Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cuenca and Madrid

For one person, living is cheaper in Cuenca: $1,665 a month against $2,265 in Madrid, rent and utilities included – about $7,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

81

Cost of Living Index in Cuenca
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Cuenca Living Index
111

Cost of Living Index in Madrid
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Madrid Living Index

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Cuenca

🇪🇸 Spain

$1,665

/mo nomad

Madrid

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,265

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,665 per month in Cuenca vs $2,265 in Madrid, rent included.

Cuenca $1,665
Madrid $2,265

A couple spends around $2,429 per month in Cuenca vs $3,296 in Madrid, rent included.

Cuenca $2,429
Madrid $3,296

A family of three spends $3,194 per month in Cuenca vs $4,328 in Madrid, rent included.

Cuenca $3,194
Madrid $4,328

Cuenca is about 27% cheaper than Madrid, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Cuenca and Madrid sit above the global median – Cuenca by 23%, Madrid by 68%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.02 €15.14

$18.20 €16.19

-6.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.99 €40.02

$68.1 €60.5

-33.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.19 €8.17

$11.24 €9.99

-18.24%

Cappuccino

$2.04 €1.81

$3.15 €2.80

-35.24%

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

$2.37 €2.11

$3.36 €2.99

-29.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 €1.38

$2.36 €2.10

-34.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.18 €1.94

$3.83 €3.40

-43.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.41 €3.03

$4.92 €4.38

-30.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.99 €0.88

$1.32 €1.17

-25.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 €1.76

$1.61 €1.43

22.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.54 €1.37

$1.65 €1.47

-6.67%

Eggs

$2.54 €2.26

$4.07 €3.62

-37.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.25 €14.45

$15.82 €14.07

2.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.06 €8.06

$9.49 €8.44

-4.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.09 €18.76

$17.52 €15.59

20.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.62 €2.33

$2.56 €2.27

2.34%

Banana (1kg)

$2.42 €2.15

$2.09 €1.86

15.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.49 €2.21

$2.47 €2.19

0.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.99 €2.66

$2.49 €2.22

20.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 €1.77

$2.26 €2.01

-11.95%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 €1.98

$2.15 €1.91

3.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.85 €1.65

$1.57 €1.40

17.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 €0.58

$1.07 €0.95

-38.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.33 €5.63

$6.55 €5.82

-3.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.39 €3.90

$7.65 €6.81

-42.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 €0.87

$1.17 €1.04

-16.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 €1.90

$2.22 €1.97

-3.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.64 €1.46

$1.63 €1.45

0.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.14 €28.59

$36.42 €32.39

-11.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.33 €2.07

$3.73 €3.32

-37.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 €0.95

$1.54 €1.37

-30.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.90 €26.60

$29.17 €25.95

2.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.80 €1.60

$1.78 €1.58

1.12%

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

$35.1K €31.2K

$35.5K €31.6K

-1.01%

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

$28.6K €25.4K

$33.2K €29.6K

-13.90%

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

$165 €147

$189 €168

-12.41%

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

$11.62 €10.34

$17.48 €15.55

-33.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.65 €19.26

$34.32 €30.53

-36.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.83 €34.54

$48.62 €43.25

-20.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.99 €14.23

$18.44 €16.40

-13.29%

Cinema Ticket

$8.77 €7.80

$11.04 €9.82

-20.56%

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

$341 €304

$693 €617

-50.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,017 €7,131

$17.8K €15.8K

-54.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.7 €81.5

$84.6 €75.3

8.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.71 €34.43

$42.50 €37.80

-8.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 €89.1

$110 €98.1

-9.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 €101

$112 €99.9

0.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$912 €811

$1,506 €1,339

-39.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$687 €611

$1,170 €1,041

-41.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,328 €1,181

$2,756 €2,451

-51.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,015 €903

$1,845 €1,641

-44.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,266 €2,905

$9,168 €8,155

-64.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,234 €1,987

$4,234 €3,766

-47.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,425 €1,268

$2,483 €2,209

-42.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.46

3.14

10.19%

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

Last update for Cuenca: October 11, 2026

Last update for Madrid: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cuenca

$687 41.3%

Madrid

$1.2K 51.7% 70.2% $482

Groceries & Markets

Cuenca

$300 18%

Madrid

$303 13.4% 1.2% $3.6

Eating Out

Cuenca

$222 13.3%

Madrid

$269 11.9% 21.4% $47

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cuenca

$199 11.9%

Madrid

$241 10.6% 21.1% $42

Clothing & Footwear

Cuenca

$155 9.3%

Madrid

$157 7% 1.7% $2.6

Sport & Entertainment

Cuenca

$56 3.4%

Madrid

$71 3.1% 25.4% $14

Getting Around

Cuenca

$46 2.8%

Madrid

$54 2.4% 17.3% $8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $912 in Cuenca versus $1,506 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 74% higher in Madrid, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45.00 in Cuenca versus $68.0 in Madrid. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $300 vs $303 – making Cuenca the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Cuenca

🇪🇸 Madrid

🕒 Local time

09:48 9:48 AM

Same time as Cuenca

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

53,512

3,332,035 Capital

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Cuenca vs Madrid: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,665 in Cuenca, $2,265 in Madrid – roughly 36% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,497 per month in Cuenca and $3,398 in Madrid. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cuenca, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $341 per month in Cuenca and $693 in Madrid. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 1% 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 $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Cuenca, where all-in costs run around $1,665, than in Madrid at $2,265. In Cuenca 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 $1,665 in Cuenca to $2,265 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.

If budget matters most, go with Cuenca. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Madrid makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.