Cost of Living Comparison Between Madrid and Alicante Cost of Living Comparison Between Madrid and Alicante

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,293 in Madrid versus $1,713 in Alicante.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,370 in Madrid versus $2,449 in Alicante.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,447 in Madrid versus $3,185 in Alicante.

Living in Madrid is roughly 34% more expensive than in Alicante, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Madrid 72% above, Alicante 28% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.33 €15.14

$17.38 €15.18

-0.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 €60.0

$58.8 €51.4

16.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.95 €10.44

$10.33 €9.03

15.68%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.71

$2.16 €1.89

43.52%

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

$3.21 €2.80

$2.40 €2.10

33.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 €1.87

$1.54 €1.35

38.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.10 €3.58

$2.81 €2.46

45.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.55 €3.98

$3.44 €3.01

32.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 €1.04

$1.28 €1.12

-7.03%

White Bread (500g)

$1.71 €1.49

$1.81 €1.58

-5.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 €1.50

$1.55 €1.36

10.97%

Eggs

$3.52 €3.07

$2.87 €2.51

22.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.98 €13.09

$11.57 €10.11

29.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.83 €7.72

$9.13 €7.98

-3.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.75 €14.63

$14.34 €12.53

16.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

$2.45 €2.14

6.12%

Banana (1kg)

$2.22 €1.94

$1.98 €1.73

12.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.45 €2.14

$1.37 €1.20

78.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.65 €2.32

$2.29 €2.00

15.72%

Potato (1kg)

$2.07 €1.81

$1.69 €1.48

22.49%

Onion (1kg)

$2.15 €1.88

$1.63 €1.42

31.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.34 €1.17

$1.09 €0.95

22.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 €0.86

$0.66 €0.58

50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.99 €6.10

$5.96 €5.21

17.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.77 €6.79

$4.61 €4.03

68.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 €1.25

$1.19 €1.04

20.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 €1.90

$1.83 €1.60

19.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.78 €1.56

$1.64 €1.43

8.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.79 €42.62

$25.11 €21.94

94.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.12 €3.60

$1.70 €1.48

142.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 €1.21

$1.28 €1.12

8.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.50 €24.90

$17.51 €15.30

62.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.92 €1.68

$1.73 €1.51

10.98%

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

$37.7K €32.9K

$39.3K €34.3K

-4.13%

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

$34.1K €29.8K

$29.7K €26.0K

14.79%

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

$193 €169

$126 €110

53.82%

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

$21.55 €18.83

$20.50 €17.91

5.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.97 €31.42

$31.54 €27.56

14.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.7 €46.04

$55.3 €48.31

-4.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.64 €15.42

$17.15 €14.99

2.86%

Cinema Ticket

$11.44 €10.00

$9.70 €8.47

17.94%

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

$669 €584

$710 €620

-5.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K €10.4K

$10.7K €9,323

11.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.7 €82.7

$69.5 €60.7

36.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.81 €37.41

$31.04 €27.12

37.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €91.6

$97.3 €85.0

7.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 €115

$108 €94.3

22.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,607 €1,404

$968 €845

66.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,151 €1,006

$773 €675

48.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,839 €2,480

$1,479 €1,292

91.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,879 €1,642

$1,012 €884

85.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,038 €7,896

$4,255 €3,718

112.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,262 €3,724

$2,141 €1,871

99.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,464 €2,153

$1,943 €1,698

26.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.43

3.58

-4.19%

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

Last update for Madrid: July 12, 2026

Last update for Alicante: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,607 in Madrid and $968 in Alicante. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Madrid pays 27% 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 $59.0 in Alicante for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $252 per month, with Alicante 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 Alicante: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Alicante wins on cost – living expenses run 34% lower than in Madrid. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Alicante the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 27% 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 $968 in Alicante. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $669 in Madrid versus $710 in Alicante. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 16% higher in Madrid. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,713 in Alicante versus $2,293 in Madrid, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Alicante but tight or insufficient in Madrid. The gap between the two cities makes Alicante the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Alicante delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,713 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Alicante hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Madrid and Alicante 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 Alicante gentler on the wallet – expenses run 34% less than in Madrid. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.