Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Madrid and Arrecife

For one person, living is cheaper in Arrecife: $1,550 a month against $2,265 in Madrid, rent and utilities included – about $8,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

111

Cost of Living Index in Madrid
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Madrid Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Arrecife
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Arrecife Living Index

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Madrid

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,265

/mo nomad

Arrecife

🇪🇸 Spain

$1,550

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Madrid and in Arrecife

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,265 in Madrid versus $1,550 in Arrecife.

Madrid $2,265
Arrecife $1,550

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,296 in Madrid versus $2,295 in Arrecife.

Madrid $3,296
Arrecife $2,295

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,328 in Madrid versus $3,041 in Arrecife.

Madrid $4,328
Arrecife $3,041

Living in Madrid is roughly 46% more expensive than in Arrecife, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Madrid 68% above, Arrecife 15% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.20 €16.19

$11.25 €10.00

61.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €60.5

$45.76 €40.70

48.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.24 €9.99

$8.95 €7.96

25.59%

Cappuccino

$3.15 €2.80

$2.48 €2.21

27.02%

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

$3.36 €2.99

$2.17 €1.93

54.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 €2.10

$1.70 €1.51

38.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.83 €3.40

$3.18 €2.83

20.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.92 €4.38

$3.73 €3.32

31.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.17

$1.14 €1.02

15.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.61 €1.43

$1.45 €1.29

11.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.65 €1.47

$1.25 €1.11

32.00%

Eggs

$4.07 €3.62

$3.57 €3.18

14.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.82 €14.07

$11.92 €10.60

32.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.44

$7.15 €6.36

32.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.52 €15.58

$14.06 €12.51

24.61%

Apples (1kg)

$2.56 €2.27

$2.51 €2.23

1.99%

Banana (1kg)

$2.09 €1.86

$2.66 €2.37

-21.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.47 €2.19

$2.25 €2.00

9.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.49 €2.22

$2.48 €2.21

0.40%

Potato (1kg)

$2.26 €2.01

$1.86 €1.66

21.51%

Onion (1kg)

$2.15 €1.91

$2.37 €2.11

-9.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.57 €1.40

$1.73 €1.54

-9.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 €0.95

$0.89 €0.79

20.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.55 €5.82

$4.38 €3.90

49.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.65 €6.81

$6.53 €5.81

17.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 €1.04

$1.66 €1.48

-29.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 €1.97

$2.65 €2.35

-16.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.63 €1.45

$1.93 €1.72

-15.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.42 €32.39

$32.92 €29.28

10.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.73 €3.32

$3.40 €3.02

9.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 €1.37

$2.22 €1.97

-30.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.17 €25.94

$22.87 €20.34

27.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.78 €1.58

$1.62 €1.44

9.88%

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

$35.5K €31.6K

$34.8K €30.9K

1.97%

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

$33.2K €29.6K

$28.8K €25.7K

15.21%

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

$189 €168

$115 €103

63.82%

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

$17.48 €15.55

$20.01 €17.80

-12.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.32 €30.53

$28.03 €24.93

22.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.62 €43.25

$44.50 €39.57

9.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.44 €16.40

$15.45 €13.74

19.35%

Cinema Ticket

$11.04 €9.82

$7.90 €7.03

39.75%

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

$693 €617

$468 €416

48.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K €15.8K

$6,645 €5,910

167.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.6 €75.3

$89.6 €79.7

-5.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.50 €37.80

$33.80 €30.07

25.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 €98.1

$88.9 €79.1

24.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 €99.9

$121 €107

-6.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,506 €1,339

$847 €753

77.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 €1,040

$672 €598

73.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,756 €2,451

$1,419 €1,262

94.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,845 €1,641

$1,052 €936

75.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,168 €8,154

$3,323 €2,955

175.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,234 €3,766

$2,186 €1,944

93.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,483 €2,208

$1,691 €1,504

46.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.14

3.15

-0.32%

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

Last update for Madrid: October 11, 2026

Last update for Arrecife: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Madrid

$1.2K 51.7%

Arrecife

$672 43.4% 42.5% $497

Groceries & Markets

Madrid

$303 13.4%

Arrecife

$263 17% 13.1% $40

Eating Out

Madrid

$269 11.9%

Arrecife

$186 12% 31% $83

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Madrid

$241 10.6%

Arrecife

$163 10.5% 32.1% $77

Clothing & Footwear

Madrid

$157 7%

Arrecife

$150 9.7% 4.8% $7.5

Sport & Entertainment

Madrid

$71 3.1%

Arrecife

$60 3.9% 14.7% $10

Getting Around

Madrid

$54 2.4%

Arrecife

$55 3.6% 1.3% $0.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,506 in Madrid and $847 in Arrecife. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Madrid pays 47% 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: $68.0 in Madrid vs $46.00 in Arrecife for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $303 vs $263 per month, with Arrecife cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Madrid

🇪🇸 Arrecife

🕒 Local time

17:31 5:31 PM

16:31 4:31 PM

1 h behind Madrid

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,332,035 Capital

64,826

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Madrid Arrecife 1,560 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Madrid
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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 Arrecife: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Madrid and Arrecife differ by about 46% in total monthly costs ($2,265 vs $1,550 including rent). Arrecife is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 47% 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: $1,506 in Madrid versus $847 in Arrecife. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Arrecife – a meal for two runs $46.00 versus $68.0 in Madrid. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,265 per month in Madrid versus $1,550 in Arrecife – a 46% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,550 in Arrecife versus $2,265 in Madrid, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Arrecife but tight or insufficient in Madrid. The gap between the two cities makes Arrecife 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 Arrecife 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 Arrecife gentler on the wallet – expenses run 46% less than in Madrid. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.