Spain: some useful information and "good to know" for a future student in Spain!

All daily consumer products are cheaper than in France.

Fruits, vegetables and other supermarket products:

• will cost you much less than in France in medium and small cities.
• In the big cities they will be cheaper and you can also benefit from mobile applications that offer to collect their unsold goods as in all major capitals of the world.

Some examples of prices:

• The average price of a baguette is around 0.80 euros,
• that of a bottle of water of 1 ½ liter around 0,25 euros,
• you will pay a kilo of tomatoes between 1.10 and 2.50 euros,
• a liter of milk a little less than one euro,
• the kilo of potatoes will be less than one euro,
• a dozen eggs a little more than 2 euros
• a 1kg package of pasta is from 1 euro.

The price of a rental in Spain is estimated to be 16%, on average, lower than the average price in France.

However, there are important differences from one city to another:

• more than 15 euros per square meter, on average, in Madrid
• at less than 4 euros per square meter in small towns
• compared to an average price of more than 16 euros per square meter in a medium-sized student city in France.

However, expect to find prices that are constantly increasing,

especially in cities where a university is the economic lung of the place and the student public is a captive public that does not want to move away from the campus where they study.

If your budget is tight

• sometimes it is enough to move away only a few kilometers to find very interesting rents.
• Shared accommodation is the cheapest form of accommodation and is widely used by Spaniards when they leave their parents' homes:
  • In Madrid :
    • a complete apartment with 1 bedroom costs + or - 800 euros
    • while the rent of a room in an apartment with 3 rooms is proposed around 400 euros.
  • In Valencia :
    • a complete apartment with one bedroom costs + or - 500 euros
    • while the rent of a room in a 3-bedroom apartment is proposed around 300 euros.
  • In Valladolid,
    • a complete apartment with one bedroom costs + or - 400 euros
    • while the rent for a room in a 3-bedroom apartment can be less than 200 euros.

Using public transportation is very affordable for a student in Spain.

• They can benefit from special rates, for example €20 per month (for all students under 26) for the unlimited card in zones, in number of trips and for all modes of public transport in Madrid. A single metro ticket costs between €1.50 and €2 depending on the route.
• Bike rental is free for the first ½ hour in Valencia.
• Students also take advantage of the pleasant, low-rainfall climate in some areas to get around and walk to class.
• If you have a personal vehicle, gasoline is cheaper than in France, but beware, in many city centers (mainly Madrid), cars are not welcome (fines for unauthorized vehicles, parking spaces forbidden to non-residents, etc...) and the Spanish have decided instead to give pride of place to pedestrians, scooters, bicycles, cabs, VTC and public transport.
• In Valladolid the bus ticket is 1.30 euros (0.42 cents for children under 26)

If you travel to Spain,

• The bus is the most economical means of transportation and is often used by students. A trip from Madrid to Barcelona can cost you between 30€ and 40€ one way.
• The train also works very well (the national company is called RENFE).
• Finally, Spain has put a lot of emphasis on air travel and you will find airports all over Spain and prices outside of the Christmas, Semana Santa and summer vacations are often affordable. This is a good way to discover your host country.

• Today it is possible to communicate to and from Spain with a package subscribed in France. However, be careful, some French operators have used specific clauses to break the contracts of French students in Spain because their use was made only from Spain.
• Two plans and a phone with a dual SIM card or a Spanish plan can also be a good solution.
• But having a Spanish number is almost essential if you want to integrate a little in Spain. Even if you use WhatsApp messengers between students, an administration is not going to call you on a French number or by WhatsApp.
  • With low-cost operators, you can have starting offers for less than 10€/month and you only pay what you use.
  • there are the "Prepago" options where you pay according to the use you make of your cell phone following the purchase of a Spanish SIM card. The price is then per minute (0,06€-0,10€/mn approximately) with a fixed price for each call.
  • The Spanish package can also be coupled with an Internet offer. Use the comparators available on the internet to find the best offer.
  • In order to open a telephone and/or Internet line in Spain, you must take the necessary steps to obtain a "Numero de Identidad de Extranjeros", the famous NIE, by registering in the central register of foreigners (mandatory for all residents, even European, in Spain) and have a bank account in Spain

You should know that, unlike in France, it is not really in the Spanish culture to receive friends at home.

• On the other hand, you will often be asked to go out.
• Beware of the famous "tapas" because you will realize that although they are very tasty and make the atmosphere pleasant, they can quickly cost you when you do not know the "good plans" students .... but in our opinion you will be able to quickly share yours.
• There are many other things than the tapas bars: paella, cocidos, various fish and meat, trendy restaurants, new cuisine, international cuisine, Michelin stars....

The advantage of Spain is that you have something for every taste and budget.

Price examples:

• an "average" menu in a fast food restaurant (hamburguer type): 5.60 euros,
• a beer between 2 and 6 euros,
• a coffee between 1 euro and 1.80 euros,
• a daily menu between 8 and 13 euros,
• a cinema ticket between 6 and 12 euros,
• an entrance to the theater between 10 and 40 euros,
• a free club entry at about 20€.

The best advice for not blowing your budget would be to avoid places that are too touristy. It is still in the "barrio", in contact with the Spanish people, that you will get the best out of it. You will also have the opportunity to meet some nice people.

sports activities

• will be proposed to you within the framework of your university, the activities at your disposal are numerous and the atmosphere very dynamic,
• There is an "American style" spirit in universities where people give their all to defend their university in championships,
• However, do not hesitate to join a municipal club, it will be an opportunity to meet Spaniards and to better integrate yourself.

Museums :

• Many museums are managed by foundations of large Spanish banks and insurance companies.
• This will allow you to visit, at a lower cost (sometimes less than 5 euros the entrance even in the capital), exceptional places, with remarkable permanent collections.
• They very often host prestigious international exhibitions that will then travel the world.
• You will find exhibitions of paintings, sculptures, photographs, fashion, etc... from all centuries, for all ages and all tastes.

Nature:

• is also spectacular and far from the clichés conveyed in France, of crowded beaches lined with horrible buildings and poorly maintained "low cost" hotels.
• Venture a little further and ask our students already in Spain to share with you the wonders they have discovered on the slopes of the Teid in the Canary Islands, in the Valencian gorges, the Madrid sierra or the high plains of Castile.