Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Madrid and Benalmadena

Name: Benalmadena
Address: Benalmadena, ES

For one person, living is cheaper in Benalmadena: $1,849 a month against $2,304 in Madrid, rent and utilities included – about $5,500 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
88

Cost of Living Index in Benalmadena
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Benalmadena Living Index

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Madrid

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,304

/mo nomad

Benalmadena

🇪🇸 Spain

$1,849

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Madrid and in Benalmadena

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

A single person spends $2,304 per month in Madrid vs $1,849 in Benalmadena, rent included.

Madrid $2,304
Benalmadena $1,849

A couple spends around $3,389 per month in Madrid vs $2,778 in Benalmadena, rent included.

Madrid $3,389
Benalmadena $2,778

A family of three spends $4,475 per month in Madrid vs $3,707 in Benalmadena, rent included.

Madrid $4,475
Benalmadena $3,707

Madrid costs about 25% more than Benalmadena, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Madrid and Benalmadena sit above the global median – Madrid by 69%, Benalmadena by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.73 €15.88

$14.63 €13.10

21.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.9 €59.9

$67.7 €60.6

-1.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.30 €10.12

$9.37 €8.39

20.60%

Cappuccino

$3.04 €2.72

$2.17 €1.95

40.09%

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

$3.36 €3.01

$2.13 €1.90

57.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 €2.11

$2.11 €1.89

11.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.89 €3.49

$3.25 €2.91

19.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.80 €4.30

$4.40 €3.94

9.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.18

$1.23 €1.10

7.32%

White Bread (500g)

$1.64 €1.47

$1.66 €1.49

-1.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 €1.54

$1.82 €1.63

-5.49%

Eggs

$4.20 €3.77

$3.32 €2.97

26.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.91 €14.24

$15.32 €13.72

3.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 €8.38

$8.17 €7.32

14.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.21 €15.41

$16.17 €14.48

6.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.56 €2.29

Banana (1kg)

$2.09 €1.88

$1.89 €1.70

10.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 €2.28

$1.80 €1.61

41.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.58 €2.31

$2.45 €2.20

5.31%

Potato (1kg)

$2.31 €2.07

$1.85 €1.66

24.86%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 €1.94

$2.05 €1.83

5.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.50 €1.35

$1.44 €1.29

4.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 €0.96

$0.74 €0.66

44.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.57 €5.88

$6.42 €5.75

2.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.87 €7.05

$6.83 €6.11

15.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 €1.08

$1.18 €1.06

2.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 €1.94

$1.99 €1.78

9.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.67 €1.50

$2.02 €1.81

-17.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.53 €33.61

$30.41 €27.23

23.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.76 €3.37

$1.91 €1.71

96.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.49 €1.33

$1.21 €1.09

23.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.17 €27.02

$22.35 €20.01

34.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.85 €1.65

$1.83 €1.64

1.09%

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

$33.9K €30.3K

$34.2K €30.6K

-0.92%

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

$33.3K €29.8K

$30.9K €27.7K

7.77%

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

$192 €172

$140 €125

36.81%

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

$17.66 €15.81

$12.85 €11.51

37.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.07 €31.41

$32.12 €28.77

9.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.27 €42.34

$48.94 €43.83

-3.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.23 €16.32

$15.68 €14.04

16.26%

Cinema Ticket

$11.29 €10.11

$7.99 €7.16

41.30%

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

$687 €615

$566 €507

21.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.0K €16.1K

$9,540 €8,544

88.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.5 €77.5

$89.3 €80.0

-3.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.65 €37.30

$39.33 €35.22

5.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 €96.8

$95.9 €85.9

12.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 €100.0

$114 €102

-2.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,508 €1,351

$945 €847

59.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,210 €1,083

$910 €815

32.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,829 €2,534

$1,680 €1,504

68.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,004 €1,795

$1,504 €1,347

33.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,002 €8,062

$4,126 €3,695

118.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,710 €4,218

$3,499 €3,134

34.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,453 €2,197

$3,882 €3,477

-36.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.14

3.3

-4.85%

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

Last update for Madrid: October 24, 2026

Last update for Benalmadena: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Madrid

$1.2K 52.5%

Benalmadena

$910 49.3% 24.7% $299

Groceries & Markets

Madrid

$304 13.2%

Benalmadena

$276 14.9% 9.2% $28

Eating Out

Madrid

$264 11.5%

Benalmadena

$213 11.5% 19.3% $51

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Madrid

$244 10.6%

Benalmadena

$185 10% 24.3% $59

Clothing & Footwear

Madrid

$157 6.8%

Benalmadena

$152 8.2% 2.7% $4.2

Sport & Entertainment

Madrid

$70 3%

Benalmadena

$65 3.5% 7% $4.9

Getting Around

Madrid

$55 2.4%

Benalmadena

$46 2.5% 16.2% $9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,508 in Madrid versus $945 in Benalmadena. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 58% higher in Benalmadena, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $67 in Madrid versus $68 in Benalmadena. Groceries tell a different story – $304 in Madrid vs $276 in Benalmadena – so Benalmadena wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Madrid

🇪🇸 Benalmadena

🕒 Local time

00:23 12:23 AM

Same time as Madrid

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,332,035 Capital

75,801

💱 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 Benalmadena: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Madrid is pricier by about 25%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,456 per month in Madrid and $2,773 in Benalmadena. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Benalmadena, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $945 there versus $1,508 in Madrid.

Public transport costs about 19% less in Benalmadena. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Groceries cost about 10% more in Madrid, though the gap depends on what you buy.

Families tend to lean toward Benalmadena – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.