Cost of Living Comparison Between Madrid and Alcala de Henares Cost of Living Comparison Between Madrid and Alcala de Henares

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,293 in Madrid versus $1,831 in Alcala de Henares.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,370 in Madrid versus $2,647 in Alcala de Henares.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,447 in Madrid versus $3,463 in Alcala de Henares.

Living in Madrid is roughly 25% more expensive than in Alcala de Henares, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Madrid 72% above, Alcala de Henares 37% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.33 €15.14

$17.46 €15.25

-0.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 €60.0

$70.7 €61.8

-2.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.95 €10.44

$10.22 €8.93

16.93%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.71

$2.62 €2.29

18.32%

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

$3.21 €2.80

$3.14 €2.74

2.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 €1.87

$2.04 €1.78

4.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.10 €3.58

$4.02 €3.51

1.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.55 €3.98

$4.60 €4.02

-1.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 €1.04

$1.20 €1.05

-0.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.71 €1.49

$1.05 €0.92

62.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 €1.50

$1.70 €1.49

1.18%

Eggs

$3.52 €3.07

$2.66 €2.32

32.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.98 €13.09

$22.48 €19.64

-33.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.83 €7.72

$8.85 €7.74

-0.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.75 €14.63

$17.05 €14.90

-1.76%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

$2.88 €2.52

-9.72%

Banana (1kg)

$2.22 €1.94

$2.20 €1.92

0.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.45 €2.14

$2.05 €1.79

19.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.65 €2.32

$2.77 €2.42

-4.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.07 €1.81

$1.80 €1.57

15.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.15 €1.88

$1.99 €1.73

8.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.34 €1.17

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 €0.86

$0.91 €0.80

8.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.99 €6.10

$6.30 €5.51

10.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.77 €6.79

$7.82 €6.84

-0.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 €1.25

$1.37 €1.20

4.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 €1.90

$2.28 €1.99

-4.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.78 €1.56

$1.94 €1.70

-8.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.79 €42.62

$48.03 €41.97

1.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.12 €3.60

$3.95 €3.45

4.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 €1.21

$1.37 €1.19

1.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.50 €24.90

$23.46 €20.49

21.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.92 €1.68

$1.78 €1.56

7.87%

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

$37.7K €32.9K

$37.0K €32.3K

1.83%

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

$34.1K €29.8K

$29.8K €26.0K

14.69%

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

$193 €169

$127 €111

52.08%

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

$21.55 €18.83

$21.62 €18.89

-0.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.97 €31.42

$32.00 €27.96

12.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.7 €46.04

$42.89 €37.48

22.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.64 €15.42

$11.63 €10.16

51.68%

Cinema Ticket

$11.44 €10.00

$10.53 €9.20

8.64%

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

$669 €584

$263 €230

153.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K €10.4K

$6,898 €6,027

72.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.7 €82.7

$87.6 €76.6

8.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.81 €37.41

$37.39 €32.67

14.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €91.6

$81.2 €71.0

29.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 €115

$88.6 €77.4

48.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,607 €1,404

$881 €769

82.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,151 €1,006

$802 €701

43.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,839 €2,480

$1,882 €1,644

50.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,879 €1,642

$1,158 €1,011

62.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,038 €7,896

$4,251 €3,714

112.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,262 €3,724

$3,558 €3,109

19.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,464 €2,153

$1,795 €1,568

37.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.43

3.27

4.89%

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

Last update for Madrid: July 12, 2026

Last update for Alcala de Henares: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,607 in Madrid and $881 in Alcala de Henares. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Madrid pays 37% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $69.0 in Madrid vs $71.0 in Alcala de Henares for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $305 per month, with Madrid 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

Madrid vs Alcala de Henares: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Madrid and Alcala de Henares differ by about 25% in total monthly costs ($2,293 vs $1,831 including rent). Alcala de Henares is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 37% higher in Madrid, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,607 in Madrid versus $881 in Alcala de Henares. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $669 in Madrid versus $263 in Alcala de Henares. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Madrid pay roughly 4% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,831 in Alcala de Henares versus $2,293 in Madrid, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Alcala de Henares but tight or insufficient in Madrid. The gap between the two cities makes Alcala de Henares the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Madrid and Alcala de Henares 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 Alcala de Henares gentler on the wallet – expenses run 25% less than in Madrid. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.