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COST OF LIVING

Cost of living: What are Spain’s best price comparison websites?

With inflation pushing up the cost of living, people in Spain are increasingly turning to price comparison sites to help them find the best deals on everything from products to mortgages and home services. Here are some of the best ones.

Published: 14 March 2023 17:43 CET
Updated: 19 March 2023 09:17 CET
Cost of living: What are Spain’s best price comparison websites?
The best price comparison websites in Spain. Photo: Thought Catalog / Unsplash

From gas and electricity prices to the weekly shop, the cost of living in Spain has soared over the past year. The cost of food in Spain was in fact 16.6 percent more expensive in February than it was last year, new data shows. 

When you’re feeling the squeeze, every euro counts, so we’ve put together a list of the best price comparison websites in Spain to help you get the best possible deals.

Kelkoo

Kelkoo is one of the most comprehensive price comparison sites on the web, it enables you to find, select and compare the prices of the same item by taking into account several online businesses. All you have to do is enter the product you want to compare and Kelkoo will show you all the different options.

Using the site, you can save up to 15 percent. Keep in mind though that it will not show you all the results of the stores that exist, it only focuses on those that are registered on the platform and the ones that are the most reputable.

READ ALSO: Food prices in Spain rise 16 percent despite VAT cut

SinComisiones.org

SinComisiones, meaning without or no commissions, is a comparison website that helps you find great deals on a number of financial products. It includes everything from bank accounts, mortgages and credit cards to investments, insurance and communications companies.

It helps you to compare thousands of different products and is one of the most honest comparison sites on the market as all products are vetted to make sure they are good value and won’t harm their customers such as quick and unfair loans. In fact, they also have an associated law firm that investigates banking abuses.

Tarifas.com

This is another price comparison site that is all about managing and comparing the prices of household services, such as internet, mobile, television, gas, electricity and water.  Tarifas.com enables you to find the best rates, discounts and promotions according to the town where you live. With this tool, you will save significant percentages each time you contract a new or even change your provider.

iAhorro.com

iAhorro or I save is a platform that specifically compares financial and banking products. If you want to make good financial decisions, iAhorro will help you do this by finding the cheapest banking products currently on the market. It also offers itself as an intermediary, facilitating the contracting of these services and speeding up the application processes.

CamelCamelCamel

This site is responsible for tracking the prices of shipping and selling items on the global giant site, Amazon. It tracks millions of items and alerts you when their prices drop. This means you will save money on your purchases when you receive your notification.

It also enables you to see graphs of the evolution of product prices, notices of sales and other data. You can install Camelcamelcamel as an extension for Firefox and Chrome browsers and also see the best Amazon offers and daily deals.

Precio.com

Precio.com is an online comparator focused on technology, such as internet, mobile phones and TV channels, among others. You will be able to compare information about sales, discounts and prices, enabling you to compare internet and mobile rates with data for smartphones, as well as TV promotions, offering you the best offers available.

Rastreator.com

Rastreator is all about cars and other vehicles. It’s great if you need insurance and helps you find the best ones. It compares all factors to make it convenient according to your needs. It’s also very quick and easy to use, so you’ll have your information in just a few minutes.

Kelisto.es

This website will provide you with all the information regarding prices for personal finance and public services such as electricity, gas and water, so you can get the best deals.

In addition, it manages loans between individual people, so you don’t need to request bank loans. If you are concerned about how your personal finances are doing, Kelisto is a good tool that will help you save money by making the right investment and savings decisions.

Idealo.es

Idealo is one of the most important and popular price comparison sites and has more than 12 million active users in various countries. You can find information on prices and offers of around 90 million items, from no less than 10 thousand stores, e-Commerce stores and companies with their own websites. Those stores with the best prices and most substantial offers will appear first in the search platform.

Ciao.es

Ciao is a price search engine for multiple online stores. It collects information from e-Commerce shops with the best and the most valued items, as well as the ones with the best reputation. It also shows you all the best offers of the day.

All you have to do is write the name of the product you want to search for and you will get the results. Those with the best discounts appear first in the list.

Ofertas.com

This site enables you to see offers from multiple e-Commerce stores. You can select a product and it will show you the shop that has the best price. You can also find and make your purchases from there.

Trivago.es

Trivago is one of the best comparison sites for hotels and accommodations worldwide. All the information comes from the hotels themselves, which works through reservations. You can find price comparisons for everything from 5-star hotels to hostels and vacation home rentals. It has more than 3 million registered hotels and other accommodations from more than 190 countries.

Trivago offers you the choice between multiple booking websites and shows you the best offers they can provide, as well as showing you the lowest prices. In addition, the site can also compare independent travel agencies and hotels.

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FOOD AND DRINK

FACT CHECK: Is alcohol still cheap in Spain?

UK tabloids are quoting "horrified" British tourists who are threatening to not go back to Spain because booze is apparently expensive now. So is there any truth to the claims that alcohol in Spain is no longer cheap?

Published: 6 May 2024 15:57 CEST
Updated: 12 May 2024 08:17 CEST
FACT CHECK: Is alcohol still cheap in Spain?

Spain has long been favoured as a holiday destination for northern Europeans, not only because of its great weather and excellent beaches, but also its cheap alcohol, which helped transform some of its resorts into the top party spots on the continent.

