San Sebastián at a glance
- San Sebastián ranks 6th of 14 priced cities in Spain on cost: $1,612 a month in essentials, 25% above Seville, the cheapest.
- The average net salary of $1,992 covers that 1.2×.
- 104.5 men per 100 women aged 20–39, measured at province level.
- PM2.5 averages 10.2 µg/m³ a year, 2× the WHO guideline of 5.
Green is the better side of each figure. Every line is computed from the tables below.
Monthly cost breakdown
Rent outside centre plus utilities, groceries, dining and local transport make up the essentials figure. Not a full lifestyle budget. The middle column is the median across the 14 Spain cities we track, so every row says whether San Sebastián is the cheap side of its own market or the dear one. Green is the better side of each row.
| Essentials, monthlyrent outside centre + bills + food + transit | $1,612 | $1,646 | $34 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $902 | $942 | $40 |
| Rent, 1-bed city centremonthly, USD | $1,190 | $1,235 | $45 |
| Groceriesmonthly, one person | $130 | $135 | $5 |
| Dining outmonthly, one person | $330 | $352 | $22 |
| Utilitiesmonthly: power, water, heating, internet | $213 | $213 | same |
| Local transportmonthly pass or fare equivalent | $37 | $37 | same |
| Average net salarymonthly, after tax; average, not median | $1,992 | $1,992 | same |
| Rent, 3-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $1,366 | $1,518 | $152 |
| Rent, 3-bed city centremonthly, USD | $2,088 | $2,166 | $78 |
Single person, USD. Data updated August 6, 2026.
Everyday prices
What single items cost in San Sebastián, in USD. The monthly figures above are built from these. Cheaper side of each row in green.
Eating out
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $16.02 | $17.06 | $1.04 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal for 2, mid-range, three courses | $60.06 | $62.92 | $2.86 |
| McMeal at McDonald's | $10.01 | $11.09 | $1.08 |
| Cappuccino, regular | $2.72 | $2.72 | same |
| Domestic beer, 0.5 L draught | $3.50 | $3.50 | same |
| Imported beer, 0.33 L bottle | $4.51 | $4.51 | same |
| Coke/Pepsi, 0.33 L | $2.88 | $2.88 | same |
| Water, 0.33 L bottle | $2.02 | $2.02 | same |
Groceries
| Milk, 1 L | $1.12 | $1.18 | $0.06 |
|---|---|---|---|
| White bread, 500 g | $1.30 | $1.41 | $0.11 |
| White rice, 1 kg | $1.49 | $1.57 | $0.08 |
| Eggs, 12 | $3.36 | $3.36 | same |
| Local cheese, 1 kg | $14.44 | $14.44 | same |
| Chicken fillets, 1 kg | $7.68 | $8.05 | $0.37 |
| Apples, 1 kg | $2.30 | $2.52 | $0.22 |
| Bananas, 1 kg | $1.94 | $2.00 | $0.06 |
| Tomatoes, 1 kg | $2.29 | $2.50 | $0.21 |
| Potatoes, 1 kg | $1.94 | $1.94 | same |
| Onions, 1 kg | $1.88 | $2.08 | $0.20 |
| Water, 1.5 L bottle | $0.91 | $0.90 | $0.01 |
Transport & bills
| One-way ticket, local transport | $1.61 | $1.63 | $0.02 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly transit pass | $37.42 | $37.42 | same |
| Taxi start | $3.58 | $3.58 | same |
| Taxi, 1 km | $1.45 | $1.45 | same |
| Gasoline, 1 L | $1.65 | $1.71 | $0.06 |
| Basic utilities, 85 m² flat | $180.29 | $178.16 | $2.13 |
| Internet, 60 Mbps+ | $32.91 | $32.91 | same |
| Mobile plan, monthly | $17.11 | $17.17 | $0.06 |
Leisure
| Gym, monthly | $42.70 | $42.83 | $0.13 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cinema, one seat | $10.01 | $10.01 | same |
Dating-age sex ratio
San Sebastián has 104.5 men per 100 women aged 20–39 (province level). That is the 2nd-highest of 13 Spain cities we track. Spain's national figure is 103.2, so San Sebastián runs 1 above the country as a whole.
A supply figure, 20–39. The dating-pool model is in Pro.
How San Sebastián ranks against every city we track
San Sebastián sits ahead of 78% of the 999 cities we track on local salary. On salary against local costs it is ahead of 65% of 991. Its weakest measure is city-centre rent, ahead of only 16% of 1010.
Longer is better on every row: bar length is where San Sebastián sits among all the cities carrying that measure, which is why the count differs by row.
Put San Sebastián on the board
Ratio, cost and visa for San Sebastián beside every other city we measure. Free, no sign-in.
Open San Sebastián in the research deskOr unlock the Spain deep-dive: visa, tax, scams, and the sub-national map.
Photo: Denis Dighton et al., Public domain.
Data updated