Can I live in Spain without a car?

In the six cities our calculators cover, yes: metros, trams, buses and local trains are frequent, and national and regional discounts have made monthly passes unusually cheap in 2026. In villages and along much of the coast it’s a different story, and most households there have a car.

Can you manage without a car?

In the centre of any of our six cities, many people do. Flats are close together, shops and health centres (centros de salud) are usually within walking distance, and public transport is frequent. It gets harder in the outer suburbs, in housing developments (urbanizaciones) on the coast, and in villages, where buses may run a few times a day or not at all, and a supermarket or school can be a drive away.

• Before you sign a lease, try the commute at rush hour and check the evening and weekend timetable, not just the weekday one
• In a coastal urbanización, check how far it is on foot to the nearest bus stop, shop and pharmacy, and whether the bus runs out of season
• If you’ll need a car for the weekly shop or the school run, car sharing, hire for a day or a taxi can be cheaper than owning one. See Can I drive on my UK licence? if you decide you need one

Our cost of living calculator uses the monthly pass for each city below. For choosing a neighbourhood, see Where should we live?

Passes and fares by city

Fares here are for 2026 and include this year’s discounts. They usually change in January. Check the operator’s website or app before you budget. Fares and discounts change

Madrid: Abono Transporte

• Passes load onto a personal transport card (Tarjeta Transporte Público Personal) with your photo, which you need for the 30-day pass and any age or family discount. Anonymous Multi cards take single, 10-trip and tourist tickets
• The pass lasts 30 days from first use. The zone A pass isn’t valid on interurban buses, even for a trip inside zone A
• A zone A pass gets you to the airport. With a single or 10-trip ticket, you pay an airport supplement
• Cercanías (Renfe local trains) are included in the Abono for your zones

Barcelona: T-usual and TMB

The T-usual is personal and gives unlimited trips in your zones for 30 days from first use, including the airport metro stations. The 1-zone price of €22.80 includes the 50% discount kept for 2026. For occasional trips, the T-casual gives 10 journeys. The city bike scheme, Bicing, costs €50 a year for a flat rate, or €35 a year plus a charge per trip.

Valencia, Alicante and the Valencian region

The Valencian government has extended its discounts to 31 December 2026: free travel up to age 14, 50% off titles for young people and at least 40% off passes and multi-trip tickets. Valencia’s SUMA pass covers metro, buses and Cercanías across one zone; the TuiN card charges per trip but stops at the monthly pass price. Alicante launched unlimited monthly passes on its TRAM and buses on 1 October 2026. The city says the young person’s pass could fall to €15 from January if the national discounts are renewed. Check the 2027 discounts

Málaga

Málaga has EMT city buses, a metro and the Consorcio de Transporte card, which gives cheaper trips on metropolitan buses, Cercanías trains and the metro, with discounted transfers. Changing between EMT buses is free within an hour of validating.

Palma and Mallorca: free for residents

Residents of Mallorca with a Targeta Única (or the older Targeta Intermodal) have travelled free on EMT Palma buses, TIB island buses, trains and metro in 2026. You apply at the Intermodal station, TIB or EMT offices or online, with ID. If your ID doesn’t show a Balearic address, bring a padrón (town hall register) certificate issued in the last 6 months. The first card is free. The Targeta Ciutadana stopped working as a ticket at the end of May 2026. Free travel is decided year by year, so check before you count on it in 2027. Free travel is renewed yearly

National discounts and the Abono Único

The government extended its public transport discounts for the whole of 2026. They include free collective public transport for under-15s and discounts of 40% to 70% on passes and multi-trip tickets, part-funded by regions and councils. A €20 monthly Cercanías pass, valid in every Cercanías network in Spain, also continues.

Since 19 January 2026, the Abono Único costs €60 a month (about £51), or €30 for people born from 1 January 2000. It gives unlimited travel for 30 days on Cercanías and Rodalies, Renfe’s conventional regional (Media Distancia) trains and state-run long-distance coaches. It doesn’t cover AVE, Avlo or Alvia high-speed trains, or city metros, trams and buses. Young people must register on the Ministry of Transport website at least 24 hours before buying.

High-speed and long-distance trains

Three companies run high-speed trains between Madrid and Barcelona: Renfe (AVE), Ouigo and Iryo. The fastest AVE takes about 2 hours 30 minutes and Ouigo and Iryo about 3 hours, all from Madrid to Barcelona Sants. Journeys have been slower since speed limits were brought in after the Adamuz accident in January 2026. High-speed lines also run from Madrid to Valencia, Alicante and Málaga. Prices go up as trains fill, so book early for bank holidays. An AVE ticket includes a free Cercanías trip in Madrid and Barcelona to or from the station. Times and fares change

Bikes and e-scooters

• Bike helmets: compulsory for under-16s everywhere. A reform of the traffic rules approved on 23 June 2026 removes the old exemptions, so every cyclist must wear one on interurban roads. Delivery riders must always wear a helmet and reflective vest. Check when it takes effect
• Phones and alcohol: using a phone or headphones while cycling is banned (fine €200), and the drink-drive limit applies to cyclists
• E-scooters (VMP): since 2026, scooters must be registered with the DGT (Spain’s traffic authority), carry an ID label and have third-party insurance. Models bought after 22 January 2024 must be DGT-certified; older uncertified ones can be used only until 22 January 2027
• Scooter riders: from 1 October 2026 you must be at least 15 and wear a helmet, plus a reflective vest at night. No pavements and no passengers. Outside towns, scooters may be allowed only on separate routes such as bike lanes. Many councils add their own rules, so check your town’s bylaws

Taxis and ride-hailing

Alongside taxis, Uber, Cabify and Bolt work through licensed private-hire cars (VTC). Across Spain, taxi licences have been falling while VTC licences grow, notably in Madrid and Andalucía. Catalonia is debating a law that could make urban VTC trips in Barcelona unviable, so the options there may change.