💡 How much it cost to maintain a house in southern Spain in 2025?

Spain is often associated with sun, sea, inexpensive and relaxed lifestyle.

But when you live here year-round , especially in the south, reality makes itself known in the form of monthly utility bills.

Then the key question arises: why do official data on household expenses indicate one thing, while families of four or five people pay completely different figures?

Let's look at it with real data....

📉 Why official statistics don't reflect reality

Since electricity is the largest household expense for families today, let's start with that.

Many articles with generalized figures on monthly electricity consumption mention values of 250–300 kWh per household , and the price associated with that level of consumption seems quite attractive.

It sounds good on paper, but it doesn't reflect the reality of life for a family of four or five on the coast .

The explanation is simple:

The statistics include thousands of homes in southern Spain , which are used for only a few months a year, and remain empty for 7-9 months with hardly any consumption .

Those "zero" months artificially lower the national average .

But if a family lives in their home all year round, with air conditioning, appliances, children and normal household use, the numbers are different .

⚡ Electricity: the biggest expense in 2025

To understand actual consumption, let's take as a reference a real case of a house in Torrevieja :

• 5 people (2 adults and 3 teenagers)

• home

• moderate consumption

• air conditioning in summer

• electric heating in winter

  
  

📊 Actual electricity consumption by month

📌 Annual average: around 1,000 kWh per month.

This is a normal and realistic consumption for families who live year-round on the Costa Blanca.

💶 How much will this cost in 2025?

In 2025:

• The 21% VAT rate on electricity has been reinstated;

• Most of the exceptional measures from previous years have disappeared;

• The average final price for households is approximately €0.23–0.30 per kWh .

  
  

💸 Actual electricity bills

👉 These are the figures that many families in Torrevieja and Alicante see in 2025 , especially in the hot or cold months.

💧 Water: still a moderate expense

Compared to electricity, water remains a relatively stable expense.

For a family of four:

• ≈ €20–30 per month ,

• In many municipalities the bill arrives quarterly (€60–70).

Although the drought is affecting southern Spain, water is not yet the most worrying expense.

🌐 Internet and telephony: a rare stability

Here in Spain, the consumer is protected:

• widespread fiber optics,

• good speed,

• strong competition among operators.

👉 €30–50 per month for internet and mobile phone service is a realistic and common figure.

🏢 Community fees: the cost that many forget

If you live in a residential complex or building with common areas, you must add the community fees .

In Torrevieja in 2025:

• simple complexes: €30–60 / month

• Standard residential accommodations (pool, garden, elevator): €50–120 / month

• Complexes with security and extensive infrastructure: €100–150 / month

📌 This amounts to between €600 and €1,800 per year, regardless of the time of year.

🗑 Garbage: increase by the end of 2025

Since the end of 2025, a mandatory waste collection and treatment fee has been in effect throughout Spain.

Local councils can no longer subsidize it: the cost falls entirely on the residents .

📈 What does this imply?

In the province of Alicante and in Torrevieja:

• €70–145 per year for main residence

• which is equivalent to about €6–12 per month

For many families, it has been a notable increase compared to previous years.

📊 SUMMARY: How much will a family of 4-5 people pay in 2025?

💰 Realistic monthly expenses

📌 In months of high consumption, the figure can exceed €500 .

🧾 Conclusion

If you:

• lives in Spain year-round ,

• in the south of the country,

• with air conditioning, appliances and family of 3-5 people,

Official averages do not reflect reality .

In 2025, household expenses in Spain are no longer a minor detail, but an important part of the family budget.

Knowing the real figures helps you plan better and avoids surprises when you open the bills.