Are you a British national who is dreaming of retiring to Spain this year? Here’s how much pension you’ll need to be able to afford a comfortable retirement in Spain in 2026.
The ‘average’ UK pension for 2025 was £595 per week, which works out at £30,940 per year for a retired couple and £282 per week (£14,664 per year) for a single retiree, according to the most up to date Government Pensioners’ Income figures.
This might not sound like much, but living costs in much of Spain are cheaper than most parts of the UK.
In 2025/26, the basic UK state pension and new state pension increased by 4.1 percent in line with earnings growth.
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It’s important to take into account that each retiree’s exact retirement package will look slightly different depending on what their job was, how long they were paying in, if they were married etc. The above stats only provide some idea of the average.
According to calculations by the Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association, the average pension can vary wildly in the UK: going from as little as £13,400 for one person a year up to £43,900. This changes to between £21,600 and £60,600 for a couple.
Looking at the average pension amounts and comparing it with the average cost of living in Spain though, we can take a rough estimate of whether a UK pension is enough to live in Spain in 2026.
READ ALSO: MAP – Where do Spain’s British residents live?
Is my UK pension enough to live in Spain in 2026?
Like with average pensions, the average cost of living in Spain can vary a lot, depending on what area you want to move to and what type of lifestyle and accommodation you want to have.
According to price comparison site Expatistan, the cost of living in Spain is 40 percent cheaper than in the UK – with housing – the biggest expense on the list 47 percent cheaper.
It’s also the second most affordable country in Western Europe. The site estimates that a single person would need a total of €1,854 per month to live in Spain and a family of four would need €3,497.
Some sites estimate that you can live off a lot less than this though, but of course it depends on where you are.
All these stats suggest that life would be financially easier in Spain than it would be back in the UK, but of course there is a lot to take into consideration.
Living in big cities like Madrid or Barcelona, for example, will be far more expensive than living in a small town in rural Extremadura or Murcia, where it may still be possible find apartments to rent for €400 a month.
Whether you want to buy a property or rent here will also affect your cost of living here. Many retirees don’t rely solely on their pension, most have savings and other sources of passive income, such as maybe renting out a property back in the UK for example.
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Rental costs
If you’ve been able to purchase your property in Spain, you won’t have to worry so much about the increasingly volatile rental market here, but it’s worth keeping in mind that the cost of buying properties have skyrocketed here in recent years too.
Looking at rental costs, Expatistan estimates that an 85 m2 furnished flat in an “expensive part of town” costs an average of €1,511 per month (£1,305.52).
A furnished flat of a similar size in a normal area of the city would cost around €1,040 (£895.57). It’s important to keep in mind rental costs in major Spanish cities have increased dramatically in recent years.
Of course if you choose rural, less popular areas, you’ll still be able to find rentals for much less.
READ ALSO: Palencia – What is the quality of life like in Spain’s cheapest city?
Travel costs
Public transport costs in Spain are much more affordable than in the UK. Expatistan estimates that a monthly pass costs an average of €28 (£24.20). Lots of towns and cities and towns in Spain currently have discounted train and bus tickets, which are even greater for retirees.
If you are wanting to drive yourself and have a car, petrol in Spain costs an average of €1.46 (£1.26) per litre, according to the site.
Healthcare costs
Healthcare costs of course very important when you get older and it’s worth keeping in mind that you may not have access to public healthcare here. In fact, Spanish authorities will also require many UK nationals to take out private healthcare when moving to Spain initially.
READ MORE: The best private healthcare providers for foreigners in Spain
After a year of residence in Spain, you will be able pay for public healthcare through the convenio especial.
According to Feather Insurance private health insurance typically costs between €50 and €100 per month, although this could increase the older you are and the more conditions you have. Not all private insurers will cover for all conditions though.
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Is it really cheaper than the UK?
If you take the average UK pension of £282 per week for a single person, this works out at £1,228 per month.
Currently, this is the equivalent of €1,421.01 per month. This is less than the Expaistan estimates of €1,854 per month for a single person to be able to live in Spain, but as we’ve seen costs vary greatly and it doesn’t mean that you wouldn’t be able to live anywhere in Spain.
An single UK pension would cover the bare minimum living costs in parts of Spain if you live frugally in a cheaper part of the country. A retired couple would likely live quite well on their income.
Living in cities such as Madrid, Barcelona and Málaga would be a stretch, so it would be worth looking at smaller towns and villages in places like Castilla-La Mancha, Extremadura, and Murcia.
Savings of course could help boost your income and be able to live in other locations.
It’s important to remember though that if you’re a UK national, you are no longer an EU national as a result of Brexit, which means you’ll need to apply for a visa to retire to Spain.
The best option in the case would be the non-lucrative visa, which doesn’t allow you to work, but you will have to prove you have sufficient financial means to support yourself.
READ MORE: What are the pros and cons of Spain’s non-lucrative visa?
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You need to show you have 400 percent of the IPREM, which for 2026 is €600. This means proving you have €2,400 per month in passive income or savings of €28,800 per year. This is equal to £24,879.89. It can be a combination of your pension, savings or a monthly income through investments and other assets.
If a British couple is applying, it’s €36,000 (£31,097.16) for the year, or €3,000 (£2,591.43) per month.
READ MORE: What financial proof can I show for Spain’s non-lucrative visa?
Not only that, if you want to renew the non-lucrative visa (which last two years) you have to show double those amounts.
This amount is much greater than the average UK pension, even more than the average of £30,940 for a couple, so will have to be earning above the average amount or have lots of savings and other sources of passive income.
In conclusion, a UK pension may be enough for you to cover your living costs in some parts of Spain, but you will almost certainly need savings and other sources of passive income if you want to legally be able to get a visa to live here.
