Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chartres and Madrid

For one person, living is cheaper in Chartres: $1,745 a month against $2,304 in Madrid, rent and utilities included – about $6,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Madrid outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

83

Cost of Living Index in Chartres
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Chartres Living Index
111

Cost of Living Index in Madrid
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Madrid Living Index

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Chartres

🇫🇷 France

$1,745

/mo nomad

Madrid

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,304

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,745 per month in Chartres vs $2,304 in Madrid, rent included.

Chartres $1,745
Madrid $2,304

A couple spends around $2,654 per month in Chartres vs $3,389 in Madrid, rent included.

Chartres $2,654
Madrid $3,389

A family of three spends $3,562 per month in Chartres vs $4,475 in Madrid, rent included.

Chartres $3,562
Madrid $4,475

Chartres is about 24% cheaper than Madrid, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chartres and Madrid sit above the global median – Chartres by 28%, Madrid by 69%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.66 €13.18

$17.73 €15.93

-17.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.78 €44.73

$66.9 €60.1

-25.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.72 €9.63

$11.30 €10.15

-5.13%

Cappuccino

$2.65 €2.38

$3.04 €2.73

-12.83%

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

$3.10 €2.79

$3.36 €3.02

-7.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 €1.37

$2.35 €2.11

-34.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.61 €7.73

$3.89 €3.50

121.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.68 €5.10

$4.80 €4.31

18.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 €1.21

$1.32 €1.18

2.27%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 €1.57

$1.64 €1.47

6.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.57 €2.31

$1.72 €1.55

49.42%

Eggs

$3.98 €3.58

$4.20 €3.78

-5.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 €9.15

$15.91 €14.29

-35.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.82 €10.62

$9.36 €8.41

26.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.18 €14.54

$17.21 €15.46

-5.98%

Apples (1kg)

$3.08 €2.77

$2.56 €2.30

20.31%

Banana (1kg)

$3.14 €2.82

$2.09 €1.88

50.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.46 €1.31

$2.55 €2.29

-42.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.31 €3.87

$2.58 €2.32

67.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.80 €1.62

$2.31 €2.08

-22.08%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.88

$2.17 €1.95

-3.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.64 €1.48

$1.50 €1.35

9.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.13 €0.12

$1.07 €0.96

-87.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.69 €11.40

$6.57 €5.90

93.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.52 €4.96

$7.87 €7.07

-29.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 €1.26

$1.21 €1.09

15.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.41

$2.17 €1.95

-27.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.97 €1.77

$1.67 €1.50

17.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.28 €44.28

$37.53 €33.72

31.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.33 €2.09

$3.76 €3.38

-38.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.11 €1.00

$1.49 €1.34

-25.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.85 €29.52

$30.17 €27.11

8.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.17 €1.95

$1.85 €1.66

17.30%

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

$16.9K €15.2K

$33.9K €30.4K

-50.02%

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

$23.9K €21.5K

$33.3K €29.9K

-28.30%

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

$203 €182

$192 €172

5.72%

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

$21.60 €19.41

$17.66 €15.87

22.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.27 €28.99

$35.07 €31.51

-7.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.65 €32.03

$47.27 €42.47

-24.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.16 €11.82

$18.23 €16.38

-27.81%

Cinema Ticket

$15.46 €13.89

$11.29 €10.15

36.94%

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

$886 €796

$687 €617

28.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.0K €10.8K

$18.0K €16.2K

-33.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$128 €115

$86.5 €77.8

48.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.44 €41.72

$41.65 €37.42

11.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €91.4

$108 €97.1

-5.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.5 €87.6

$112 €100

-12.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$756 €679

$1,508 €1,355

-49.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$639 €574

$1,210 €1,087

-47.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,445 €1,298

$2,829 €2,542

-48.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 €1,052

$2,004 €1,801

-41.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,188 €3,763

$9,002 €8,088

-53.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,043 €1,835

$4,710 €4,232

-56.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,453 €2,204

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.9

3.14

24.20%

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

Last update for Chartres: 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

Chartres

$639 36.6%

Madrid

$1.2K 52.5% 89.3% $571

Groceries & Markets

Chartres

$296 17%

Madrid

$304 13.2% 2.8% $8.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chartres

$256 14.7%

Madrid

$244 10.6% 4.7% $12

Eating Out

Chartres

$254 14.6%

Madrid

$264 11.5% 3.9% $10

Clothing & Footwear

Chartres

$168 9.6%

Madrid

$157 6.8% 7% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Chartres

$67 3.8%

Madrid

$70 3% 4.9% $3.3

Getting Around

Chartres

$65 3.7%

Madrid

$55 2.4% 14.8% $9.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $756 in Chartres 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $50 in Chartres versus $67 in Madrid. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $296 vs $304 – making Chartres the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇫🇷 Chartres

🇪🇸 Madrid

🕒 Local time

15:00 3:00 PM

Same time as Chartres

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

38,447

3,332,035 Capital

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Chartres Madrid 980 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Chartres
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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

Chartres vs Madrid: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Madrid costs about 32% more than Chartres, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,618 per month in Chartres 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 Chartres, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $756 there versus $1,508 in Madrid.

Kindergarten costs $886 per month in Chartres and $687 in Madrid. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 3% more in Madrid, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Chartres, where all-in costs run around $1,745, than in Madrid at $2,304. In Chartres it covers expenses comfortably, while in Madrid it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Madrid has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,745 in Chartres to $2,304 in Madrid. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.