Cost of Living Comparison Between Madrid and Burnley Cost of Living Comparison Between Madrid and Burnley

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,293 in Madrid versus $1,820 in Burnley.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,370 in Madrid versus $2,878 in Burnley.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,447 in Madrid versus $3,936 in Burnley.

Living in Madrid is roughly 26% more expensive than in Burnley, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Madrid 72% above, Burnley 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.33 €15.17

$20.64 £15.37

-16.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 €60.2

$80.3 £59.8

-14.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.95 €10.47

$8.32 £6.19

43.63%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.72

$4.30 £3.20

-27.91%

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

$3.21 €2.81

$2.39 £1.78

34.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 €1.88

$1.60 £1.19

33.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.10 €3.59

$3.47 £2.59

18.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.55 €3.99

$5.50 £4.10

-17.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 €1.04

$1.63 £1.21

-26.99%

White Bread (500g)

$1.71 €1.50

$1.64 £1.22

4.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 €1.50

$1.66 £1.23

3.61%

Eggs

$3.52 €3.08

$3.53 £2.63

-0.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.98 €13.12

$8.25 £6.14

81.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.83 €7.74

$8.35 £6.22

5.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.75 €14.67

$13.48 £10.03

24.26%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 €2.28

$2.43 £1.81

7.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.22 €1.94

$1.39 £1.04

59.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.45 €2.15

$1.67 £1.25

46.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.65 €2.32

$2.75 £2.05

-3.64%

Potato (1kg)

$2.07 €1.81

$1.75 £1.31

18.29%

Onion (1kg)

$2.15 €1.88

$1.60 £1.19

34.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.34 €1.17

$1.32 £0.98

1.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 €0.87

$1.19 £0.89

-16.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.99 €6.12

$17.17 £12.78

-59.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.77 €6.81

$10.86 £8.08

-28.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 €1.25

$2.83 £2.11

-49.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 €1.91

$1.93 £1.44

12.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.78 €1.56

$2.98 £2.22

-40.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.79 €42.73

$109 £81.0

-55.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.12 €3.61

$3.48 £2.59

18.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 €1.22

$1.07 £0.80

29.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.50 €24.96

$16.49 £12.28

72.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.92 €1.68

$1.97 £1.47

-2.54%

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

$37.7K €33.0K

$38.7K £28.8K

-2.62%

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

$34.1K €29.9K

$40.7K £30.3K

-16.23%

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

$193 €169

$273 £203

-29.18%

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

$21.55 €18.88

$16.89 £12.58

27.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.97 €31.50

$43.63 £32.48

-17.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.7 €46.15

$46.28 £34.45

13.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.64 €15.45

$17.28 £12.86

2.08%

Cinema Ticket

$11.44 €10.02

$7.68 £5.71

48.96%

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

$669 €586

$1,557 £1,159

-57.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K €10.4K

$6,892 £5,131

72.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.7 €82.9

$81.6 £60.8

15.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.81 €37.50

$42.64 £31.75

0.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €91.8

$87.0 £64.8

20.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 €116

$71.6 £53.3

84.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,607 €1,408

$768 £572

109.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,151 €1,008

$636 £473

81.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,839 €2,486

$1,478 £1,101

92.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,879 €1,646

$1,274 £949

47.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,038 €7,915

$4,441 £3,306

103.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,262 €3,733

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,464 €2,158

$3,211 £2,391

-23.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.43

5.6

-38.75%

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

Last update for Madrid: July 12, 2026

Last update for Burnley: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,607 in Madrid and $768 in Burnley. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Burnley pays 30% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $69.0 in Madrid vs $80.0 in Burnley. Groceries flip the comparison at $293 vs $269, with Burnley cheaper for home cooking.

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 Burnley: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Burnley is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 26% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 30% lower in Burnley. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,607 in Madrid versus $768 in Burnley. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Burnley – a meal for two runs $80.0 versus $69.0 in Madrid. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,293 per month in Madrid versus $1,820 in Burnley – a 26% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,820 in Burnley versus $2,293 in Madrid, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Burnley but tight or insufficient in Madrid. The gap between the two cities makes Burnley the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Burnley is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Madrid, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Madrid and Burnley 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 Burnley gentler on the wallet – expenses run 26% less than in Madrid. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.