Cost of Living Comparison Between Javea and Madrid Cost of Living Comparison Between Javea and Madrid

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,597 in Javea versus $2,273 in Madrid.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,282 in Javea versus $3,389 in Madrid.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,967 in Javea versus $4,505 in Madrid.

Living in Javea costs roughly 30% less than in Madrid, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Javea 19% above, Madrid 70% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.06 €14.57

$17.64 €15.07

-3.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.2 €43.73

$70.5 €60.2

-27.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.50 €9.82

$11.66 €9.95

-1.37%

Cappuccino

$2.28 €1.95

$3.10 €2.64

-26.45%

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

$1.98 €1.69

$3.06 €2.62

-35.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 €1.97

$2.10 €1.79

9.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.94 €3.36

$4.07 €3.48

-3.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.70 €3.16

$4.52 €3.86

-18.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 €0.91

$1.25 €1.06

-15.20%

White Bread (500g)

$1.23 €1.05

$1.69 €1.44

-27.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 €1.27

$1.65 €1.41

-10.30%

Eggs

$2.89 €2.47

$3.35 €2.86

-13.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.29 €8.78

$14.57 €12.44

-29.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.10 €6.06

$9.12 €7.79

-22.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.68 €9.97

$16.67 €14.24

-29.93%

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 €1.59

$2.66 €2.27

-30.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 €1.35

$2.21 €1.89

-28.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.19 €1.01

$2.47 €2.11

-51.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.57 €2.20

$2.71 €2.31

-5.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.80 €1.54

$2.11 €1.80

-14.69%

Onion (1kg)

$1.96 €1.68

$2.14 €1.83

-8.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 €0.56

$1.41 €1.20

-53.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 €0.96

$0.97 €0.83

15.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.81 €4.96

$7.08 €6.04

-17.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.80 €4.95

$8.12 €6.94

-28.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 €0.63

$1.39 €1.19

-46.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 €1.21

$2.25 €1.92

-36.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.65 €1.40

$1.78 €1.52

-7.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.36 €29.34

$48.86 €41.73

-29.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.67

$4.16 €3.55

3.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.09 €0.93

$1.38 €1.18

-21.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.92 €21.28

$28.62 €24.44

-12.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.74 €1.49

$1.88 €1.60

-7.45%

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

$38.3K €32.7K

0.08%

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

$30.5K €26.0K

$34.4K €29.4K

-11.40%

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

$135 €115

$192 €164

-29.77%

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

$11.71 €10.00

$21.59 €18.44

-45.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.04 €23.95

$35.26 €30.12

-20.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.17 €40.29

$53.4 €45.60

-11.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.79 €12.63

$17.72 €15.13

-16.53%

Cinema Ticket

$7.10 €6.07

$11.78 €10.06

-39.73%

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

$399 €341

$674 €576

-40.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K €12.6K

$12.2K €10.4K

20.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.1 €60.8

$95.7 €81.7

-25.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.05 €14.56

$41.61 €35.53

-59.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.0 €82.8

$104 €89.2

-7.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.0 €81.1

$133 €113

-28.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$858 €733

$1,595 €1,362

-46.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$684 €584

$1,109 €947

-38.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,308 €1,117

$2,858 €2,441

-54.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$987 €843

$1,890 €1,614

-47.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,761 €4,066

$9,394 €8,023

-49.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,947 €2,516

$4,583 €3,914

-35.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,602 €2,222

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.5

3.43

2.04%

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

Last update for Javea: April 27, 2026

Last update for Madrid: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $858 in Javea and $1,595 in Madrid. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $51.0 in Javea vs $70.0 in Madrid for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $222 vs $294 per month, with Javea cheaper across the board.

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

Javea vs Madrid: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Javea wins on cost – living expenses run 42% lower than in Madrid. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Javea the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $2,395 in Javea and $3,409 in Madrid to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $858 in Javea versus $1,595 in Madrid. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $399 in Javea versus $674 in Madrid. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 33% higher in Madrid. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,597 in Javea versus $2,273 in Madrid, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Javea but tight or insufficient in Madrid. The gap between the two cities makes Javea the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Javea delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,597 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Javea hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Javea and Madrid are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Javea gentler on the wallet – expenses run 42% less than in Madrid. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.