Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Benidorm and Madrid

For one person, living is cheaper in Benidorm: $1,707 a month against $2,304 in Madrid, rent and utilities included – about $7,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Benidorm, Spain
Madrid, Spain
Benidorm
🇪🇸 Spain
$1,707
/mo nomad
Madrid
🇪🇸 Spain
$2,304
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Benidorm 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 Benidorm and in Madrid actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,707 per month in Benidorm vs $2,304 in Madrid, rent included.

  • Benidorm $1,707
  • Madrid $2,304

A couple spends around $2,498 per month in Benidorm vs $3,389 in Madrid, rent included.

  • Benidorm $2,498
  • Madrid $3,389

A family of three spends $3,290 per month in Benidorm vs $4,475 in Madrid, rent included.

  • Benidorm $3,290
  • Madrid $4,475

Benidorm is about 26% cheaper than Madrid, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Benidorm and Madrid sit above the global median – Benidorm by 25%, Madrid by 69%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Benidorm
Madrid
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.28 €15.52
$17.73 €15.93
-2.54%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$52.9 €47.56
$66.9 €60.1
-20.82%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.28 €11.03
$11.30 €10.15
8.67%
Cappuccino
$2.32 €2.08
$3.04 €2.73
-23.68%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.29 €2.06
$3.36 €3.02
-31.85%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.18 €1.06
$2.35 €2.11
-49.79%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.41 €3.06
$3.89 €3.50
-12.34%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.67 €3.30
$4.80 €4.31
-23.54%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Benidorm
Madrid
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.14 €1.02
$1.32 €1.18
-13.64%
White Bread (500g)
$1.30 €1.17
$1.64 €1.47
-20.73%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.41 €1.26
$1.72 €1.55
-18.02%
Eggs
$3.50 €3.14
$4.20 €3.78
-16.67%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.98 €9.86
$15.91 €14.29
-30.99%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.10 €7.27
$9.36 €8.41
-13.46%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.68 €14.08
$17.21 €15.46
-8.89%
Apples (1kg)
$2.10 €1.89
$2.56 €2.30
-17.97%
Banana (1kg)
$1.83 €1.64
$2.09 €1.88
-12.44%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.92 €1.72
$2.55 €2.29
-24.71%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.66 €2.39
$2.58 €2.32
3.10%
Potato (1kg)
$1.72 €1.54
$2.31 €2.08
-25.54%
Onion (1kg)
$1.77 €1.59
$2.17 €1.95
-18.43%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.10 €0.99
$1.50 €1.35
-26.67%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.44 €0.39
$1.07 €0.96
-58.88%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.96 €5.35
$6.57 €5.90
-9.28%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.73 €5.14
$7.87 €7.07
-27.19%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.87 €0.78
$1.21 €1.09
-28.10%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.94 €0.85
$2.17 €1.95
-56.68%
🚌 Getting Around
Benidorm
Madrid
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$1.67 €1.50
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$37.53 €33.71
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.50 €4.04
$3.76 €3.38
19.68%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.35 €1.21
$1.49 €1.34
-9.40%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$24.26 €21.80
$30.17 €27.10
-19.59%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.72 €1.54
$1.85 €1.66
-7.03%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.2K €30.7K
$33.9K €30.4K
0.91%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$29.3K €26.3K
$33.3K €29.9K
-12.05%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Benidorm
Madrid
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$157 €141
$192 €172
-17.97%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$16.38 €14.71
$17.66 €15.86
-7.25%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$22.55 €20.26
$35.07 €31.51
-35.70%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Benidorm
Madrid
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
-
$47.27 €42.46
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$18.23 €16.37
-
Cinema Ticket
$10.78 €9.69
$11.29 €10.14
-4.52%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Benidorm
Madrid
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$575 €517
$687 €617
-16.28%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,688 €8,703
$18.0K €16.2K
-46.12%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Benidorm
Madrid
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$91.2 €81.9
$86.5 €77.7
5.33%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.40 €38.09
$41.65 €37.41
1.80%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$96.1 €86.4
$108 €97.1
-11.06%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$119 €106
$112 €100
6.20%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Benidorm
Madrid
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,002 €900
$1,508 €1,355
-33.53%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$838 €752
$1,210 €1,087
-30.76%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,766 €1,586
$2,829 €2,541
-37.59%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,324 €1,189
$2,004 €1,800
-33.94%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,197 €4,669
$9,002 €8,086
-42.26%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,542 €2,284
$4,710 €4,231
-46.02%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Benidorm
Madrid
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,785 €1,603
$2,453 €2,204
-27.25%
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 Benidorm: October 25, 2026

Last update for Madrid: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Benidorm
$838
Madrid
$1.2K 44.4% $372
Groceries & Markets
Benidorm
$243
Madrid
$304 25.2% $61
Eating Out
Benidorm
$241
Madrid
$264 9.5% $23
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Benidorm
$196
Madrid
$244 24.6% $48
Clothing & Footwear
Benidorm
$157
Madrid
$157 0.1% $0.1
Sport & Entertainment
Benidorm
$22 *
Madrid
$70 224% $48
Getting Around
Benidorm
$11 *
Madrid
$55 394% $44

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,002 in Benidorm 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 37% higher in Madrid. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $53 in Benidorm versus $67 in Madrid. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $243 vs $304 – making Benidorm the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇪🇸 Benidorm
🇪🇸 Madrid
🕒 Local time
21:57 9:57 PM
21:57 9:57 PM
Same time as Benidorm
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
72,342
3,332,035 Capital
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.898 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Benidorm Madrid 370 km
From you
  • Benidorm
  • Madrid

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
Benidorm vs Madrid: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Benidorm cheaper than Madrid?
Yes – Madrid is pricier by about 35%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,561 per month in Benidorm and $3,456 in Madrid. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Benidorm, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,002 there versus $1,508 in Madrid.
What are total monthly expenses in Benidorm and in Madrid?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,707 in Benidorm and $2,304 in Madrid. That makes Benidorm about 26% cheaper.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $575 per month in Benidorm and $687 in Madrid. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is Benidorm or Madrid more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Benidorm – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Benidorm or Madrid?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Benidorm. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Madrid makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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