Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Escazu and Madrid

For one person, living is cheaper in Escazu: $1,918 a month against $2,304 in Madrid, rent and utilities included – about $4,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Madrid outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

93

Cost of Living Index in Escazu
Learn more

Escazu Living Index
111

Cost of Living Index in Madrid
Learn more

Madrid Living Index

Jump to prices

Escazu

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,918

/mo nomad

Madrid

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,304

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,918 in Escazu versus $2,304 in Madrid.

Escazu $1,918
Madrid $2,304

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,942 in Escazu versus $3,389 in Madrid.

Escazu $2,942
Madrid $3,389

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,966 in Escazu versus $4,475 in Madrid.

Escazu $3,966
Madrid $4,475

Living in Escazu costs roughly 17% less than in Madrid, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Escazu 41% above, Madrid 69% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.02 ₡5,428

$17.73 €15.82

-32.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.8 ₡27.9K

$66.9 €59.7

-7.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.85 ₡5,350

$11.30 €10.08

4.87%

Cappuccino

$4.34 ₡1,960

$3.04 €2.71

42.76%

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

$2.64 ₡1,192

$3.36 €3.00

-21.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 ₡877

$2.35 €2.10

-17.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.27 ₡1,477

$3.89 €3.47

-15.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 ₡1,980

$4.80 €4.28

-8.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 ₡1,041

$1.32 €1.17

75.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₡1,389

$1.64 €1.46

87.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.41 ₡1,089

$1.72 €1.54

40.12%

Eggs

$3.41 ₡1,541

$4.20 €3.75

-18.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.83 ₡4,888

$15.91 €14.19

-31.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.56 ₡4,766

$9.36 €8.35

12.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.88 ₡6,264

$17.21 €15.36

-19.35%

Apples (1kg)

$5.08 ₡2,293

$2.56 €2.29

98.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 ₡718

$2.09 €1.87

-23.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.28 ₡1,482

$2.55 €2.27

28.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.11 ₡1,403

$2.58 €2.30

20.54%

Potato (1kg)

$3.91 ₡1,764

$2.31 €2.06

69.26%

Onion (1kg)

$3.65 ₡1,649

$2.17 €1.94

68.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 ₡469

$1.50 €1.34

-30.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 ₡782

$1.07 €0.96

61.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.63 ₡2,540

$6.57 €5.86

-14.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.98 ₡8,570

$7.87 €7.02

141.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ₡793

$1.21 €1.08

45.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ₡1,240

$2.17 €1.94

26.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.07 ₡482

$1.67 €1.49

-35.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.53 €33.49

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.01 ₡906

$3.76 €3.36

-46.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡702

$1.49 €1.33

4.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.72 ₡3,937

$30.17 €26.92

-71.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ₡672

$1.85 €1.65

-19.46%

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

$28.0K ₡12.6M

$33.9K €30.2K

-17.48%

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

$35.6K ₡16.1M

$33.3K €29.7K

6.83%

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

$94.4 ₡42.6K

$192 €171

-50.72%

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

$29.33 ₡13.2K

$17.66 €15.75

66.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.3 ₡26.3K

$35.07 €31.29

66.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$106 ₡47.8K

$47.27 €42.17

123.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.19 ₡4,599

$18.23 €16.26

-44.10%

Cinema Ticket

$7.60 ₡3,430

$11.29 €10.08

-32.68%

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

$455 ₡205.2K

$687 €613

-33.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K ₡7.6M

$18.0K €16.0K

-6.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.3 ₡32.7K

$86.5 €77.2

-16.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.7 ₡25.1K

$41.65 €37.16

33.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 ₡57.7K

$108 €96.5

18.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 ₡58.7K

$112 €99.6

16.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$867 ₡391.3K

$1,508 €1,346

-42.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$836 ₡377.3K

$1,210 €1,079

-30.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,966 ₡887.6K

$2,829 €2,524

-30.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,491 ₡673.3K

$2,004 €1,788

-25.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,384 ₡624.6K

$9,002 €8,031

-84.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$955 ₡431.3K

$4,710 €4,202

-79.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,763 ₡795.8K

$2,453 €2,189

-28.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

3.14

174.52%

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

Last update for Escazu: 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

Escazu

$836 43.6%

Madrid

$1.2K 52.5% 44.7% $374

Groceries & Markets

Escazu

$364 19%

Madrid

$304 13.2% 16.4% $60

Eating Out

Escazu

$227 11.9%

Madrid

$264 11.5% 16.2% $37

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Escazu

$182 9.5%

Madrid

$244 10.6% 34.2% $62

Clothing & Footwear

Escazu

$174 9.1%

Madrid

$157 6.8% 9.8% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Escazu

$121 6.3%

Madrid

$70 3% 42.3% $51

Getting Around

Escazu

$14 * 0.7%

Madrid

$55 2.4% 295% $41

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $867 in Escazu and $1,508 in Madrid. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Madrid pays 39% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $62 in Escazu vs $67 in Madrid. Groceries flip the comparison at $364 vs $304, with Madrid cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Escazu

🇪🇸 Madrid

🕒 Local time

22:19 10:19 PM

05:19 5:19 AM

7 h ahead of Escazu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,984

3,332,035 Capital

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 506 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Escazu Madrid 8,490 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Escazu
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

Escazu vs Madrid: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Escazu is about 17% cheaper overall, especially in transport and eating out. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 28% lower in Escazu. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $867 in Escazu versus $1,508 in Madrid. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Madrid pay roughly 16% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you’ll spend $1,918 per month in Escazu versus $2,304 in Madrid – Escazu is about 17% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

For families, Escazu 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, Escazu and Madrid are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Escazu wins on affordability, Madrid on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.