Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Madrid and Calp

For one person, living is cheaper in Calp: $1,858 a month against $2,304 in Madrid, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Madrid, Spain
Calp, Spain
Madrid
🇪🇸 Spain
$2,304
/mo nomad
Calp
🇪🇸 Spain
$1,858
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Madrid and in Calp

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

A single person spends $2,304 per month in Madrid vs $1,858 in Calp, rent included.

  • Madrid $2,304
  • Calp $1,858

A couple spends around $3,389 per month in Madrid vs $2,711 in Calp, rent included.

  • Madrid $3,389
  • Calp $2,711

A family of three spends $4,475 per month in Madrid vs $3,565 in Calp, rent included.

  • Madrid $4,475
  • Calp $3,565

Madrid costs about 24% more than Calp, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Madrid and Calp sit above the global median – Madrid by 69%, Calp by 37%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Madrid
Calp
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.73 €15.88
$17.05 €15.27
3.99%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$66.9 €59.9
$57.1 €51.1
17.17%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.30 €10.12
$12.85 €11.51
-12.06%
Cappuccino
$3.04 €2.72
$2.42 €2.17
25.62%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.36 €3.01
$2.39 €2.14
40.59%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.35 €2.11
$1.23 €1.10
91.06%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.89 €3.49
$3.88 €3.47
0.26%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.80 €4.30
$3.51 €3.15
36.75%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Madrid
Calp
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.32 €1.18
$1.11 €0.99
18.92%
White Bread (500g)
$1.64 €1.47
$1.67 €1.49
-1.80%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.72 €1.54
$1.48 €1.32
16.22%
Eggs
$4.20 €3.77
$3.47 €3.11
21.04%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.91 €14.24
$14.31 €12.82
11.18%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.36 €8.38
$8.06 €7.22
16.13%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.21 €15.41
$15.04 €13.47
14.43%
Apples (1kg)
$2.56 €2.29
$2.04 €1.83
25.49%
Banana (1kg)
$2.09 €1.88
$1.97 €1.77
6.09%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.55 €2.28
$1.89 €1.69
34.92%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.58 €2.31
$2.52 €2.25
2.38%
Potato (1kg)
$2.31 €2.07
$1.77 €1.58
30.51%
Onion (1kg)
$2.17 €1.94
$1.85 €1.66
17.30%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.50 €1.35
$1.06 €0.95
41.51%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.07 €0.96
$0.59 €0.53
81.36%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.57 €5.88
$6.13 €5.49
7.18%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.87 €7.05
$5.76 €5.16
36.63%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.21 €1.08
$0.85 €0.77
42.35%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.17 €1.94
$0.95 €0.85
128.42%
🚌 Getting Around
Madrid
Calp
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.67 €1.50
$1.68 €1.50
-0.60%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$37.53 €33.61
$32.30 €28.93
16.19%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.76 €3.37
$4.10 €3.67
-8.29%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.49 €1.33
$1.43 €1.28
4.20%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$30.17 €27.02
$14.82 €13.27
103.58%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.85 €1.65
$1.81 €1.62
2.21%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.9K €30.3K
$35.4K €31.7K
-4.19%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$33.3K €29.8K
$29.2K €26.2K
14.10%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Madrid
Calp
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$192 €172
$115 €103
67.13%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$17.66 €15.81
$14.07 €12.60
25.52%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$35.07 €31.41
$25.36 €22.71
38.29%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Madrid
Calp
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$47.27 €42.34
$44.41 €39.78
6.44%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.23 €16.32
$15.74 €14.10
15.82%
Cinema Ticket
$11.29 €10.11
$8.17 €7.32
38.19%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Madrid
Calp
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$687 €615
$566 €507
21.48%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$18.0K €16.1K
$9,987 €8,944
80.06%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Madrid
Calp
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$86.5 €77.5
$62.6 €56.1
38.15%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.65 €37.30
$21.05 €18.85
97.86%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$108 €96.8
$113 €101
-4.25%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$112 €100.0
$160 €143
-30.26%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Madrid
Calp
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,508 €1,351
$898 €804
67.98%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,210 €1,083
$932 €834
29.81%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,829 €2,534
$1,560 €1,397
81.32%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,004 €1,795
$1,405 €1,258
42.64%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$9,002 €8,062
$3,243 €2,905
177.54%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,710 €4,218
$2,239 €2,005
110.34%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Madrid
Calp
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,453 €2,197
-
-
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 Calp: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Madrid
$1.2K
Calp
$932 23% $278
Groceries & Markets
Madrid
$304
Calp
$256 15.8% $48
Eating Out
Madrid
$264
Calp
$245 7.3% $19
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Madrid
$244
Calp
$154 36.9% $90
Clothing & Footwear
Madrid
$157
Calp
$160 2.5% $3.9
Sport & Entertainment
Madrid
$70
Calp
$61 13% $9.1
Getting Around
Madrid
$55
Calp
$50 9.3% $5.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,508 in Madrid versus $898 in Calp. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $67 in Madrid versus $57 in Calp. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $304 vs $256 – making Calp the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇪🇸 Madrid
🇪🇸 Calp
🕒 Local time
17:27 5:27 PM
17:27 5:27 PM
Same time as Madrid
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
3,332,035 Capital
25,854
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 31, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Madrid Calp 380 km
From you
  • Madrid
  • Calp

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 Calp: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Madrid and in Calp compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $2,304 in Madrid, $1,858 in Calp – Calp comes out roughly 19% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Madrid compared to Calp?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,456 per month in Madrid and $2,787 in Calp. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Madrid and Calp?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Calp, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $898 there versus $1,508 in Madrid.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 19% more in Madrid, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $67 in Madrid and $57 in Calp. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How far does $3,000 go in Madrid compared to Calp?
$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,304 in Madrid and $1,858 in Calp, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Where should families live: Madrid or Calp?
Families tend to lean toward Calp – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Is Madrid or Calp safer for residents?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.
Where should expats move: Madrid or Calp?
For expats, Calp is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 19% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.

Madrid vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?