SpainBudget & Costs · Spain
Spain Trip Cost: Daily Budgets, Food, Trains and 7-Day Totals
Spain trip cost in 2026: daily budgets from €60, mid-range €120-€180, plus hotels, food, trains and 7-day totals.
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In this guide
A Spain trip costs about €60 to €90 per day on a tight budget (about $65 to $100/£50 to £75), €120 to €180 mid-range (about $130 to $195/£100 to £155), and €220 or more for comfort (about $240+/£190+), excluding international flights in 2026. Those bands come from 2026 budget tracking that groups accommodation, food, local transport and one paid sight per day (Spain travel budget guide). Barcelona and Madrid sit at the top of each band. Andalusia and smaller inland cities sit near the bottom. All prices below were checked against official attraction and transport sites during editorial review in September 2026. This breakdown covers hotel tiers, food prices, train and bus fares, attraction fees and 7-day totals, so you can set a daily target before you book. If you are still choosing where to go, start with our Spain overview before locking in cities.
How much does a Spain trip cost per day?
Budget travel runs €60 to €90 per day. Mid-range runs €120 to €180. Comfort starts around €220. Flights are extra.
The split below follows 2026 daily estimates for beds, meals, movement and sights (Spain travel budget guide). A second 2026 index lands in the same area, at €65 budget, €160 mid-range and €450 luxury per day (Spain trip cost breakdown). Shift up for Barcelona in August and down for Seville in March.
| Daily tier | Beds (per night) | Food and drink (per day) | Local transport (per day) | Sights (per day) | Total per day |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Budget | €25 to €40 (about $27 to $43/£21 to £34) | €20 to €30 (about $22 to $32/£17 to £26) | €8 to €15 (about $9 to $16/£7 to £13) | €10 to €20 (about $11 to $22/£9 to £17) | €60 to €90 |
| Mid-range | €70 to €110 (about $75 to $120/£60 to £95) | €35 to €55 (about $38 to $60/£30 to £47) | €15 to €25 (about $16 to $27/£13 to £21) | €20 to €35 (about $22 to $38/£17 to £30) | €120 to €180 |
| Comfort | €160 to €300+ (about $175 to $325+/£135 to £255+) | €60 to €100+ (about $65 to $110+/£50 to £85+) | €25 to €40 (about $27 to $43/£21 to £34) | €30 to €60+ (about $32 to $65+/£26 to £51+) | €220+ |
Spain sits below France and the UK for meals and mid-range hotels, so €100 a day still buys a solid day in many cities: a private hostel room or cheap pension, a set lunch, tapas in the evening, a day ticket and one paid monument. In Barcelona or Madrid at peak dates it feels tight. April to May and September to October cut accommodation by 20 to 30% against summer, with thinner queues attached.
One catch shapes every tier. Tourist taxes, airport supplements and card fees land on top of the headline rates. Barcelona adds a regional charge plus a €5 city surcharge per person per night. It reaches about €12 (about $13/£10) in a five-star hotel and about €9.50 (about $10/£8) in a tourist flat, charged on the first seven nights only, with under 16s exempt (Spain trip cost breakdown). Spanish bank ATMs commonly charge €3 to €7 (about $3 to $8/£2.50 to £6) per foreign withdrawal. Decline home-currency conversion and pay in euros.
How much do hotels and hostels cost in Spain?
Beds decide the budget. Hostel dorms cost €25 to €40 a night in Madrid and Barcelona in 2026. Mid-range hotels cost €70 to €120. Upscale rooms start near €160.
Dorm beds in the two big cities start around €25 to €35 (about $27 to $38/£21 to £30) in spring and autumn, rising to €30 to €40 (about $32 to $43/£26 to £34) in peak summer. Private hostel rooms and basic guesthouses run €50 to €70 (about $54 to $75/£43 to £60). A central three-star hotel in Madrid or Barcelona typically costs €90 to €140 (about $97 to $151/£77 to £119), while the same standard in Valencia, Malaga or Bilbao sits closer to €70 to €110 (about $75 to $119/£60 to £94). Inland cities such as Zaragoza drop further, with family pensions often the best value of all.
Summer and festival weeks lift everything by 20 to 40%. Semana Santa in Seville and August on the coast book out first and cost most. For route ideas that keep hotel nights in cheaper cities, see our Spain itineraries.
How much does food cost in Spain?
Food is the pleasant surprise in the Spain trip cost. A cafe breakfast costs €3 to €5 (about $3 to $5.50/£2.50 to £4.30). The menu del dia lunch costs €12 to €20 (about $13 to $22/£10 to £17). A casual tapas dinner with a drink costs €15 to €25 (about $16 to $27/£13 to £21).
The menu del dia is Spain’s fixed weekday lunch, and it is the single best deal in Spanish travel: usually three courses with bread, water or wine, served between about 1pm and 3:30pm. Local neighbourhood bars charge €12 to €15 (about $13 to $16/£10 to £13). Tourist streets charge €18 to €20 (about $19 to $22/£15 to £17). Make lunch your main meal and dinner can stay light: a bocadillo, a plate of croquettes, or two tapas with a glass of house wine. Step one or two streets off the main plaza and prices drop while portions grow.
