Are you planning an extended stay in Granada, Spain? Wondering how much a month in Granada might cost? One of Spain’s most historical cities has a lot to offer in the way of beautiful views and affordable living. It’s also a common destination for travellers and retired people. We stayed just outside of Granada in a small area called Ogijares. A short 8 minute drive into the heart of Granada.
When we decided to travel the world full-time, we set a monthly budget for ourselves of $2000 Canadian dollars (about $1,600 USD) per month. We know that it will vary depending on where we are in the world, but we plan to stick to it as best we can and hope it all evens out in the end. However, we knew in Spain it would be difficult to stick to such a low budget.
All figures below will be in US dollars. All costs are for both of us combined as a couple, not per person.
Let’s see how our cost of living compared to our budget:
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Accommodations
We use AirBnb for most of our accommodation for a few reasons. First, hosts tend to give substantial discounts when booking for at least 28 days. Our plan is slow travel so this AirBnb discount works great with our plans.
Second, when you use AirBnb, your internet, electricity, gas etc. are included in the total cost paid, so there are no surprises.
Finally, booking with AirBnb allows us to earn credit card reward points (we love free travel points! learn more here. We can also book in our home currency on AirBnb.ca to avoid paying foreign transaction fees.
We had a very simple one bedroom apartment in Ogijares located in a perfect part of town. With Granada being a small town, it is easy to get everywhere but this AirBnb was right in the middle of everything. While simple, it had all of the amenities one would need for a long term stay. A well stocked kitchen, and comfortable large bed. Not to mention the blazing fast wifi. We wouldn’t hesitate to stay here again in the future . Click here to see the AirBnb!
Total cost for accommodation for the month: $1082 USD
If you’re looking for accommodations in the heart of Granada, check these great deals
- Luxury Accommodations –Alahmbra Palace – Alhambra Palace is located just outside the Alhambra’s ancient walls, offering spectacular views over the city of Granada. It features stylish rooms with Moorish-inspired décor.
- Mid Range Accommodations – Bibo Real Chancilleria – BiBo Real Chancilleria has air-conditioned guest accommodation in Granada, 50 m from San Juan de Dios Museum, 600 m from Paseo de los Tristes and 700 m from San Nicolas Viewpoint.
- Budget Accommodations – Casa de la Catedral – These apartments are in the historic centre of Granada, just metres from the Cathedral. Casa de la Catedral has a bar-restaurant with creative tapas.
- Hostel – Barbieri Granada – Run by notorious matron Ana (an awesome host according to one past guest) you’ll be well taken care of.
For more places to stay in Granada, you can check the latest prices on Booking.com
Activities
Granada is a small town yet packed with things to do. A city not be missed and packed with history. From the absolutely breathtaking Alhambra and the gorgeous Moorish architecture to the Cathedral and old Jewish quarter. And a walk through this gorgeous town is absolutely free of course.
Total Cost for Activities for the month: $67 USD
Don’t want the hassle of planning excursions? We would highly recommend some of these tours
- Alhambra private or group tours
- Private Essential Granada Must Do Tour
- Granada Sunset Walking Group Tour
Dining and Groceries
During our time in Granada our dining experiences covered a wide range of price points. From free Tapas to really nice restaurants. The vast majority of the food we ate, was absolutely delicious. Check out our Granada food tour below for some of our top picks!
Looking for a guided food tour? Tapas and wine with a local
Total Cost for Dining out for One Month: $441 USD
While we love the dining out experience, we also have work to do. Therefore, we did a good amount of cooking for ourselves in our AirBnb. Having a fully equipped kitchen helps tremendously on these days. We made simple dishes like pasta, sandwiches, salads, eggs, etc.
Total Cost for Groceries for the Month: $312 USD
Cell Phone Plans in Spain
We spent three months in Spain so we purchased Orange Sim cards at the airport upon our arrival. The service is outstanding all the way around and the price can’t be beat for 30 days of data
Total Cost for Phone and Data for one Month for 2 people: $34 USD
Transportation
Ogijares is just outside of Granada so when we needed to get into the old city we would normally take a public bus. And in some instances we used Uber when we stayed out late to enjoy the nightlife in Granada.
Total cost for Transportation for One Month: $129 USD
Visas
Being Canadian and American citizens we are allowed to stay within the Schengen zone for 90 days Visa free, so having no cost for this was a blessing.
Total Cost for Visa for one month: $0
Miscellaneous Expenses
This category covers pretty much everything that’s not included above. We choose to include alcohol in miscellaneous, because we do enjoy a beer or a bottle of wine from time to time while hanging around the Airbnb. You might not drink and if you are planning a budget you can easily omit this cost. For us, alcohol makes up about 65% of this category. And you if you enjoy a glass of wine, you are going to love how inexpensive it is in Spain.
Total Miscellaneous Costs for one month: $59
One thing we can’t live without while on the road full time – Saves us lots of money too!
Totals

Cost of Living for One Month in Granada, Spain
Looking at the table above, you can see that we came nowhere close to meeting or staying below our budget. Still, We are extremely pleased with this. It feels great to confirm what we always expected – living abroad can be much cheaper than in your home country. These numbers were about 1/2 of what our typical expenses would have been in Canada for one month.
Have you lived in Spain for any length of time? Were your numbers similar to our cost of living for one month in Granada? Do you have any other tips for potential travellers? Leave a comment and let us know. We would love to hear from you.