How much does a trip to Spain cost? Daily budget and prices

The three bands below are per person per day, assuming two people share a room at mid-range and comfort. They cover bed, food, city transport, one or two paid sights and small extras. Flights into Spain, intercity trains and the big monuments are not included.

The gap between the bands comes mostly from the bed and the evening meal. A dorm bed and a plate of tapas can cost less than a single restaurant dinner at the top end.

Spanish prices are easy to read once you know the two staples. The menú del día is a fixed three-course weekday lunch with bread and usually a drink, and it is the cheapest full meal of the day in most towns. Coffee at the bar is a fraction of the price of coffee at a table on a terrace, and standing at the bar is cheaper than sitting.

Long-distance travel is where budgets break. High-speed trains booked weeks ahead can cost less than €30; the same route bought on the day can be several times that. Regional buses are slower and cheaper.

Madrid, Barcelona, San Sebastián, Ibiza and the Balearics in summer are the most expensive places in the country. Inland Castile, Extremadura, Galicia and most of Andalusia outside peak season are noticeably cheaper for the same standard of bed and meal.

Season matters as much as city. August on the coast and Easter week anywhere push hotel prices up sharply; the same rooms in November or February can drop by half. If your dates are flexible, shifting a trip by a few weeks changes the total more than any other single decision.

Catalonia and the Balearics add a tourist tax per person per night on top of the room rate.

Eat your main meal at lunch. The menú del día is the same kitchen as the evening à la carte at roughly half the price, and many Spaniards do exactly this. Tapas and raciones in the evening keep dinner cheap without missing the food.

Book trains early. High-speed fares on Renfe and the competing operators rise as the departure fills, so buying two to four weeks ahead is the single biggest transport saving. Buses cover the same corridors for less if you have time.

Choose a hostal or a small hotel over a chain, travel outside July and August, and use city travel cards rather than single metro tickets. Many museums are free in the last hours of the day or on Sunday afternoons — check each one.

Spain uses the euro. Cards and contactless work almost everywhere, including tapas bars and taxis in the cities, so you do not need to carry much cash. Keep a little for village bars, markets and small rural shops.

Tipping is small and optional: round up or leave a few coins for good service. At card terminals and ATMs, refuse the offer to pay in your home currency — the exchange rate is worse. Bank ATMs (Santander, CaixaBank, BBVA) often charge a fixed fee, shown on screen before you confirm.