencia, Malaga, Seville cost a lot less.
Location | 1B City Center € | Cost in ₹ |
Madrid | €800 | ₹67094 |
Barcelona | €900 | ₹75481 |
Alicante | €400 | ₹33547 |
San Sebastian | €870 | ₹72965 |
Malaga | €520 | ₹43611 |
Valencia | €560 | ₹43966 |
Seville | €530 | ₹44450 |
Utilities
In addition to lodging, the utility cost also has to be considered wherever the topic of the cost of living in Spain for Indian students comes up. It is especially true if none are provided, and it is up to the resident to arrange them on his own.
Utilities | Cost in € | Cost in ₹ |
One month (heating, gas, electricity ) for two people in 85m^2 flat | €112 | ₹9,423 |
One month (heating, gas electricity) for one person in 45 m^2 (480 sqft) studio | €82 | ₹6,833 |
Internet 8 Mbps (1 month) | €30 | ₹2,498 |
40″ flat-screen TV | €363 | ₹30,416 |
Microwave 800/900 watt | €96 | ₹8,015 |
Laundry detergent (3 l. ~ 100 oz.) | €7 | ₹588 |
Hourly rate for cleaning help | €11 | ₹887 |
Food
Meals
Eating habits in Spain are similar to the ones found in India. It consists of a light breakfast, or el Desayuno, a heavy lunch, or la Comida, and the dinner, or la Cena. The Spanish dinner is a lot lighter than lunch.
Breakfast times are generally 7 am to 9 am. Lunch is often had between 2 pm and 4 pm. Dinner is made from around 9 pm to 11 pm.
If you feel like snacking, the ever-present churros are always at hand for a quick bite whenever you feel like grabbing some.
Dining out is moderately expensive, but is a viable option if done in a controlled manner and not every other day. This, however, is entirely dependent on your budget, but saving a few bucks is never a bad idea. This entails a big portion of the cost of living in Spain for Indian students.
Restaurant Meals | Cost in € | Cost in ₹ |
Meal, Inexpensive Restaurant | €10 | ₹838 |
Meal for 2, Mid-range Restaurant, Three-course | €40 | ₹3354 |
McMeal at McDonald’s (or Equivalent Combo Meal) | €7.35 | ₹616 |
Domestic Beer (0.5-liter draught) | ₹210 | |
Imported Beer (0.33-liter bottle) | €3 | ₹251 |
Cappuccino (regular) | €1.64 | ₹137 |
Coke/Pepsi (0.33-liter bottle) | €1.73 | ₹145 |
Market
However, if you would like to purchase raw items from the market, prices are significantly lower and can be compared to Indian rates for some items, however, for others, things can get a bit more expensive. Rationing and pre-planning can help a lot to save bucks before each outing to the market.
Market | Cost in € | Cost in ₹ |
Milk (regular) (1 liter) | €0.79 | ₹66 |
A loaf of Fresh White Bread (500g) | €1 | ₹84 |
Rice (white) (1kg) | €0.99 | ₹83 |
Eggs (regular) (12) | €1.75 | ₹146 |
Local Cheese (1kg) | €9.72 | ₹815 |
Chicken Fillets (1kg) | €6.07 | ₹509 |
Back Leg Red Meat (1kg) | €10.67 | ₹895 |
Apples (1kg) | €1.72 | ₹144 |
Banana (1kg) | €1.59 | ₹133 |
Oranges (1kg) | €1.38 | ₹115 |
Tomato (1kg) | €1.61 | ₹135 |
Potato (1kg) | €1.09 | ₹91 |
Onion (1kg) | €1.16 | ₹97 |
Lettuce (1 head) | €0.95 | ₹81 |
Water (1.5-liter bottle) | €0.62 | ₹52 |
Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range) | €5 | ₹420 |
Clothing
Clothing and daily fashion in Spain is as varied as it is in any other country. However, if a rough generalization had to be done, prices are more or less similar to that in India. If you prefer international brands, then the costs are going to more or less the same when it comes to anything from dresses to shoes.
Clothing | Cost in € | Cost in ₹ |
1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar) | €72.31 | ₹6064 |
One dress for summer in a Chain Store (Zara, H&M…) | €28.42 | ₹2383 |
1 Pair of Nike Running Shoes (Mid-Range) | €69.02 | ₹5788 |
1 Pair of Men Leather Business Shoes | €86.62 | ₹7464 |
Transportation
Transportation is something that is going to be very important, especially if someone lives far away from the university or just generally getting from point A to point B.
Public transportation is well established in Spain, which ranges from metros in different cities, to speed rails between the major cities. Spain also boasts a good network of buses which vary from city buses, regional and national buses, and even long distant buses. Public transportation in Spain is often cheaper than getting around using a private vehicle and can be easily availed. It’s an excellent way to lower the cost of living in Spain for Indian students by a significant amount in the long run.
Transportation | Cost in € | Cost in ₹ |
One-way Ticket (Local Transport) | €1.50 | ₹125 |
Monthly Pass (Regular Price) | €42 | ₹3522 |
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff) | €3.27 | ₹274 |
Taxi 1km (Normal Tariff) | €1.10 | ₹92 |
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff) | €20.66 | ₹1737 |
Gasoline (1 liter) | €1.31 | ₹110 |
Personal Care and Health
Any comprehensive guide would be incomplete without the inclusion of personal health care and general day to day grooming. One of the first duties towards oneself includes getting an EHC or a European Health Card. This ensures that the recipient gets excellent healthcare in the country. The payment structure is broken up, with 60% being covered by the card, and the rest 40% being paid by the patient. The cost of living in Spain for Indian students can be significantly moderated, considering that the bulk of the payment is done by the organization.
However, private insurance is also available if someone wishes to avail of this route. Reasons could include someone wanting to get better freedom in terms of doctors or healthcare professionals covered by insurance.
Grooming & Healthcare | Cost in € | Cost in ₹ |
medicine for cold for six days (Tylenol, frenadol, coldrex) | €7 | ₹587 |
One box of antibiotics (12 doses) | €7 | ₹587 |
Short visit to private doctor (15 minutes) | €59 | ₹4950 |
One box of 32 tampons | €3.95 | ₹331 |
Deodorant, roll-on (50ml ~ 1.5 oz.) | €2.53 | ₹212 |
Hair shampoo 2-in-1 (400 ml ~ 12 oz.) | €2.82 | ₹236 |
Four rolls of toilet paper | €1.47 | ₹123 |
Tube of toothpaste | €1.75 | ₹146 |
Standard men’s haircut in of the city | €14 | ₹1174 |
As with all good things, we’ve now reached the end. Your love for Spain finally has gotten a direction, and you know what course of action to take. The cost of living in Spain for Indian students is not overly expensive. It can be done even with a tight budget with intelligent planning and some compromises, mitigating budgetary overheads, and having some headroom in case of emergencies.
In all, Spain is a very safe country to stay, and the vibrant colors, the festivals, and the overall culture. Along with the cost of living in Spain for Indian students, it will be enough to elicit a “mui bien” directly from the bottom of your heart. You may have already made your mind by now, or have set your sights somewhere else. Either way, Spain is, and always has been, one of the best options when it comes to spreading your adventurous wings and flying away into the wide-open world.
¡Viva España!
Last Updated on by Icy Tales Team