2026 knocking on the door: what will it cost, what market?
At the beginning of the year, the prices of certain products and services will be updated. For certain prices, such as food or housing, it is difficult to predict, but the circumstances of others are known. Here is a summary of the latter.
The shopping basket will become more expensive in 2026, but the rise is expected to be less noticeable.
On the eve of the start of the new year, it is appropriate to recall the fluctuations in certain prices that will affect household spending, since some products will become more expensive in 2026, a few will become cheaper. According to experts, prices will continue to rise, but the increase will be more moderate . It remains to be determined how much the increase in food or housing will be, but we can anticipate changes in other areas.
Pensions and minimum living income
Contributory pensions shall be increased by 2.7% and minimum pensions by 7%. On the other hand, widows' pensions and widows' pensions of dependants and dependants of family burdens shall be increased by 11.4%, as well as the amount of the minimum living income.
Public transport
Another year, the institutions have agreed to apply discounts on public transport, so that children under the age of 15 can travel free of charge and young people between the ages of 15 and 25 can have public transport at half price. The rest of the users will receive a 40% bonus (the discount will be paid in half by the Spanish Government and local entities).
Tolls
In Bizkaia, the toll for the AP-8, the South Variant and the Artxanda tunnels has been increased by 3.5% (between 2 and 5 cents depending on the vehicle and the road). The night free fee (from 00:00 to 06:00) will disappear and will be paid from now on.
In Gipuzkoa, Bidegi will introduce a 2.8% increase in tolls in the AP-8, AP-1 and A-636. This increase will not apply to the rate to be paid by lorries and the fee for the N-1 and A-15 will be last year.
In Álava, there will be no change in the toll of the AP-68. Avasa has until November 2026 the award of the motorways and from that date the management of the motorway has been left to the foral institution. The Diputación Foral de Álava has announced that it will reduce the amount of tolls at that time considerably; "we will set the social price", they have clarified.
In Navarre, AP-15 users will notice an increase of 2.9%, but there will be 35.68% discounts for those who travel within 72 hours.
Energy
Although the final price is set by personal consumption, the fixed expenditure on the electricitybill will fall by 1.3% next year for individuals and 4.1% for companies.
Asfar as natural gas is concerned, the individual regulated rate will be reduced by 8.7% from 1 January and the neighbourhood rate by 5.7-8.7%, according to sources from the Ministry of Ecological Transition.
In addition, it should be remembered that the electric social bond will remain in effect for another year, so that vulnerable people will have 42.5% discounts on the bill and highly vulnerable people 57.5%.
Municipal taxes
The municipalities of the four capitals have updated their taxes by 2026. The BilbaoCity Council will apply the garbage rate for the first time and it will increase by 45%. However, discounts can be obtained if the organic waste container is used. The rest of the taxes will be frozen in the capital city. In San Sebastian, a general 2% increase in municipal taxes will be applied.
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