Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Madrid and Avila

For one person, living is cheaper in Avila: $1,448 a month against $2,265 in Madrid, rent and utilities included – about $9,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Madrid
🇪🇸 Spain
$2,265
/mo nomad
Avila
🇪🇸 Spain
$1,448
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Madrid and in Avila

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,265 in Madrid versus $1,448 in Avila.

  • Madrid $2,265
  • Avila $1,448

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,296 in Madrid versus $2,146 in Avila.

  • Madrid $3,296
  • Avila $2,146

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,328 in Madrid versus $2,845 in Avila.

  • Madrid $4,328
  • Avila $2,845

Living in Madrid is roughly 56% more expensive than in Avila, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Madrid 68% above, Avila 7% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Madrid
Avila
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$18.20 €16.19
$17.09 €15.21
6.50%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$68.1 €60.5
$61.5 €54.7
10.76%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.24 €9.99
$11.37 €10.11
-1.14%
Cappuccino
$3.15 €2.80
$2.11 €1.87
49.29%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.36 €2.99
$3.29 €2.93
2.13%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.36 €2.10
$1.92 €1.71
22.92%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.83 €3.40
$3.31 €2.94
15.71%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.92 €4.38
$4.47 €3.98
10.07%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Madrid
Avila
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.32 €1.17
$1.18 €1.05
11.86%
White Bread (500g)
$1.61 €1.43
$0.82 €0.73
96.34%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.65 €1.47
$1.48 €1.32
11.49%
Eggs
$4.07 €3.62
$2.99 €2.66
36.12%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.82 €14.07
$25.41 €22.60
-37.74%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.49 €8.44
$4.27 €3.80
122.25%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.52 €15.59
$10.04 €8.93
74.50%
Apples (1kg)
$2.56 €2.27
$2.70 €2.40
-5.19%
Banana (1kg)
$2.09 €1.86
$1.25 €1.12
67.20%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.47 €2.19
$2.21 €1.97
11.76%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.49 €2.22
$5.04 €4.48
-50.60%
Potato (1kg)
$2.26 €2.01
$2.15 €1.91
5.12%
Onion (1kg)
$2.15 €1.91
$1.95 €1.73
10.26%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.57 €1.40
$1.25 €1.11
25.60%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.07 €0.95
$0.56 €0.50
91.07%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.55 €5.82
$6.21 €5.52
5.48%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.65 €6.81
$3.00 €2.67
155.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.17 €1.04
$1.03 €0.92
13.59%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.22 €1.97
$2.24 €2.00
-0.89%
🚌 Getting Around
Madrid
Avila
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.63 €1.45
$1.25 €1.12
30.40%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$36.42 €32.39
$33.01 €29.36
10.33%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.73 €3.32
$4.37 €3.89
-14.65%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.54 €1.37
$2.19 €1.94
-29.68%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$29.17 €25.95
$23.41 €20.82
24.60%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.78 €1.58
$1.79 €1.59
-0.56%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.5K €31.6K
$35.3K €31.4K
0.45%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$33.2K €29.6K
$29.5K €26.3K
12.45%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Madrid
Avila
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$189 €168
$75.0 €66.7
152.02%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$17.48 €15.55
$16.61 €14.77
5.24%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$34.32 €30.53
$25.95 €23.08
32.25%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Madrid
Avila
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$48.62 €43.25
$40.25 €35.80
20.80%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.44 €16.40
$15.55 €13.83
18.59%
Cinema Ticket
$11.04 €9.82
$8.76 €7.79
26.03%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Madrid
Avila
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$693 €617
$177 €158
290.72%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.8K €15.8K
$6,058 €5,389
193.08%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Madrid
Avila
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$84.6 €75.3
$72.3 €64.3
17.08%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.50 €37.80
$35.53 €31.60
19.62%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$110 €98.1
$76.5 €68.1
44.16%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$112 €99.9
$94.6 €84.2
18.63%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Madrid
Avila
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,506 €1,339
$817 €726
84.41%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,170 €1,041
$593 €527
97.35%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,756 €2,451
$1,029 €915
167.80%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,845 €1,641
$779 €693
136.81%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$9,168 €8,155
$2,363 €2,102
287.96%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,234 €3,766
$1,743 €1,550
142.93%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Madrid
Avila
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,483 €2,209
$2,513 €2,235
-1.18%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.14
3.08
1.95%

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

Last update for Madrid: October 11, 2026

Last update for Avila: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Madrid
$1.2K
Avila
$593 49.3% $577
Groceries & Markets
Madrid
$303
Avila
$258 14.8% $45
Eating Out
Madrid
$269
Avila
$242 9.8% $26
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Madrid
$241
Avila
$118 51.2% $123
Clothing & Footwear
Madrid
$157
Avila
$126 20.2% $32
Sport & Entertainment
Madrid
$71
Avila
$58 18.3% $13
Getting Around
Madrid
$54
Avila
$53 2% $1.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,506 in Madrid and $817 in Avila. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Avila pays 1% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $68.0 in Madrid vs $61.0 in Avila for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $303 vs $258 per month, with Avila cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇪🇸 Madrid
🇪🇸 Avila
🕒 Local time
22:49 10:49 PM
22:49 10:49 PM
Same time as Madrid
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
3,332,035 Capital
57,741
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Madrid Avila 88 km
From you
  • Madrid
  • Avila

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 Avila: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Madrid or Avila?
Avila wins on cost – living expenses run 56% lower than in Madrid. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Avila the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Madrid or in Avila?
On paper, salaries run 1% lower in Avila. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Madrid compared to Avila?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,506 in Madrid versus $817 in Avila. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How much does it cost to live in Madrid compared to Avila?
All in, you'll spend $2,265 per month in Madrid versus $1,448 in Avila – a 56% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
How expensive is transport in Madrid compared to Avila?
A monthly transit pass in Avila runs roughly 10% less than in Madrid. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Madrid or in Avila?
At $1,448 in Avila versus $2,265 in Madrid, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Avila but tight or insufficient in Madrid. The gap between the two cities makes Avila the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Madrid or Avila?
Both work as nomad bases, but Avila delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,448 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Avila hard to pass up.
How safe is Madrid compared to Avila?
Safety-wise, Madrid and Avila are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Avila gentler on the wallet – expenses run 56% less than in Madrid. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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