Cost of Living Comparison Between Castelldefels and Madrid Cost of Living Comparison Between Castelldefels and Madrid

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,930 in Castelldefels versus $2,270 in Madrid.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,842 in Castelldefels versus $3,352 in Madrid.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,754 in Castelldefels versus $4,434 in Madrid.

Living in Castelldefels costs roughly 15% less than in Madrid, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Castelldefels 44% above, Madrid 69% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.04 €14.68

$17.07 €14.71

-0.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.6 €59.1

$69.5 €59.9

-1.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.94 €11.15

$11.92 €10.27

8.56%

Cappuccino

$2.57 €2.22

$3.09 €2.66

-16.83%

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

$2.41 €2.08

$3.10 €2.67

-22.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.77

$2.11 €1.82

-2.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.41 €2.94

$4.14 €3.57

-17.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 €2.92

$4.60 €3.96

-26.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 €0.96

$1.19 €1.02

-5.88%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 €1.18

$1.70 €1.46

-19.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.66 €1.43

$1.70 €1.46

-2.35%

Eggs

$2.90 €2.50

$3.48 €3.00

-16.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.29 €9.73

$14.73 €12.69

-23.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.45 €7.28

$9.07 €7.82

-6.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.98 €12.04

$16.75 €14.44

-16.54%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.28

$2.61 €2.25

1.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.77 €1.53

$2.22 €1.91

-20.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.80

$2.51 €2.16

-16.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.10

$2.75 €2.37

-11.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.64

$2.14 €1.84

-11.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.78 €1.54

$2.13 €1.84

-16.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.27

$1.39 €1.19

5.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 €0.61

$0.97 €0.84

-26.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.60 €5.69

$6.79 €5.85

-2.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.94 €5.12

$8.02 €6.91

-25.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.41 €1.22

$1.44 €1.24

-2.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 €1.78

$2.25 €1.94

-8.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.76 €1.52

4.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.76 €29.95

$49.48 €42.63

-29.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.55 €3.06

$4.11 €3.55

-13.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$1.39 €1.20

48.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.63 €21.22

$29.01 €25.00

-15.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.49

$1.87 €1.61

-7.49%

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

$35.1K €30.3K

$37.6K €32.4K

-6.63%

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

$33.1K €28.5K

$34.1K €29.3K

-2.92%

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

$188 €162

$195 €168

-3.18%

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

$22.72 €19.58

$21.25 €18.31

6.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.23 €32.08

$35.75 €30.80

4.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.24 €41.56

$52.8 €45.47

-8.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.78 €12.74

$17.91 €15.44

-17.48%

Cinema Ticket

$10.86 €9.35

$11.72 €10.09

-7.34%

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

$645 €556

$680 €586

-5.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.5K €10.8K

$12.3K €10.6K

2.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.5 €76.2

$95.8 €82.6

-7.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.05 €31.92

$42.50 €36.62

-12.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.5 €84.8

$106 €91.4

-7.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 €101

$137 €118

-13.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,052 €907

$1,609 €1,386

-34.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$916 €790

$1,138 €980

-19.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,919 €1,654

$2,792 €2,405

-31.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,352 €1,165

$1,915 €1,650

-29.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,498 €3,014

$8,893 €7,662

-60.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,265 €1,952

$4,347 €3,745

-47.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,547 €3,917

$2,584 €2,226

75.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

3.43

-1.17%

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

Last update for Castelldefels: June 8, 2026

Last update for Madrid: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,052 in Castelldefels and $1,609 in Madrid. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Castelldefels pays 76% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $69.0 in Castelldefels vs $69.0 in Madrid for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $252 vs $295 per month, with Castelldefels 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

Castelldefels vs Madrid: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Castelldefels is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 18% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Castelldefels pays 76% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,052 in Castelldefels versus $1,609 in Madrid. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,930 per month in Castelldefels versus $2,270 in Madrid – a 18% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Castelldefels runs roughly 42% less than in Madrid. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,930 in Castelldefels versus $2,270 in Madrid, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Castelldefels but tight or insufficient in Madrid. The gap between the two cities makes Castelldefels the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Castelldefels is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Madrid, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Castelldefels 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 Castelldefels gentler on the wallet – expenses run 18% less than in Madrid. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.