cities in Spain
Spain sets tuition by region, not nationally. That makes the city one of the largest single levers on what your degree costs — and it is not the same lever as cost of living.
Spain's autonomous communities set their own university fees. That means the non-EU price for the same subject can differ substantially between Madrid, Catalonia, Valencia and Andalusia — and, unusually, the movement recently has been downward in places: several universities have cut their non-EU rates.
The second axis is living costs, where Madrid and Barcelona sit clearly above the mid-size cities. The two do not always point the same way, which is exactly why it is worth comparing rather than assuming.
What does not vary: the visa, the IPREM funds figure and the thirty-hour work right are all national. Tap a pin to open a city.
costs more / mid-range / costs less compare these cities to each other, not to anywhere else. They are our reading of the spread across Spain, not a published index — the sourced money figures are on the costs page.
What changes between Spanish cities — and what does not.
Tuition, because regions set it
The single largest lever. The non-EU price for the same degree differs by region, and some universities charge non-EU students the same as EU students.
Living costs, substantially
Madrid and Barcelona sit well above Valencia, Granada and the other mid-size cities. Rent is the driver.
The job market
Madrid and Barcelona have the most English-language employment. Everywhere else, Spanish is close to mandatory for work.
The visa and funds figure: not at all
The IPREM requirement and the thirty-hour work right are national. No region changes either.
We publish no rent figures
No Spanish authority publishes student rents by city and the circulating numbers are unsourceable. Ask your university for its own estimate.