Cost of Living Comparison Between Madrid and Alcoy Cost of Living Comparison Between Madrid and Alcoy

Name: Alcoy
Address: Alcoy, ES

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,368 per month in Madrid vs $1,616 in Alcoy, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,435 per month in Madrid vs $2,388 in Alcoy, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,502 per month in Madrid vs $3,160 in Alcoy, rent included.

Madrid costs about 47% more than Alcoy, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Madrid and Alcoy sit above the global median – Madrid by 72%, Alcoy by 18%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.78 €16.20

$10.66 €9.19

76.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.5 €59.1

$58.8 €50.7

16.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.98 €10.33

$13.12 €11.32

-8.69%

Cappuccino

$3.22 €2.78

$1.85 €1.59

74.05%

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

$3.37 €2.91

$1.77 €1.53

90.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 €1.97

$1.32 €1.14

73.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.97 €3.43

$3.46 €2.99

14.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.10 €4.39

$2.50 €2.16

104.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 €1.16

$1.03 €0.89

31.07%

White Bread (500g)

$1.64 €1.41

$1.50 €1.29

9.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.73 €1.50

$1.46 €1.26

18.49%

Eggs

$4.42 €3.81

$3.44 €2.97

28.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.22 €14.86

$13.95 €12.03

23.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.82 €8.47

$8.31 €7.17

18.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.22 €15.71

$16.16 €13.94

12.75%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.36

$2.56 €2.21

6.64%

Banana (1kg)

$2.36 €2.03

$2.15 €1.85

9.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.59 €2.24

$2.10 €1.81

23.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.68 €2.31

$2.61 €2.25

2.68%

Potato (1kg)

$2.29 €1.98

$1.92 €1.66

19.27%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 €1.95

$2.17 €1.87

4.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 €1.36

$1.38 €1.19

14.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 €0.96

$0.57 €0.49

96.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.79 €5.86

$6.74 €5.81

0.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.33 €7.18

$5.86 €5.05

42.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 €1.06

$1.22 €1.06

0.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 €1.94

$1.46 €1.26

54.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.71 €1.47

$1.67 €1.44

2.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.94 €32.72

$34.15 €29.46

11.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.97 €3.42

$4.19 €3.61

-5.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 €1.36

$1.38 €1.19

14.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.36 €26.19

$24.08 €20.77

26.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.80 €1.55

2.22%

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

$37.0K €31.9K

$37.0K €32.0K

-0.20%

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

$34.1K €29.4K

$30.3K €26.1K

12.59%

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

$195 €168

$149 €128

30.73%

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

$19.08 €16.45

$18.55 €16.00

2.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.32 €31.33

$31.11 €26.83

16.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.2 €44.18

$47.26 €40.77

8.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.35 €16.69

$16.05 €13.84

20.56%

Cinema Ticket

$11.39 €9.82

$9.46 €8.16

20.40%

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

$696 €600

$502 €433

38.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.0K €15.6K

$8,638 €7,451

108.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.1 €76.9

$88.2 €76.1

1.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.57 €38.45

$37.19 €32.07

19.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 €93.2

$94.8 €81.7

14.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 €97.4

$112 €96.4

1.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,583 €1,366

$943 €813

67.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 €1,057

$693 €598

76.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,813 €2,426

$1,412 €1,217

99.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,871 €1,613

$1,036 €894

80.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,303 €8,024

$3,488 €3,009

166.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,251 €3,667

$2,282 €1,968

86.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,584 €2,229

$1,964 €1,694

31.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.09

3.3

-6.36%

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

Last update for Madrid: August 30, 2026

Last update for Alcoy: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,583 in Madrid versus $943 in Alcoy. 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 32% 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 $68.0 in Madrid versus $59.0 in Alcoy. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $320 vs $267 – making Alcoy the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Alcoy: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,368 in Madrid, $1,616 in Alcoy – roughly 47% apart. Madrid costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,552 per month in Madrid and $2,424 in Alcoy. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Alcoy, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 20% more in Madrid, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68.0 in Madrid and $59.0 in Alcoy. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Alcoy, where all-in costs run around $1,616, than in Madrid at $2,368. In Alcoy it covers expenses comfortably, while in Madrid it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Madrid has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,616 in Alcoy to $2,368 in Madrid. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Alcoy. 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.