Many northern Europeans can hardly believe it when they discover that a bottle of wine from a supermarket in Spain costs just a couple of euros and buying a beer at a local bar can be around the same.

But, the cost of living has soared in Spain over the last couple of years and according to Spanish consumer watchdog OCU food and drink products have risen by around 38 percent in the last three years.

Recently, British tabloid paper The Mirror published a report on the rising prices in Spain, particularly for alcoholic drinks, stating that Brits were “horrified” at the “booze price hikes” in popular resorts with some saying that it has gotten so expensive that they won’t be returning.

According to one couple interviewed for the article, they paid €10 for a gin and tonic and €12 for a large glass of white wine.

But is it true, has alcohol become so expensive in Spain that it’s no longer affordable like it once was, and how much can you expect to pay on your next holiday here?

Firstly, it really depends where you are, it goes without saying that drinks in more touristy areas and beach resorts are going to be much higher than elsewhere. Likewise, if you’re right in the centre of Barcelona on the Rambla for example, you’ll be paying a lot more than in other neighbourhoods.

It also depends on what type of alcohol you’re buying of course. Here, we look at some of the most popular alcoholic drinks and find out if they are still cheap or not. 

READ ALSO: Spaniards are the OECD’s third biggest consumers of cocaine and alcohol

Beer

Spain’s National Statistics Institute (INE), revealed recently that the price of beer increased by 9.73 percent between the beginning of 2023 to the beginning of 2024.

Despite the price hikes in Spain, however, the latest data from price comparison website Numbeo, shows that we still have some of the cheapest beer in the whole of Europe. It discovered that two of the most affordable European capitals for a beer were in Lisbon and Madrid, where a 0.5 litre beer in a restaurant costs between €2.50 and €3 on average.

But what about within Spain itself? Of course, the prices can vary wildly depending on where you are. According the Diario Vasco newspaper, who interviewed 1,500 bartenders across the country, here’s what a beer will cost you in different areas of the country.

Ibiza: €8.50 for a San Miguel (14 for a standard 12oz bottle of Alhambra in a nightclub)
Marbella: €15 for 12oz bottle in Puerto Banús
San Sebastián: €3.50 for a standard bottle in the centre (€2.30 in the Larratxo neighbourhood; €2.40 in Egia)
Bilbao: €2.60-2.80 (€2.50 in the Old Town)
Vitoria i Gasteiz, Basque Country: €2.80
Pamplona: €3.50 (centre)
Logroño, La Rioja: €1.80
Gijón, Asturias: €2.60 (in the centre)
Santander: €1.80
Ourense, Galicia: €1.95-2.20
Barcelona: €2.50-4.70 (€6 in a hotel with sea views)
Lleida, Catalonia: €2.40
Palma de Mallorca: 2.80
Menorca: €2.70-3.50
Valencia: €4.50 in a five-star hotel
Benicàssim: €2.80 in a hotel
Madrid: €1.80-2 (€6-8 in hotels / €5 in the Salamanca neighbourhood)
Málaga: €3 in the port area (€2.30 in the centre)
Jerez de la Frontera, Cádiz: €1.50
Seville: €1-1.90 for a small caña
Granada: €2.80 (on draft) / €2.20 for a bottle
Huelva: €1.60 (centre)
Córdoba: €1.20
Almería: €2.5
Salamanca: €1.70 (from a bodega)
Astorga, Castilla y León: €1.70
Cáceres, Extremadura: €1.30-1.50
Burgos, Castilla y León: €1.50
Valladolid, Castilla y León: €1.60
Huesca, Aragón: €1.50-€2
Las Palmas de Gran Canaria: €1.90 

Wine

The latest data shows that the price of wine has also increased by around 10 percent in Spain, this was mainly due to the poor grape harvests in 2023, likely down to the drought which has been plaguing parts of Spain for the last couple of years.

According to a study by travel company Compare My Jet, however, Spain still ranks among the cheapest OECD countries (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development) to buy a bottle of wine. Spain comes in at number five on their list with an average price of €5.42.

Head to the supermarkets and you’ll find that the shelves are stocked with many bottles that cost a lot less than this too.

When it comes to ordering a glass of wine in a bar or restaurant, wine site Vinetur found that on average you’d pay around €3 per glass. Of course, this may rise to around €5 if you’re at a popular beach resort.

Liquor

According to the INE, the price of liquor in Spain has risen around 7.3 percent within one year, meaning that your cocktails and mixers will also be more expensive.  

Of course, the price can vary a lot, depending on what you mix it with, where you are in Spain and of course the type of establishment – an upmarket hotel or a local bar.

Taxes

When it comes to alcohol, Spaniards are also taxed much less than other Europeans. According to a group of experts hired by the Ministry of Finance, Spain would collect nearly €1 billion more per year if it taxed alcoholic beverages at a tax rate similar to that of the European Union.

From their findings, Spain is the fifth country in the EU (plus the UK) that gains the least money from the tax applied to drinks with an alcohol content of 40 percent or more. It also collects the least amount of tax on beer.

This all means that bars and restaurants can keep the alcohol prices lower than in other EU countries. Overall, there has been a noticeable inflation-driven alcohol price increase in recent years in Spain, but Spain still has better prices than the majority of Western European countries. 

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