Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Jaen and Madrid

For one person, living is cheaper in Jaen: $1,445 a month against $2,265 in Madrid, rent and utilities included – about $9,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

69

Cost of Living Index in Jaen
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Jaen Living Index
109

Cost of Living Index in Madrid
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Madrid Living Index

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Jaen

🇪🇸 Spain

$1,445

/mo nomad

Madrid

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,265

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,445 per month in Jaen vs $2,265 in Madrid, rent included.

Jaen $1,445
Madrid $2,265

A couple spends around $2,113 per month in Jaen vs $3,311 in Madrid, rent included.

Jaen $2,113
Madrid $3,311

A family of three spends $2,780 per month in Jaen vs $4,356 in Madrid, rent included.

Jaen $2,780
Madrid $4,356

Jaen is about 36% cheaper than Madrid, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Jaen and Madrid sit above the global median – Jaen by 7%, Madrid by 67%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.05 €15.16

$18.06 €16.06

-5.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.93 €34.63

$66.5 €59.2

-41.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.37 €7.44

$11.40 €10.14

-26.58%

Cappuccino

$1.65 €1.47

$3.03 €2.69

-45.54%

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

$3.26 €2.90

$3.25 €2.89

0.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.14 €1.01

$2.32 €2.07

-50.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.41 €3.03

$3.85 €3.42

-11.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.28 €2.92

$4.82 €4.29

-31.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 €1.52

$1.32 €1.18

29.55%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 €1.59

$1.61 €1.43

11.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.37 €1.21

$1.75 €1.56

-21.71%

Eggs

$4.14 €3.69

$4.06 €3.61

1.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.81 €7.83

$16.34 €14.54

-46.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.07 €6.28

$9.61 €8.55

-26.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.52 €9.36

$17.43 €15.50

-39.64%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 €2.53

$2.63 €2.34

8.37%

Banana (1kg)

$2.54 €2.26

$2.18 €1.93

16.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.13 €3.67

$2.50 €2.22

65.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.00 €2.67

$2.60 €2.32

15.38%

Potato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.19

$2.25 €2.01

9.33%

Onion (1kg)

$3.23 €2.87

$2.08 €1.85

55.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.72 €1.53

$1.56 €1.39

10.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 €1.01

$1.08 €0.96

5.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.85

$6.70 €5.96

-1.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.40 €10.14

$7.82 €6.95

45.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 €1.30

$1.22 €1.08

19.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 €2.67

$2.25 €2.00

33.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.63 €1.45

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.72 €33.56

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.50 €4.00

$3.81 €3.39

18.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 €1.95

$1.49 €1.33

46.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.54 €12.05

$29.99 €26.68

-54.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.80 €1.60

$1.79 €1.59

0.56%

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

$35.7K €31.7K

$33.7K €29.9K

6.07%

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

$31.3K €27.9K

$33.3K €29.6K

-5.82%

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

$165 €146

$190 €169

-13.46%

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

$6.60 €5.87

$17.57 €15.63

-62.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.76 €14.91

$35.34 €31.43

-52.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.39 €29.70

$49.52 €44.04

-32.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.20 €16.19

Cinema Ticket

$8.32 €7.40

$11.09 €9.87

-24.98%

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

$298 €265

$684 €609

-56.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K €11.9K

$18.2K €16.2K

-26.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.0 €83.6

$87.8 €78.1

7.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.55 €20.06

$42.06 €37.41

-46.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$144 €128

$111 €98.3

30.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$166 €148

$113 €100

47.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$554 €493

$1,509 €1,342

-63.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$495 €441

$1,162 €1,034

-57.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$734 €653

$2,804 €2,494

-73.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$720 €640

$1,867 €1,661

-61.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,775 €1,579

$9,017 €8,021

-80.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,294 €3,819

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,372 €1,221

$2,495 €2,219

-44.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

3.14

29.94%

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

Last update for Jaen: October 17, 2026

Last update for Madrid: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Jaen

$495 34.3%

Madrid

$1.2K 51.3% 135% $667

Groceries & Markets

Jaen

$282 19.5%

Madrid

$308 13.6% 9.1% $26

Eating Out

Jaen

$222 15.4%

Madrid

$266 11.8% 19.7% $44

Clothing & Footwear

Jaen

$192 13.3%

Madrid

$159 7% 17.2% $33

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Jaen

$188 13%

Madrid

$243 10.7% 29.3% $55

Sport & Entertainment

Jaen

$50 3.5%

Madrid

$72 3.2% 43.3% $22

Getting Around

Jaen

$15 * 1.1%

Madrid

$56 2.5% 259% $40

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $554 in Jaen versus $1,509 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 82% 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 $39.00 in Jaen versus $66.0 in Madrid. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $282 vs $308 – making Jaen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Jaen

🇪🇸 Madrid

🕒 Local time

11:59 11:59 AM

Same time as Jaen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

111,888

3,332,035 Capital

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

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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

Jaen vs Madrid: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Madrid costs about 57% more than Jaen, 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 $2,167 per month in Jaen 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 Jaen, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,445 in Jaen and $2,265 in Madrid. That's a gap of about 57%.

Kindergarten costs $298 per month in Jaen and $684 in Madrid. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Jaen, where all-in costs run around $1,445, than in Madrid at $2,265. In Jaen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Madrid it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Jaen costs $1,445 versus $2,265 in Madrid. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Jaen. 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.