Cost of Living Comparison Between Alcala de Henares and Madrid Cost of Living Comparison Between Alcala de Henares and Madrid

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,831 in Alcala de Henares versus $2,293 in Madrid.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,647 in Alcala de Henares versus $3,370 in Madrid.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,463 in Alcala de Henares versus $4,447 in Madrid.

Living in Alcala de Henares costs roughly 20% less than in Madrid, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Alcala de Henares 37% above, Madrid 72% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.46 €15.25

$17.33 €15.14

0.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.7 €61.8

$68.7 €60.0

2.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.22 €8.93

$11.95 €10.44

-14.48%

Cappuccino

$2.62 €2.29

$3.10 €2.71

-15.48%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 €2.74

$3.21 €2.80

-2.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 €1.78

$2.14 €1.87

-4.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.02 €3.51

$4.10 €3.58

-1.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.60 €4.02

$4.55 €3.98

1.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 €1.05

$1.19 €1.04

0.84%

White Bread (500g)

$1.05 €0.92

$1.71 €1.49

-38.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 €1.49

$1.72 €1.50

-1.16%

Eggs

$2.66 €2.32

$3.52 €3.07

-24.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$22.48 €19.64

$14.98 €13.09

50.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.85 €7.74

$8.83 €7.72

0.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.05 €14.90

$16.75 €14.63

1.79%

Apples (1kg)

$2.88 €2.52

$2.60 €2.27

10.77%

Banana (1kg)

$2.20 €1.92

$2.22 €1.94

-0.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.05 €1.79

$2.45 €2.14

-16.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.77 €2.42

$2.65 €2.32

4.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.80 €1.57

$2.07 €1.81

-13.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 €1.73

$2.15 €1.88

-7.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.34 €1.17

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$0.99 €0.86

-8.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.30 €5.51

$6.99 €6.10

-9.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.82 €6.84

$7.77 €6.79

0.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.20

$1.43 €1.25

-4.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 €1.99

$2.18 €1.90

4.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.94 €1.70

$1.78 €1.56

8.99%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.03 €41.97

$48.79 €42.62

-1.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.95 €3.45

$4.12 €3.60

-4.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 €1.19

$1.39 €1.21

-1.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.46 €20.49

$28.50 €24.90

-17.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.78 €1.56

$1.92 €1.68

-7.29%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$37.0K €32.3K

$37.7K €32.9K

-1.80%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$29.8K €26.0K

$34.1K €29.8K

-12.81%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$127 €111

$193 €169

-34.24%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$21.62 €18.89

$21.55 €18.83

0.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.00 €27.96

$35.97 €31.42

-11.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.89 €37.48

$52.7 €46.04

-18.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.63 €10.16

$17.64 €15.42

-34.07%

Cinema Ticket

$10.53 €9.20

$11.44 €10.00

-7.95%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$263 €230

$669 €584

-60.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,898 €6,027

$11.9K €10.4K

-41.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.6 €76.6

$94.7 €82.7

-7.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.39 €32.67

$42.81 €37.41

-12.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.2 €71.0

$105 €91.6

-22.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.6 €77.4

$132 €115

-32.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$881 €769

$1,607 €1,404

-45.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$802 €701

$1,151 €1,006

-30.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,882 €1,644

$2,839 €2,480

-33.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,158 €1,011

$1,879 €1,642

-38.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,251 €3,714

$9,038 €7,896

-52.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,558 €3,109

$4,262 €3,724

-16.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,795 €1,568

$2,464 €2,153

-27.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.27

3.43

-4.66%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Alcala de Henares: July 12, 2026

Last update for Madrid: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $881 in Alcala de Henares and $1,607 in Madrid. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Madrid pays 37% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $71.0 in Alcala de Henares vs $69.0 in Madrid for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $293 per month, with Madrid cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Alcala de Henares vs Madrid: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Alcala de Henares and Madrid differ by about 25% in total monthly costs ($1,831 vs $2,293 including rent). Alcala de Henares is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 37% lower in Madrid. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $881 in Alcala de Henares versus $1,607 in Madrid. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $263 in Alcala de Henares versus $669 in Madrid. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Madrid pay roughly 4% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,831 in Alcala de Henares versus $2,293 in Madrid, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Alcala de Henares but tight or insufficient in Madrid. The gap between the two cities makes Alcala de Henares the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Alcala de Henares and Madrid are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Alcala de Henares gentler on the wallet – expenses run 25% less than in Madrid. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.