Cost of Living Comparison Between Madrid and Canary Islands Cost of Living Comparison Between Madrid and Canary Islands

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,368 in Madrid versus $1,712 in Canary Islands.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,435 in Madrid versus $2,466 in Canary Islands.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,502 in Madrid versus $3,220 in Canary Islands.

Living in Madrid is roughly 38% more expensive than in Canary Islands, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Madrid 72% above, Canary Islands 25% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.78 €16.20

$20.51 €17.69

-8.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.5 €59.1

$63.8 €55.0

7.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.98 €10.33

$9.63 €8.31

24.40%

Cappuccino

$3.22 €2.78

$2.14 €1.84

50.47%

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

$3.37 €2.91

$2.03 €1.75

66.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 €1.97

$1.19 €1.03

92.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.97 €3.43

$2.89 €2.49

37.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.10 €4.39

$3.54 €3.05

44.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 €1.16

$1.31 €1.13

3.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.64 €1.41

$2.59 €2.24

-36.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.73 €1.50

$1.59 €1.37

8.81%

Eggs

$4.42 €3.81

$2.26 €1.95

95.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.22 €14.86

$20.67 €17.83

-16.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.82 €8.47

$10.63 €9.17

-7.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.22 €15.71

$18.11 €15.62

0.61%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.36

$2.88 €2.48

-5.21%

Banana (1kg)

$2.36 €2.03

$2.46 €2.12

-4.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.59 €2.24

$2.35 €2.03

10.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.68 €2.31

$2.73 €2.35

-1.83%

Potato (1kg)

$2.29 €1.98

$2.15 €1.86

6.51%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 €1.95

$2.03 €1.75

11.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 €1.36

$1.67 €1.44

-5.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 €0.96

$0.97 €0.83

15.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.79 €5.86

$4.91 €4.23

38.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.33 €7.18

$8.00 €6.90

4.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 €1.06

$1.76 €1.52

-30.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 €1.94

$1.81 €1.56

24.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.71 €1.47

$0.89 €0.77

92.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.94 €32.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.97 €3.42

$4.26 €3.68

-6.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 €1.36

$1.78 €1.54

-11.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.36 €26.19

$17.38 €14.99

74.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.59 €1.37

15.72%

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

$37.0K €31.9K

$25.8K €22.2K

43.43%

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

$34.1K €29.4K

$30.0K €25.8K

13.88%

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

$195 €168

$130 €112

50.00%

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

$19.08 €16.45

$22.31 €19.24

-14.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.32 €31.33

$36.83 €31.77

-1.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.2 €44.18

$49.73 €42.89

3.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.35 €16.69

$25.20 €21.74

-23.21%

Cinema Ticket

$11.39 €9.82

$10.15 €8.75

12.22%

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

$696 €600

$427 €368

62.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.0K €15.6K

$5,205 €4,490

246.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.1 €76.9

$69.8 €60.2

27.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.57 €38.45

$41.28 €35.60

7.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 €93.2

$92.6 €79.9

16.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 €97.4

$114 €98.4

-0.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,583 €1,366

$1,184 €1,022

33.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 €1,057

$707 €610

73.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,813 €2,426

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,871 €1,613

$878 €757

113.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,303 €8,024

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,251 €3,667

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,584 €2,229

$1,465 €1,264

76.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.09

3.33

-7.21%

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

Last update for Madrid: August 30, 2026

Last update for Canary Islands: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,583 in Madrid and $1,184 in Canary Islands. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Madrid pays 76% 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: $68.0 in Madrid vs $64.0 in Canary Islands. Groceries flip the comparison at $320 vs $333, with Madrid 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 Canary Islands: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Canary Islands wins on cost – living expenses run 38% lower than in Madrid. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Canary Islands the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 76% 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: $1,583 in Madrid versus $1,184 in Canary Islands. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Madrid pay roughly 4% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $2,368 per month in Madrid versus $1,712 in Canary Islands – a 38% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,712 in Canary Islands versus $2,368 in Madrid, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Canary Islands but tight or insufficient in Madrid. The gap between the two cities makes Canary Islands the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Canary Islands delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,712 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Canary Islands hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Madrid and Canary Islands 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 Canary Islands gentler on the wallet – expenses run 38% less than in Madrid. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.