Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between El Medano and Madrid

For one person, living is cheaper in El Medano: $1,458 a month against $2,304 in Madrid, rent and utilities included – about $10,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

70

Cost of Living Index in El Medano
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El Medano Living Index
111

Cost of Living Index in Madrid
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Madrid Living Index

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El Medano

🇪🇸 Spain

$1,458

/mo nomad

Madrid

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,304

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,458 per month in El Medano vs $2,304 in Madrid, rent included.

El Medano $1,458
Madrid $2,304

A couple spends around $2,384 per month in El Medano vs $3,389 in Madrid, rent included.

El Medano $2,384
Madrid $3,389

A family of three spends $3,310 per month in El Medano vs $4,475 in Madrid, rent included.

El Medano $3,310
Madrid $4,475

El Medano is about 37% cheaper than Madrid, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both El Medano and Madrid sit above the global median – El Medano by 7%, Madrid by 69%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.21 €18.16

$17.73 €15.93

13.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.4 €55.2

$66.9 €60.1

-8.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.99 €9.87

$11.30 €10.15

-2.74%

Cappuccino

$2.08 €1.87

$3.04 €2.73

-31.58%

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

$1.96 €1.76

$3.36 €3.02

-41.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 €1.16

$2.35 €2.11

-45.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.86 €2.57

$3.89 €3.50

-26.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 €2.99

$4.80 €4.31

-30.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 €1.23

$1.32 €1.18

3.79%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 €2.13

$1.64 €1.47

45.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 €1.45

$1.72 €1.55

-6.40%

Eggs

$4.06 €3.65

$4.20 €3.78

-3.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.50 €13.02

$15.91 €14.29

-8.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.83 €7.93

$9.36 €8.41

-5.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.89 €16.07

$17.21 €15.46

3.95%

Apples (1kg)

$2.50 €2.25

$2.56 €2.30

-2.34%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 €2.08

$2.09 €1.88

10.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 €1.99

$2.55 €2.29

-12.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.59 €2.33

$2.58 €2.32

0.39%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 €1.92

$2.31 €2.08

-7.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 €1.75

$2.17 €1.95

-10.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.70 €1.52

$1.50 €1.35

13.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 €0.84

$1.07 €0.96

-13.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.57 €5.00

$6.57 €5.90

-15.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.40 €6.65

$7.87 €7.07

-5.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 €1.53

$1.21 €1.09

41.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.34 €1.20

$2.17 €1.95

-38.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.58 €1.42

$1.67 €1.50

-5.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.30 €22.73

$37.53 €33.71

-32.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.30 €3.87

$3.76 €3.38

14.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.69 €1.52

$1.49 €1.34

13.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.95 €15.22

$30.17 €27.10

-43.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 €1.13

$1.85 €1.66

-32.43%

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

$26.8K €24.0K

$33.9K €30.4K

-21.02%

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

$32.2K €28.9K

$33.3K €29.9K

-3.30%

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

$98.8 €88.8

$192 €172

-48.41%

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

$22.66 €20.36

$17.66 €15.86

28.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.83 €31.29

$35.07 €31.51

-0.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.33 €40.72

$47.27 €42.46

-4.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.55 €13.97

$18.23 €16.37

-14.70%

Cinema Ticket

$9.74 €8.75

$11.29 €10.14

-13.73%

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

$406 €365

$687 €617

-40.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,968 €4,463

$18.0K €16.2K

-72.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.2 €83.7

$86.5 €77.7

7.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.35 €37.15

$41.65 €37.41

-0.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.9 €81.7

$108 €97.1

-15.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 €102

$112 €100

2.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$899 €807

$1,508 €1,355

-40.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 €433

$1,210 €1,087

-60.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,360 €1,222

$2,829 €2,541

-51.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,004 €902

$2,004 €1,800

-49.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,333 €2,994

$9,002 €8,086

-62.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,213 €1,988

$4,710 €4,231

-53.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,453 €2,204

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.56

3.14

13.38%

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

Last update for El Medano: 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

El Medano

$482 33.1%

Madrid

$1.2K 52.5% 151% $727

Groceries & Markets

El Medano

$304 20.9%

Madrid

$304 13.2% 0.1% $0.2

Eating Out

El Medano

$254 17.4%

Madrid

$264 11.5% 4.2% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

El Medano

$156 10.7%

Madrid

$244 10.6% 56.3% $88

Clothing & Footwear

El Medano

$153 10.5%

Madrid

$157 6.8% 2.5% $3.8

Sport & Entertainment

El Medano

$65 4.4%

Madrid

$70 3% 7.8% $5

Getting Around

El Medano

$44 3%

Madrid

$55 2.4% 24.8% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $899 in El Medano 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 $61 in El Medano versus $67 in Madrid. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $304 vs $304 – making El Medano the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇪🇸 El Medano

🇪🇸 Madrid

🕒 Local time

21:15 9:15 PM

22:15 10:15 PM

1 h ahead of El Medano

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,500

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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Highest

Between locations

El Medano Madrid 1,810 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

El Medano
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

El Medano vs Madrid: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,458 in El Medano, $2,304 in Madrid – El Medano comes out roughly 37% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,187 per month in El Medano 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 El Medano, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $899 there versus $1,508 in Madrid.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,458 in El Medano and $2,304 in Madrid. That makes El Medano about 37% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $406 per month in El Medano and $687 in Madrid. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in El Medano, where all-in costs run around $1,458, than in Madrid at $2,304. In El Medano it covers expenses comfortably, while in Madrid it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward El Medano – 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.