Loop churros with thick hot chocolate, a classic Madrid breakfast for under €6.
Daily food totals fall into clear bands. Budget travellers who take a tostada breakfast, a menu del dia lunch and a light evening snack spend €20 to €30 a day. Mid-range travellers who add a sit-down dinner with wine spend €35 to €55.
Tap water is safe across most of mainland Spain, so ask for it and skip the bottled charge. Tipping stays modest: €1 to €2 after a good dinner counts as generous. For dish-by-dish prices, our Spain food guide lists what to order by region.
How much do trains and buses cost between cities?
Low-cost high-speed trains win on the main lines, with Ouigo and Iryo advance fares from Madrid to Barcelona starting around €9 to €18 (about $10 to $19/£8 to £15). Standard AVE fares on the same line run €40 to €90 or more (about $43 to $97+/£34 to £77+) when bought late.
Spain runs four rail brands and the price gaps are wide. The AVE is Renfe’s standard high-speed service: fast, frequent, priciest. Ouigo and Iryo cover Madrid to Barcelona in about two and a half to three hours with airline style pricing, so book weeks ahead for the lowest fares. Iryo’s cheapest fare covers hand luggage only, so a full suitcase needs a higher tier. Ouigo charges extra for large bags, seat choice and flexible changes (Spain trip cost breakdown).
Alsa buses undercut trains on shorter hops. Seville to Granada by regional train or bus costs €15 to €25 (about $16 to $27/£13 to £21). Madrid to Valencia keeps Avlo low-cost services alongside Ouigo and Iryo options. For a week with two long moves, set aside €40 to €120 at budget level and €100 to €180 mid-range, depending on how early you book. Our Spain transport tips cover luggage rules and station arrivals in more detail.
Find experiences for your Spain trip
If you book through these links, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.How much does city transport cost in Spain?
City transport is cheap. Single metro and bus rides cost €1.50 to €2.50 (about $1.60 to $2.70/£1.30 to £2.10).
Madrid sells a ten-trip Metrobus ticket for about €7.30 (about $8/£6.20), which more than one person can share (Spain trip cost breakdown). The T-casual is Barcelona’s ten-trip ticket, giving ten journeys for around €13 (about $14/£11), with free transfers inside 75 minutes. Against single fares, either ticket roughly halves a week’s city transport.
A Madrid taxi from Barajas to anywhere inside the M-30 ring charges a fixed €33 (about $36/£28), while the metro adds a €3 (about $3.20/£2.60) airport supplement to the normal fare. In Barcelona the Aerobus costs around €7 (about $7.50/£6).
Autumn colour along the paths of Retiro Park in Madrid, which costs nothing to enter.
Walking covers more ground than most visitors expect. Madrid’s Prado, Retiro and Atocha triangle works on foot, as do Barcelona’s old quarters and Seville’s compact core, so plan days by quarter.
How much do attractions and sights cost in Spain?
Big sights charge real money. Small churches, parks and viewpoints cost little or nothing. Mix the two and sights average €10 to €35 a day.
Anchor prices for 2026 start with Barcelona and Granada. The Sagrada Familia charges a general entry of €26 (about $28/£22), with tower and guided options at €30 to €40 (about $32 to $43/£26 to £34) (official prices). The Alhambra’s full daytime ticket, including the Nasrid Palaces, costs €22.73 (about $24.50/£19.30) (official fees). Reduced categories run €14.85 (about $16/£12.60), with garden only tickets near €12.73 (about $13.70/£10.80). The Prado and the Royal Palace sit in the €15 to €30 band. City cathedrals usually charge €8 to €12 (about $8.60 to $13/£6.80 to £10.20).
| Attraction | Standard entry in 2026 | Free or reduced hours |
|---|---|---|
| Sagrada Familia, Barcelona | €26 general (about $28/£22) | Under 11s free; book timed slots ahead |
| Alhambra, Granada | €22.73 full visit (about $24.50/£19.30) | Under 12s free; night visits from about €8.50 |
| Prado Museum, Madrid | About €15 (about $16/£13) | Free late afternoons and some evenings |
| Royal Palace, Madrid | About €18 to €30 band with guided options | Free Monday to Thursday late afternoons for EU citizens |
| Park Guell, Barcelona | About €10 to €12 (about $11 to $13/£8.50 to £10) | Surrounding park areas free |
| Retiro Park, Madrid | Free | Always free |
Free hours reward planners. Many state museums open free in the late afternoon or on set evenings each week. The Alhambra sells out weeks ahead from April to October, so booking direct on release beats paying a guided tour markup later.
Golden croquettes with dipping sauce and bread rolls, a cheap tapas dinner in Madrid.
How much does a 7-day trip to Spain cost?
A week in Spain costs roughly €420 to €630 per person on a budget (about $450 to $680/£355 to £535), €840 to €1,260 mid-range (about $905 to $1,360/£715 to £1,070), and €1,540 or more for comfort (about $1,660+/£1,310+).
