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: $2,293 in Madrid versus $1,444 in Cartagena.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,370 in Madrid versus $2,028 in Cartagena.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,447 in Madrid versus $2,612 in Cartagena.

Living in Madrid is roughly 59% more expensive than in Cartagena, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Madrid 72% above, Cartagena 8% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.33 €15.14

$13.88 €12.13

24.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 €60.0

$59.0 €51.5

16.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.95 €10.44

$8.32 €7.27

43.63%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.71

$2.63 €2.30

17.87%

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

$3.21 €2.80

$2.49 €2.17

28.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 €1.87

$1.99 €1.73

7.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.10 €3.58

$3.53 €3.08

16.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.55 €3.98

$3.45 €3.02

31.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 €1.04

$1.13 €0.99

5.31%

White Bread (500g)

$1.71 €1.49

$1.05 €0.92

62.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 €1.50

$1.66 €1.45

3.61%

Eggs

$3.52 €3.07

$2.88 €2.52

22.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.98 €13.09

$11.30 €9.87

32.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.83 €7.72

$8.59 €7.51

2.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.75 €14.63

$14.03 €12.26

19.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

$2.26 €1.98

15.04%

Banana (1kg)

$2.22 €1.94

$1.80 €1.57

23.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.45 €2.14

$1.38 €1.21

77.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.65 €2.32

$1.71 €1.50

54.97%

Potato (1kg)

$2.07 €1.81

$1.30 €1.13

59.23%

Onion (1kg)

$2.15 €1.88

$1.06 €0.93

102.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.34 €1.17

$1.09 €0.96

22.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 €0.86

$0.52 €0.46

90.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.99 €6.10

$5.67 €4.96

23.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.77 €6.79

$6.16 €5.38

26.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 €1.25

$1.13 €0.99

26.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 €1.90

$1.29 €1.13

68.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.78 €1.56

$1.43 €1.25

24.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.79 €42.62

$11.35 €9.91

329.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.12 €3.60

$3.44 €3.00

19.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 €1.21

$1.21 €1.06

14.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.50 €24.90

$24.44 €21.35

16.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.92 €1.68

$1.83 €1.60

4.92%

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

$37.7K €32.9K

$30.5K €26.6K

23.53%

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

$34.1K €29.8K

$30.7K €26.8K

11.11%

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

$193 €169

$145 €127

33.39%

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

$21.55 €18.83

$13.60 €11.88

58.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.97 €31.42

$30.84 €26.94

16.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.7 €46.04

$39.82 €34.79

32.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.64 €15.42

$15.18 €13.26

16.21%

Cinema Ticket

$11.44 €10.00

$8.04 €7.02

42.29%

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

$669 €584

$417 €364

60.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K €10.4K

$2,827 €2,470

320.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.7 €82.7

$45.25 €39.54

109.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.81 €37.41

$31.22 €27.28

37.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €91.6

$45.71 €39.93

129.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 €115

$78.1 €68.3

68.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,607 €1,404

$777 €679

106.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,151 €1,006

$609 €532

88.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,839 €2,480

$896 €783

216.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,879 €1,642

$765 €668

145.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,038 €7,896

$1,787 €1,561

405.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,262 €3,724

$1,423 €1,243

199.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,464 €2,153

$1,725 €1,507

42.80%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Cartagena: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,607 in Madrid and $777 in Cartagena. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Madrid pays 43% 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 $59.0 in Cartagena for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $232 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 59% 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.

Average pay runs 43% 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: $1,607 in Madrid versus $777 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 $59.0 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 $1,444 in Cartagena – a 59% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,444 in Cartagena versus $2,293 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 $1,444 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 59% less than in Madrid. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.