Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Madrid and Aranjuez

For one person, living is cheaper in Aranjuez: $1,678 a month against $2,265 in Madrid, rent and utilities included – about $7,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Madrid
🇪🇸 Spain
$2,265
/mo nomad
Aranjuez
🇪🇸 Spain
$1,678
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Madrid and in Aranjuez

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 Aranjuez actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,265 per month in Madrid vs $1,678 in Aranjuez, rent included.

  • Madrid $2,265
  • Aranjuez $1,678

A couple spends around $3,296 per month in Madrid vs $2,362 in Aranjuez, rent included.

  • Madrid $3,296
  • Aranjuez $2,362

A family of three spends $4,328 per month in Madrid vs $3,045 in Aranjuez, rent included.

  • Madrid $4,328
  • Aranjuez $3,045

Madrid costs about 35% more than Aranjuez, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Madrid and Aranjuez sit above the global median – Madrid by 68%, Aranjuez by 24%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Madrid
Aranjuez
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$18.20 €16.19
$13.29 €11.83
36.95%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$68.1 €60.5
$65.8 €58.6
3.39%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.24 €9.99
$12.33 €10.97
-8.84%
Cappuccino
$3.15 €2.80
$2.71 €2.41
16.24%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.36 €2.99
$2.59 €2.30
29.73%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.36 €2.10
$1.99 €1.77
18.59%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.83 €3.40
$3.37 €3.00
13.65%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.92 €4.38
$4.49 €3.99
9.58%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Madrid
Aranjuez
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.32 €1.17
$1.20 €1.07
10.00%
White Bread (500g)
$1.61 €1.43
$1.35 €1.20
19.26%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.65 €1.47
$1.78 €1.58
-7.30%
Eggs
$4.07 €3.62
$3.36 €2.99
21.13%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.82 €14.07
$10.94 €9.73
44.61%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.49 €8.44
$7.71 €6.85
23.09%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.52 €15.59
$15.82 €14.07
10.75%
Apples (1kg)
$2.56 €2.27
$2.58 €2.29
-0.78%
Banana (1kg)
$2.09 €1.86
$1.89 €1.69
10.58%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.47 €2.19
$1.86 €1.65
32.80%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.49 €2.22
$2.57 €2.28
-3.11%
Potato (1kg)
$2.26 €2.01
$1.68 €1.49
34.52%
Onion (1kg)
$2.15 €1.91
$1.85 €1.64
16.22%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.57 €1.40
$1.08 €0.96
45.37%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.07 €0.95
$0.75 €0.67
42.67%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.55 €5.82
$6.73 €5.99
-2.67%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.65 €6.81
$5.70 €5.07
34.21%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.17 €1.04
$1.33 €1.19
-12.03%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.22 €1.97
$1.71 €1.52
29.82%
🚌 Getting Around
Madrid
Aranjuez
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.63 €1.45
$1.68 €1.50
-2.98%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$36.42 €32.39
$31.45 €27.97
15.80%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.73 €3.32
$4.57 €4.07
-18.38%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.54 €1.37
$1.34 €1.19
14.93%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$29.17 €25.95
$23.66 €21.04
23.29%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.78 €1.58
$1.80 €1.60
-1.11%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.5K €31.6K
$34.9K €31.0K
1.78%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$33.2K €29.6K
$28.8K €25.6K
15.23%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Madrid
Aranjuez
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$189 €168
$133 €118
42.43%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$17.48 €15.55
$15.98 €14.21
9.39%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$34.32 €30.53
$33.93 €30.18
1.15%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Madrid
Aranjuez
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$48.62 €43.25
$43.88 €39.03
10.80%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.44 €16.40
$17.52 €15.59
5.25%
Cinema Ticket
$11.04 €9.82
$10.81 €9.62
2.13%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Madrid
Aranjuez
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$693 €617
$588 €523
17.94%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.8K €15.8K
$9,742 €8,666
82.24%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Madrid
Aranjuez
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$84.6 €75.3
$90.5 €80.5
-6.55%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.50 €37.80
$40.95 €36.43
3.79%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$110 €98.1
$94.9 €84.5
16.16%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$112 €99.9
$117 €104
-3.98%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Madrid
Aranjuez
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,506 €1,339
$824 €733
82.64%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,170 €1,041
$753 €670
55.31%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,756 €2,451
$1,358 €1,208
102.90%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,845 €1,641
$883 €786
108.87%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$9,168 €8,155
$3,619 €3,219
153.32%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,234 €3,766
$2,423 €2,156
74.70%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Madrid
Aranjuez
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,483 €2,209
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.14
3.41
-7.92%

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

Last update for Madrid: October 11, 2026

Last update for Aranjuez: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Madrid
$1.2K
Aranjuez
$753 35.6% $417
Groceries & Markets
Madrid
$303
Aranjuez
$253 16.5% $50
Eating Out
Madrid
$269
Aranjuez
$220 18.2% $49
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Madrid
$241
Aranjuez
$183 24.2% $58
Clothing & Footwear
Madrid
$157
Aranjuez
$155 1.8% $2.8
Sport & Entertainment
Madrid
$71
Aranjuez
$66 7.4% $5.2
Getting Around
Madrid
$54
Aranjuez
$49 9.1% $5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,506 in Madrid versus $824 in Aranjuez. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68.0 in Madrid versus $66.0 in Aranjuez. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $303 vs $253 – making Aranjuez the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇪🇸 Madrid
🇪🇸 Aranjuez
🕒 Local time
09:23 9:23 AM
09:23 9:23 AM
Same time as Madrid
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
3,332,035 Capital
60,668
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Madrid Aranjuez 44 km
From you
  • Madrid
  • Aranjuez

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 Aranjuez: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Aranjuez cheaper than Madrid?
Yes – Madrid is pricier by about 35%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,398 per month in Madrid and $2,517 in Aranjuez. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Aranjuez, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 16% less in Aranjuez. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $693 per month in Madrid and $588 in Aranjuez. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $2,500 a realistic budget for living in Madrid or in Aranjuez?
A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Aranjuez, where all-in costs run around $1,678, than in Madrid at $2,265. In Aranjuez it covers expenses comfortably, while in Madrid it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Madrid or Aranjuez more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Aranjuez – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Madrid or Aranjuez?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Aranjuez. 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.

Madrid vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?