The table below builds those totals from the daily bands above, with two intercity moves and a mix of paid and free sights in shoulder season.
| 7-day line | Budget | Mid-range | Comfort |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beds, 7 nights | €175 to €280 (hostel dorms, pensions) | €490 to €770 (three-star hotels) | €1,120+ (four and five-star) |
| Food, 7 days | €140 to €210 | €245 to €385 | €420 to €700+ |
| Intercity trains or buses, 2 moves | €40 to €120 | €100 to €180 | €150 to €280 |
| City transport, 7 days | €35 to €70 | €60 to €100 | €100 to €180 |
| Sights and shows, 7 days | €35 to €70 | €105 to €210 | €175 to €350+ |
| Tourist tax, SIM, buffer | €25 to €60 | €60 to €120 | €100 to €200 |
| Total per person | €420 to €630 | €840 to €1,260 | €1,540+ |
Flights sit outside these sums. Returns from the UK or western Europe often land near €80 to €200 (about $86 to $216/£68 to £170) in shoulder season, and from the US east coast about €400 to €700 (about $440 to $750/£340 to £595), with summer and Christmas highest. Travel insurance adds about €35 to €130 (about $40 to $150/£30 to £110). Add a 15 to 20% buffer above your table total. If you are weighing Spain against nearby options, our Europe budgets put the same week in Portugal, France and Italy side by side.
How can you cut your Spain trip cost without missing much?
Eat lunch like a local, ride the cheap fast trains, and book timed sights direct.
Make the menu del dia your main meal. It costs half a restaurant dinner and leaves evenings for a light round of tapas. Book Ouigo or Iryo as soon as your dates firm up, since the €9 to €18 fares go first. Travel in April to May or September to October for beds that cost 20 to 30% less than summer.
Carry a refillable bottle and ask for tap water. Use free museum windows for the Prado and city museums, then spend entry money on one headline site per city. Book the Alhambra direct the moment tickets release. Decline currency conversion at ATMs and card terminals. Together these move a mid-range week from the top of the band to the middle. For packing and timing that support a cheaper week, see our Spain budget hub.
Know before you go
Spain at a glance
Best time to visit
April to June, September to October
- January: cool, some showers
- February: cool, mostly dry
- March: mild, some showers
- April: mild, some showers
- May: warm, some showers
- June: warm, mostly dry
- July: hot, mostly dry
- August: hot, mostly dry
- September: warm, some showers
- October: mild, some showers
- November: mild, some showers
- December: cool, some showers
Mostly dry Some showers
- Capital
- Madrid
- Currency
- Euro (EUR)
- Language
- Spanish (plus Catalan, Basque, Galician)
- Time zone
- CET, UTC+1 (Canaries UTC+0)
- Plugs
- Type C / F, 230 V
- Driving
- On the right
Emergency112
Frequently asked questions
How much does a trip to Spain cost per day?
In 2026, plan on €60 to €90 per day for a budget trip, €120 to €180 mid-range, and €220 or more for comfort, excluding international flights. Big cities and the summer coast sit at the top of each band, while Andalusia and smaller inland cities sit near the bottom.
Is €100 a day enough in Spain?
Yes, in most cities outside peak season. €100 a day covers a hostel private room or cheap hotel, a menu del dia lunch, a casual tapas dinner, city transport and one paid sight. In Barcelona or Madrid in August you will need to book accommodation early or trim paid sights to stay inside €100.
How much does a 7-day trip to Spain cost?
Excluding flights, a week costs roughly €420 to €630 on a budget, €840 to €1,260 mid-range, and €1,540 or more for comfort. Add two intercity trains at €20 to €60 each and a tourist tax of up to about €12 per night in Barcelona.
What is the cheapest way to travel between Spanish cities?
Low-cost high-speed trains (Ouigo and Iryo) booked weeks ahead are usually cheapest on the Madrid to Barcelona and Madrid to Seville lines, with advance fares from about €9 to €18. Alsa buses cost less on shorter routes such as Seville to Granada, at around €15 to €25, and take longer.
Is food expensive in Spain?
No, by western European standards. A coffee and pastry costs €3 to €5, a three-course menu del dia lunch costs €12 to €20, and a casual tapas dinner with a drink costs €15 to €25 per person. Eating your main meal at lunch keeps the daily food bill near €30 to €55.
Useful links (5)
- Spain Travel Budget Guide, daily costs and money tips 2026— travelwithhello.com
- Spain Trip Cost, complete budget breakdown for 2026— packzup.com
- Sagrada Familia official ticket prices— sagradafamilia.org
- Alhambra entrance fee 2026, official prices— thealhambra.org
- Spain train booking 2026, Renfe, Iryo and Ouigo guide— trvlogue.com
Photo credits
Thank you to Javier Perez Montes, LWY from Pasadena, USA and David Adam Kess for sharing these beautiful photographs and helping bring this guide to life.
Editorial byline
Olivia Parker Italy and Spain editor
Olivia covers Italy and Spain for Epic Trip Ideas: art cities, coastal towns, itineraries, local food and markets, and what a trip really costs. Olivia Parker is a pen name the Epic Trip Ideas editors use for Italy and Spain; every guide is checked against official sources before it goes live.
