Whether you live alone or with more people, household expenses are likely to make up the majority of your daily costs. The average monthly expenses depend on many factors, such as where you live, the number of people living in the house, employment status, individual tastes and lifestyle.
On the other hand, price inflation, motivated by the increase in energy prices, has been noticeable in the pocket this last year. The basic supplies of electricity, gas, water and internet represent an important part of the monthly expense in homes, so it is convenient for all of us to have an approximate idea of how far the monthly bills can go.
The main services needed in a home to live comfortably are electricity, gas and drinking water. In addition, it is increasingly necessary to have an Internet rate, either to be able to work from home or simply to be connected. The cost of supplies for each home depends on many factors. One of the most determining factors is the number of people who live in the house, as we have mentioned before.
So, with the data from Rastreator, we have calculated the monthly expenditure on basic supplies for various consumption profiles: a person who lives alone, a couple who shares a house and a family of four members.
Electricity bill
According to the Red Eléctrica de España (REE), the average monthly consumption in Spanish homes is 270 kWh, which translates into an average monthly cost for energy consumption of €40.50, that is, what the amount for the contracted power and other fixed costs should be added.
However, each case depends on many factors, from the contracted rate, to the size of the home, or the appliances and equipment you have. Do you usually use the air conditioner in summer? That also makes a difference in the electricity bill if the heater is electric or natural gas.
Therefore, in the following cases, the situation would be as follows, considering both the variable and fixed concepts of the invoice:
- One person – 100 kWh/month – from €35.
- Two people – 200 kWh/month – from €55.
- Four people – 321 kWh/month – from €75.
Gas bill
As we mentioned before, this expense will largely depend on whether we have an electric or gas heater. According to the Institute for Energy Diversification and Saving (IDEA), in homes in Spain without a heating service, the average monthly consumption of natural gas is 425.75 kWh, while in homes with gas heating it reaches 660 kWh.
If you have natural gas heating, consumption will vary greatly depending on the climate of the geographical area in which you live and, in addition, the thermal insulation of the house, its size and the number of rooms that are usually used. Therefore, we look at the number of people who live in the house to approximate the monthly expense, introducing the number of square meters of the house as a variable:
- One person – 50 m² – from €25.
- Two people – 70 m² – from €40.
- Four people – 90 m² – from €60.
Water bill
The National Institute of Statistics (INE) indicates that the average consumption of water in homes per person per day is 133 liters. This is a striking figure, but then it varies a lot depending on the habits of each house: if you usually leave the tap running, take a bath instead of a shower, etc. In addition, the type of equipment you have influences, as well as the washing machine and dishwasher programs you use.
According to data from the Spanish Association of Water Supply and Sanitation (AEAS), the average price of a m³ of water for domestic use is €1.90, although it changes substantially depending on the city and region in which one lives. For example, the price per m³ in Murcia can be up to five times more expensive than in Castilla y León.
Taking the average data as a reference, the monthly water consumption translated into euros would be as follows:
- One person – 4 m³ per month – €7.6.
- Two people – 8 m³ per month – €15.2.
- Four people – 20 m³ per month – €38.
Internet bill
However, the monthly internet bill is worth noting, since seven out of ten households are connected to fiber optic broadband, according to data from the National Commission for Markets and Competition (CNMC). The same institution indicates that the average monthly expense for packages that offer fixed and mobile telephony, in addition to fixed and mobile band, is 50 euros per month.
Moreover, there are also cheap fiber optic rates that only include internet service, as well as more expensive packages that include pay television. The number of megabytes you need at home will not be the same in all cases either, since you must take into account the number of people who will be connected simultaneously and the use that will be given to it (checking email is not the same as playing to an online video game).
The internet price without add-ons, for different types of connection, would be as follows:
- One person – 100 MB – from €20.
- Two people – 300 MB – from €25.
- Four people – 600 MB – from €30.
Therefore, the best way to know what you will pay on your bill at the end of the month is to compare the best offers on the market, in addition to knowing how to consume efficiently and save money. Other tips to save when you live alone are to try to reduce the amount of utility bills, making responsible use of water, electricity or heating.
