Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Benalmadena and Madrid

For one person, living is cheaper in Benalmadena: $1,849 a month against $2,304 in Madrid, rent and utilities included – about $5,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

88

Cost of Living Index in Benalmadena
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Benalmadena Living Index
111

Cost of Living Index in Madrid
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Madrid Living Index

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Benalmadena

🇪🇸 Spain

$1,849

/mo nomad

Madrid

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,304

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Benalmadena and in Madrid

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Benalmadena and in Madrid actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,849 per month in Benalmadena vs $2,304 in Madrid, rent included.

Benalmadena $1,849
Madrid $2,304

A couple spends around $2,778 per month in Benalmadena vs $3,389 in Madrid, rent included.

Benalmadena $2,778
Madrid $3,389

A family of three spends $3,707 per month in Benalmadena vs $4,475 in Madrid, rent included.

Benalmadena $3,707
Madrid $4,475

Benalmadena is about 20% cheaper than Madrid, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Benalmadena and Madrid sit above the global median – Benalmadena by 36%, Madrid by 69%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.63 €13.10

$17.73 €15.88

-17.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.7 €60.6

$66.9 €59.9

1.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.37 €8.39

$11.30 €10.12

-17.08%

Cappuccino

$2.17 €1.95

$3.04 €2.72

-28.62%

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

$2.13 €1.90

$3.36 €3.01

-36.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 €1.89

$2.35 €2.11

-10.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 €2.91

$3.89 €3.49

-16.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.40 €3.94

$4.80 €4.30

-8.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.10

$1.32 €1.18

-6.82%

White Bread (500g)

$1.66 €1.49

$1.64 €1.47

1.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.82 €1.63

$1.72 €1.54

5.81%

Eggs

$3.32 €2.97

$4.20 €3.77

-20.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.32 €13.72

$15.91 €14.24

-3.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.17 €7.32

$9.36 €8.38

-12.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.17 €14.48

$17.21 €15.41

-6.04%

Apples (1kg)

$2.56 €2.29

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 €1.70

$2.09 €1.88

-9.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.80 €1.61

$2.55 €2.28

-29.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 €2.20

$2.58 €2.31

-5.04%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 €1.66

$2.31 €2.07

-19.91%

Onion (1kg)

$2.05 €1.83

$2.17 €1.94

-5.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.29

$1.50 €1.35

-4.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 €0.66

$1.07 €0.96

-30.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.42 €5.75

$6.57 €5.88

-2.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.83 €6.11

$7.87 €7.05

-13.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 €1.06

$1.21 €1.08

-2.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 €1.78

$2.17 €1.94

-8.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.02 €1.81

$1.67 €1.50

20.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.41 €27.23

$37.53 €33.61

-18.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.91 €1.71

$3.76 €3.37

-49.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.21 €1.09

$1.49 €1.33

-18.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.35 €20.01

$30.17 €27.02

-25.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.83 €1.64

$1.85 €1.65

-1.08%

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

$34.2K €30.6K

$33.9K €30.3K

0.93%

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

$30.9K €27.7K

$33.3K €29.8K

-7.21%

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

$140 €125

$192 €172

-26.91%

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

$12.85 €11.51

$17.66 €15.81

-27.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.12 €28.77

$35.07 €31.41

-8.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.94 €43.83

$47.27 €42.34

3.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.68 €14.04

$18.23 €16.32

-13.99%

Cinema Ticket

$7.99 €7.16

$11.29 €10.11

-29.23%

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

$566 €507

$687 €615

-17.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,540 €8,544

$18.0K €16.1K

-46.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.3 €80.0

$86.5 €77.5

3.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.33 €35.22

$41.65 €37.30

-5.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.9 €85.9

$108 €96.8

-11.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 €102

$112 €100.0

2.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$945 €847

$1,508 €1,351

-37.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$910 €815

$1,210 €1,083

-24.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,680 €1,504

$2,829 €2,534

-40.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,504 €1,347

$2,004 €1,795

-24.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,126 €3,695

$9,002 €8,062

-54.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,499 €3,134

$4,710 €4,218

-25.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,882 €3,477

$2,453 €2,197

58.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.3

3.14

5.10%

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

Last update for Benalmadena: October 27, 2026

Last update for Madrid: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Benalmadena

$910 49.3%

Madrid

$1.2K 52.5% 32.9% $299

Groceries & Markets

Benalmadena

$276 14.9%

Madrid

$304 13.2% 10.1% $28

Eating Out

Benalmadena

$213 11.5%

Madrid

$264 11.5% 23.9% $51

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Benalmadena

$185 10%

Madrid

$244 10.6% 32.1% $59

Clothing & Footwear

Benalmadena

$152 8.2%

Madrid

$157 6.8% 2.8% $4.2

Sport & Entertainment

Benalmadena

$65 3.5%

Madrid

$70 3% 7.6% $4.9

Getting Around

Benalmadena

$46 2.5%

Madrid

$55 2.4% 19.3% $9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $945 in Benalmadena versus $1,508 in Madrid. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 58% higher in Benalmadena, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68 in Benalmadena versus $67 in Madrid. Groceries tell a different story – $276 in Benalmadena vs $304 in Madrid – so Benalmadena wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Benalmadena

🇪🇸 Madrid

🕒 Local time

21:19 9:19 PM

Same time as Benalmadena

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

75,801

3,332,035 Capital

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Benalmadena Madrid 430 km

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Benalmadena
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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

Benalmadena vs Madrid: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Madrid is pricier by about 25%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,773 per month in Benalmadena and $3,456 in Madrid. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Benalmadena, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $945 there versus $1,508 in Madrid.

Public transport costs about 19% less in Benalmadena. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Groceries cost about 10% more in Madrid, though the gap depends on what you buy.

Families tend to lean toward Benalmadena – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.