Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Madrid and Alcorcón

For one person, living is cheaper in Alcorcón: $1,696 a month against $2,304 in Madrid, rent and utilities included – about $7,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Madrid, Spain
Alcorcón, Spain
Madrid
🇪🇸 Spain
$2,304
/mo nomad
Alcorcón
🇪🇸 Spain
$1,696
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Madrid and in Alcorcón

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Madrid and in Alcorcón actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,304 in Madrid versus $1,696 in Alcorcón.

  • Madrid $2,304
  • Alcorcón $1,696

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,389 in Madrid versus $2,505 in Alcorcón.

  • Madrid $3,389
  • Alcorcón $2,505

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,475 in Madrid versus $3,315 in Alcorcón.

  • Madrid $4,475
  • Alcorcón $3,315

Living in Madrid is roughly 36% more expensive than in Alcorcón, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Madrid 69% above, Alcorcón 25% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Madrid
Alcorcón
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.73 €15.89
$17.08 €15.31
3.81%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$66.9 €59.9
$56.2 €50.4
18.90%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.30 €10.13
$10.98 €9.84
2.91%
Cappuccino
$3.04 €2.73
$2.01 €1.81
51.24%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.36 €3.01
$2.83 €2.54
18.73%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.35 €2.11
$2.00 €1.79
17.50%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.89 €3.49
$4.00 €3.59
-2.75%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.80 €4.30
$3.94 €3.53
21.83%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Madrid
Alcorcón
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.32 €1.18
$1.36 €1.22
-2.94%
White Bread (500g)
$1.64 €1.47
$1.56 €1.40
5.13%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.72 €1.54
$1.53 €1.37
12.42%
Eggs
$4.20 €3.77
$2.82 €2.53
48.94%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.91 €14.25
$16.62 €14.89
-4.27%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.36 €8.39
$9.34 €8.37
0.21%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.21 €15.42
$17.41 €15.60
-1.15%
Apples (1kg)
$2.56 €2.30
$2.63 €2.36
-2.66%
Banana (1kg)
$2.09 €1.88
$2.41 €2.16
-13.28%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.55 €2.28
$2.55 €2.29
-
Tomato (1kg)
$2.58 €2.31
$3.10 €2.78
-16.77%
Potato (1kg)
$2.31 €2.07
$2.01 €1.80
14.93%
Onion (1kg)
$2.17 €1.94
$2.22 €1.99
-2.25%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.50 €1.35
$1.56 €1.40
-3.85%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.07 €0.96
$0.74 €0.66
44.59%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.57 €5.88
$6.34 €5.68
3.63%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.87 €7.05
$8.00 €7.17
-1.62%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.21 €1.09
$1.00 €0.89
21.00%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.17 €1.94
$2.21 €1.98
-1.81%
🚌 Getting Around
Madrid
Alcorcón
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.67 €1.50
$1.56 €1.39
7.05%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$37.53 €33.63
$30.50 €27.33
23.05%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.76 €3.37
$2.31 €2.07
62.77%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.49 €1.33
$1.02 €0.91
46.08%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$30.17 €27.03
$29.29 €26.25
3.00%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.85 €1.65
$1.81 €1.62
2.21%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.9K €30.4K
$33.4K €30.0K
1.31%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$33.3K €29.9K
$31.5K €28.2K
5.82%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Madrid
Alcorcón
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$192 €172
$163 €146
17.87%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$17.66 €15.82
$11.35 €10.17
55.59%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$35.07 €31.43
$35.27 €31.61
-0.57%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Madrid
Alcorcón
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$47.27 €42.36
$44.77 €40.12
5.58%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.23 €16.33
$13.64 €12.22
33.65%
Cinema Ticket
$11.29 €10.12
$8.86 €7.94
27.43%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Madrid
Alcorcón
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$687 €616
$510 €457
34.62%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$18.0K €16.1K
$7,957 €7,130
125.99%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Madrid
Alcorcón
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$86.5 €77.6
$87.8 €78.7
-1.42%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.65 €37.32
$38.49 €34.49
8.21%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$108 €96.9
$100 €89.7
7.98%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$112 €100
$112 €101
-0.56%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Madrid
Alcorcón
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,508 €1,351
$1,006 €902
49.87%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,210 €1,084
$687 €616
75.96%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,829 €2,535
$1,526 €1,367
85.42%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,004 €1,796
$1,045 €937
91.68%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$9,002 €8,066
$3,285 €2,944
174.02%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,710 €4,220
$2,234 €2,002
110.82%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Madrid
Alcorcón
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,453 €2,199
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.14
3.14
-

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

Last update for Madrid: October 24, 2026

Last update for Alcorcón: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Madrid
$1.2K
Alcorcón
$687 43.2% $522
Groceries & Markets
Madrid
$304
Alcorcón
$300 1.5% $4.6
Eating Out
Madrid
$264
Alcorcón
$241 8.8% $23
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Madrid
$244
Alcorcón
$209 14.4% $35
Clothing & Footwear
Madrid
$157
Alcorcón
$152 2.7% $4.2
Sport & Entertainment
Madrid
$70
Alcorcón
$62 10.6% $7.4
Getting Around
Madrid
$55
Alcorcón
$44 20.4% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,508 in Madrid and $1,006 in Alcorcón. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $67 in Madrid vs $56 in Alcorcón for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $304 vs $300 per month, with Alcorcón cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇪🇸 Madrid
🇪🇸 Alcorcón
🕒 Local time
03:12 3:12 AM
03:12 3:12 AM
Same time as Madrid
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
3,332,035 Capital
171,772
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Madrid Alcorcón 13 km
From you
  • Madrid
  • Alcorcón

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
Madrid vs Alcorcón: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Alcorcón cheaper than Madrid?
Alcorcón is about 26% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, transport, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You’d need roughly $3,456 in Madrid and $2,544 in Alcorcón 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.
What is the rent difference between Madrid and Alcorcón?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,508 in Madrid versus $1,006 in Alcorcón. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $687 in Madrid versus $510 in Alcorcón. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Is eating out cheaper in Madrid or in Alcorcón?
Dining out is cheaper in Alcorcón – a meal for two runs $56 versus $67 in Madrid. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Is it better to live in Madrid or in Alcorcón?
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.
Which city is safer, Madrid or Alcorcón?
Safety-wise, Madrid and Alcorcón are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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