Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Madrid and Barakaldo

For one person, living is cheaper in Barakaldo: $1,633 a month against $2,304 in Madrid, rent and utilities included – about $8,100 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
79

Cost of Living Index in Barakaldo
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Barakaldo Living Index

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Madrid

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,304

/mo nomad

Barakaldo

🇪🇸 Spain

$1,633

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Madrid and in Barakaldo

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,304 in Madrid versus $1,633 in Barakaldo.

Madrid $2,304
Barakaldo $1,633

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,389 in Madrid versus $2,448 in Barakaldo.

Madrid $3,389
Barakaldo $2,448

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,475 in Madrid versus $3,264 in Barakaldo.

Madrid $4,475
Barakaldo $3,264

Living in Madrid is roughly 41% more expensive than in Barakaldo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Madrid 69% above, Barakaldo 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.73 €15.88

$17.13 €15.34

3.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.9 €59.9

$67.6 €60.6

-1.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.30 €10.12

$12.39 €11.09

-8.80%

Cappuccino

$3.04 €2.72

$2.63 €2.35

15.59%

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

$3.36 €3.01

$3.04 €2.72

10.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 €2.11

$2.05 €1.83

14.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.89 €3.49

$3.35 €3.00

16.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.80 €4.30

$3.26 €2.92

47.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.18

$1.23 €1.10

7.32%

White Bread (500g)

$1.64 €1.47

$1.65 €1.48

-0.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 €1.54

$1.40 €1.25

22.86%

Eggs

$4.20 €3.77

$3.36 €3.01

25.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.91 €14.24

$12.37 €11.08

28.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 €8.38

$7.86 €7.04

19.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.21 €15.41

$14.26 €12.77

20.69%

Apples (1kg)

$2.56 €2.29

$2.91 €2.61

-12.03%

Banana (1kg)

$2.09 €1.88

$1.46 €1.31

43.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 €2.28

$2.57 €2.30

-0.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.58 €2.31

$2.53 €2.26

1.98%

Potato (1kg)

$2.31 €2.07

$1.62 €1.45

42.59%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 €1.94

$2.21 €1.98

-1.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.50 €1.35

$1.28 €1.15

17.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 €0.96

$0.86 €0.77

24.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.57 €5.88

$6.72 €6.02

-2.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.87 €7.05

$7.98 €7.15

-1.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 €1.08

$1.39 €1.25

-12.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 €1.94

$1.79 €1.60

21.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.67 €1.50

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.53 €33.61

$32.61 €29.20

15.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.76 €3.37

$5.61 €5.02

-32.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.49 €1.33

$1.03 €0.92

44.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.17 €27.02

$29.32 €26.26

2.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.85 €1.65

$1.80 €1.61

2.78%

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

$33.9K €30.3K

$32.9K €29.5K

2.94%

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

$33.3K €29.8K

$29.4K €26.3K

13.26%

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

$192 €172

$143 €128

34.16%

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

$17.66 €15.81

$18.23 €16.33

-3.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.07 €31.41

$22.63 €20.26

54.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.27 €42.34

$44.92 €40.23

5.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.23 €16.32

$15.89 €14.23

14.73%

Cinema Ticket

$11.29 €10.11

$9.94 €8.90

13.58%

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

$687 €615

$483 €433

42.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.0K €16.1K

$10.1K €9,038

78.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.5 €77.5

$96.4 €86.3

-10.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.65 €37.30

$32.25 €28.88

29.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 €96.8

$74.6 €66.8

44.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 €100.0

$120 €107

-7.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,508 €1,351

$896 €802

68.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,210 €1,083

$675 €605

79.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,829 €2,534

$1,359 €1,217

108.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,004 €1,795

$1,024 €917

95.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,002 €8,062

$3,327 €2,979

170.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,710 €4,218

$2,222 €1,990

111.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,453 €2,197

$1,779 €1,593

37.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.14

2.98

5.37%

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

Last update for Madrid: October 24, 2026

Last update for Barakaldo: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Madrid

$1.2K 52.5%

Barakaldo

$675 41.3% 44.2% $534

Groceries & Markets

Madrid

$304 13.2%

Barakaldo

$265 16.2% 13% $40

Eating Out

Madrid

$264 11.5%

Barakaldo

$249 15.3% 5.6% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Madrid

$244 10.6%

Barakaldo

$184 11.3% 24.8% $61

Clothing & Footwear

Madrid

$157 6.8%

Barakaldo

$145 8.9% 7.1% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Madrid

$70 3%

Barakaldo

$65 4% 7.2% $5

Getting Around

Madrid

$55 2.4%

Barakaldo

$50 3.1% 9.7% $5.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,508 in Madrid and $896 in Barakaldo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Madrid pays 38% 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: $67 in Madrid vs $68 in Barakaldo. Groceries flip the comparison at $304 vs $265, with Barakaldo cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Madrid

🇪🇸 Barakaldo

🕒 Local time

22:14 10:14 PM

Same time as Madrid

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,332,035 Capital

101,229

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Barakaldo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,304 in Madrid and $1,633 in Barakaldo, so Barakaldo is about 29% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 38% 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: $1,508 in Madrid versus $896 in Barakaldo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $687 in Madrid versus $483 in Barakaldo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

A monthly transit pass in Barakaldo runs roughly 13% less than in Madrid. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Barakaldo gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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 Barakaldo are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Barakaldo wins on affordability, Madrid on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.