Southern Europe · 2 cities covered
We track 2 cities in Spain. The mid-range shoulder-season day averages $354 — 27% above the median across all 68 cities we cover. Inside the country the range runs from $342/day in Madrid to $365/day in Barcelona, a 6% gap: a tight band, so swapping cities barely changes the daily number.
Accommodation accounts for 51% of the average mid-range day in Spain, the largest single line item in every city we track here. Madrid (late dinners, golden plazas, world-class collections) sits at the affordable end; Barcelona (modernist façades meeting mediterranean beaches) anchors the top.
Season coefficients are calibrated per city, not shared. Across Spain the peak-to-low swing runs 62%–155%, widest in Barcelona (155%, mediterranean coastal / resort pattern: low Jan–Mar, Nov–Dec at ×0.62, peak Jun–Sep at ×1.58). Beach-led demand with cruise calls: rooms triple in August and half the inventory simply closes in winter, so the low season is genuinely cheap rather than merely quiet.
Mid-range, shoulder season, same five line items. Difference is relative to Spain ($354/day).
| Country | Mid · shoulder | vs Spain |
|---|---|---|
| Greece | $257/day | -27% |
| Portugal | $290/day | -18% |
| Croatia | $342/day | -3% |
| Italy | $397/day | +12% |
On average, a mid-range traveller spends $354 per day in Spain during shoulder season. Budget travellers can get by on around $99/day, while a luxury trip averages $1612/day.
The most affordable destination in Spain is Barcelona, where a budget trip costs about $99 per day in low season.
At the top end, Barcelona reaches around $1612 per day during peak season.
The best windows vary by city, but many destinations in Spain are ideal during May–Jun or shoulder season for a balance of weather and price.