Cost of Living Comparison Between Madrid and Cartagena Cost of Living Comparison Between Madrid and Cartagena

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,253 in Madrid versus $1,443 in Cartagena.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,329 in Madrid versus $2,008 in Cartagena.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,404 in Madrid versus $2,573 in Cartagena.

Living in Madrid is roughly 56% more expensive than Cartagena, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Madrid 68% above, Cartagena 8% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.05 €14.66

$14.15 €12.17

20.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.6 €59.0

$56.9 €48.95

20.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.73 €10.09

$8.31 €7.14

41.16%

Cappuccino

$3.06 €2.63

$2.65 €2.28

15.47%

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

$3.21 €2.76

$2.52 €2.17

27.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 €1.87

$1.99 €1.71

9.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.94 €3.39

$3.53 €3.04

11.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.67 €4.02

$3.52 €3.03

32.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 €1.03

$1.14 €0.98

5.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.68 €1.45

$1.00 €0.86

68.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 €1.45

$1.72 €1.48

-1.74%

Eggs

$3.34 €2.88

$2.85 €2.45

17.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.91 €12.83

$11.35 €9.76

31.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.93 €7.68

$8.61 €7.41

3.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.84 €14.49

$14.26 €12.27

18.09%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.34

$2.36 €2.03

15.68%

Banana (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$1.87 €1.61

12.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.54 €2.19

$1.46 €1.25

73.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.65 €2.28

$1.71 €1.47

54.97%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 €1.85

$1.24 €1.07

73.39%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.81

$1.10 €0.95

90.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.35 €1.17

$1.10 €0.94

22.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 €0.84

$0.55 €0.47

76.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.82 €5.87

$5.69 €4.89

19.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.15 €7.01

$6.30 €5.42

29.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$1.11 €0.95

25.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 €1.88

$1.25 €1.07

75.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.77 €1.52

$1.38 €1.19

28.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.07 €42.21

$11.35 €9.76

332.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.01 €3.45

$3.37 €2.90

18.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.33 €1.14

$1.24 €1.07

7.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.19 €25.11

$24.44 €21.03

19.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.93 €1.66

$1.82 €1.57

6.04%

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

$37.2K €32.0K

$30.8K €26.5K

20.58%

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

$34.4K €29.6K

$30.8K €26.5K

11.63%

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

$195 €167

$142 €122

37.35%

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

$21.66 €18.64

$13.63 €11.73

58.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.51 €30.54

$30.08 €25.87

18.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.8 €46.26

$38.77 €33.35

38.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.95 €15.44

$14.94 €12.85

20.15%

Cinema Ticket

$11.55 €9.94

$8.18 €7.04

41.20%

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

$676 €582

$430 €370

57.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.1K €10.4K

$2,817 €2,424

330.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.2 €81.1

$45.63 €39.25

106.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.77 €36.79

$31.20 €26.84

37.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 €90.9

$44.67 €38.42

136.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 €116

$77.5 €66.6

73.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,566 €1,347

$768 €660

103.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,149 €988

$629 €541

82.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,826 €2,431

$892 €767

216.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,884 €1,621

$759 €653

148.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,077 €7,808

$1,810 €1,557

401.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,511 €3,880

$1,450 €1,248

211.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,626 €2,259

$1,963 €1,689

33.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.43

3.44

-0.29%

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

Last update for Madrid: May 31, 2026

Last update for Cartagena: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,566 in Madrid and $768 in Cartagena. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Madrid pays 34% 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: $69.0 in Madrid vs $57.0 in Cartagena for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $294 vs $235 per month, with Cartagena cheaper across the board.

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 Cartagena: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cartagena wins on cost – living expenses run 56% lower than in Madrid. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Cartagena the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Madrid pays 34% more on average, 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: $1,566 in Madrid versus $768 in Cartagena. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Cartagena – a meal for two runs $57.0 versus $69.0 in Madrid. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,253 per month in Madrid versus $1,443 in Cartagena – a 56% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,443 in Cartagena versus $2,253 in Madrid, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Cartagena but tight or insufficient in Madrid. The gap between the two cities makes Cartagena the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Cartagena delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,443 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Cartagena hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Madrid and Cartagena 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 Cartagena gentler on the wallet – expenses run 56% less than in Madrid. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.