Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Madrid and Castelldefels

For one person, living is cheaper in Castelldefels: $1,903 a month against $2,304 in Madrid, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

111

Cost of Living Index in Madrid
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Madrid Living Index
91

Cost of Living Index in Castelldefels
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Castelldefels Living Index

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Madrid

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,304

/mo nomad

Castelldefels

🇪🇸 Spain

$1,903

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Madrid and in Castelldefels

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,304 in Madrid versus $1,903 in Castelldefels.

Madrid $2,304
Castelldefels $1,903

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,389 in Madrid versus $2,753 in Castelldefels.

Madrid $3,389
Castelldefels $2,753

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,475 in Madrid versus $3,603 in Castelldefels.

Madrid $4,475
Castelldefels $3,603

Living in Madrid is roughly 21% more expensive than in Castelldefels, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Madrid 69% above, Castelldefels 40% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.73 €15.89

$18.29 €16.39

-3.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.9 €59.9

$66.4 €59.5

0.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.30 €10.13

$12.55 €11.25

-9.96%

Cappuccino

$3.04 €2.73

$2.64 €2.36

15.15%

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

$3.36 €3.01

$2.61 €2.34

28.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 €2.11

$1.93 €1.73

21.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.89 €3.49

$3.38 €3.03

15.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.80 €4.30

$4.52 €4.05

6.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.18

$1.22 €1.09

8.20%

White Bread (500g)

$1.64 €1.47

$1.37 €1.23

19.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 €1.54

$1.84 €1.65

-6.52%

Eggs

$4.20 €3.77

$3.52 €3.15

19.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.91 €14.25

$11.03 €9.88

44.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 €8.39

$7.98 €7.15

17.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.21 €15.42

$15.57 €13.95

10.53%

Apples (1kg)

$2.56 €2.30

$2.59 €2.32

-1.16%

Banana (1kg)

$2.09 €1.88

$1.81 €1.62

15.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 €2.28

$1.83 €1.64

39.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.58 €2.31

Potato (1kg)

$2.31 €2.07

$1.69 €1.52

36.69%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 €1.94

$1.78 €1.60

21.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.50 €1.35

$1.10 €0.98

36.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 €0.96

$0.76 €0.68

40.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.57 €5.88

$6.65 €5.96

-1.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.87 €7.05

$5.72 €5.13

37.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 €1.09

$1.30 €1.16

-6.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 €1.94

$1.70 €1.52

27.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.67 €1.50

$1.75 €1.57

-4.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.53 €33.63

$32.27 €28.92

16.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.76 €3.37

$3.00 €2.69

25.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.49 €1.33

$1.51 €1.35

-1.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.17 €27.03

$23.69 €21.23

27.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.85 €1.65

$1.76 €1.58

5.11%

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

$33.9K €30.4K

$33.3K €29.8K

1.71%

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

$33.3K €29.9K

$31.5K €28.2K

5.86%

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

$192 €172

$182 €163

5.26%

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

$17.66 €15.82

$16.04 €14.38

10.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.07 €31.43

$34.33 €30.77

2.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.27 €42.36

$45.47 €40.74

3.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.23 €16.33

$15.49 €13.88

17.69%

Cinema Ticket

$11.29 €10.12

$11.39 €10.21

-0.88%

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

$687 €616

$606 €543

13.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.0K €16.1K

$11.9K €10.7K

50.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.5 €77.6

$88.0 €78.8

-1.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.65 €37.32

$38.68 €34.66

7.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 €96.9

$96.2 €86.2

12.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 €100

$118 €106

-5.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,508 €1,351

$1,024 €918

47.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,210 €1,084

$885 €793

36.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,829 €2,535

$1,825 €1,635

55.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,004 €1,796

$1,293 €1,159

54.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,002 €8,066

$3,331 €2,985

170.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,710 €4,220

$2,219 €1,988

112.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,453 €2,199

$4,358 €3,905

-43.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.14

3.28

-4.27%

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

Last update for Madrid: October 24, 2026

Last update for Castelldefels: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Madrid

$1.2K 52.5%

Castelldefels

$885 46.5% 26.8% $324

Groceries & Markets

Madrid

$304 13.2%

Castelldefels

$255 13.4% 16.3% $50

Eating Out

Madrid

$264 11.5%

Castelldefels

$260 13.7% 1.7% $4.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Madrid

$244 10.6%

Castelldefels

$232 12.2% 4.9% $12

Clothing & Footwear

Madrid

$157 6.8%

Castelldefels

$153 8.1% 2.1% $3.3

Sport & Entertainment

Madrid

$70 3%

Castelldefels

$68 3.6% 2.3% $1.6

Getting Around

Madrid

$55 2.4%

Castelldefels

$50 2.6% 10% $5.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,508 in Madrid and $1,024 in Castelldefels. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Castelldefels pays 78% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $67 in Madrid vs $66 in Castelldefels for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $304 vs $255 per month, with Castelldefels cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Madrid

🇪🇸 Castelldefels

🕒 Local time

09:01 9:01 AM

Same time as Madrid

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,332,035 Capital

68,427

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Castelldefels: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Castelldefels is about 17% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, transport, and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 44% lower in Madrid. 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: $1,508 in Madrid versus $1,024 in Castelldefels. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 19% higher in Madrid. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $2,304 per month in Madrid versus $1,903 in Castelldefels – Castelldefels is about 17% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Madrid and Castelldefels are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.