Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Madrid and Chartres

For one person, living is cheaper in Chartres: $1,745 a month against $2,304 in Madrid, rent and utilities included – about $6,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Madrid outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

111

Cost of Living Index in Madrid
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Madrid Living Index
83

Cost of Living Index in Chartres
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Chartres Living Index

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Madrid

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,304

/mo nomad

Chartres

🇫🇷 France

$1,745

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Madrid and in Chartres

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

A single person spends $2,304 per month in Madrid vs $1,745 in Chartres, rent included.

Madrid $2,304
Chartres $1,745

A couple spends around $3,389 per month in Madrid vs $2,654 in Chartres, rent included.

Madrid $3,389
Chartres $2,654

A family of three spends $4,475 per month in Madrid vs $3,562 in Chartres, rent included.

Madrid $4,475
Chartres $3,562

Madrid costs about 32% more than Chartres, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Madrid and Chartres sit above the global median – Madrid by 69%, Chartres by 28%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.73 €15.93

$14.66 €13.17

20.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.9 €60.1

$49.78 €44.72

34.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.30 €10.15

$10.72 €9.63

5.41%

Cappuccino

$3.04 €2.73

$2.65 €2.38

14.72%

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

$3.36 €3.02

$3.10 €2.79

8.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 €2.11

$1.53 €1.37

53.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.89 €3.50

$8.61 €7.73

-54.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.80 €4.31

$5.68 €5.10

-15.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.18

$1.35 €1.21

-2.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.64 €1.47

$1.74 €1.57

-5.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 €1.55

$2.57 €2.31

-33.07%

Eggs

$4.20 €3.78

$3.98 €3.58

5.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.91 €14.29

$10.19 €9.15

56.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 €8.41

$11.82 €10.61

-20.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.21 €15.46

$16.18 €14.54

6.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.56 €2.30

$3.08 €2.77

-16.88%

Banana (1kg)

$2.09 €1.88

$3.14 €2.82

-33.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 €2.29

$1.46 €1.31

74.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.58 €2.32

$4.31 €3.87

-40.14%

Potato (1kg)

$2.31 €2.08

$1.80 €1.62

28.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 €1.95

$2.09 €1.88

3.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.50 €1.35

$1.64 €1.48

-8.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 €0.96

$0.13 €0.12

723.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.57 €5.90

$12.69 €11.40

-48.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.87 €7.07

$5.52 €4.96

42.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 €1.09

$1.40 €1.26

-13.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 €1.95

$1.57 €1.41

38.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.67 €1.50

$1.97 €1.77

-15.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.53 €33.71

$49.28 €44.27

-23.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.76 €3.38

$2.33 €2.09

61.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.49 €1.34

$1.11 €1.00

34.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.17 €27.10

$32.85 €29.51

-8.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.85 €1.66

$2.17 €1.95

-14.75%

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

$33.9K €30.4K

$16.9K €15.2K

100.08%

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

$33.3K €29.9K

$23.9K €21.5K

39.47%

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

$192 €172

$203 €182

-5.41%

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

$17.66 €15.86

$21.60 €19.40

-18.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.07 €31.51

$32.27 €28.98

8.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.27 €42.46

$35.65 €32.02

32.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.23 €16.37

$13.16 €11.82

38.53%

Cinema Ticket

$11.29 €10.14

$15.46 €13.89

-26.97%

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

$687 €617

$886 €796

-22.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.0K €16.2K

$12.0K €10.8K

49.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.5 €77.7

$128 €115

-32.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.65 €37.41

$46.44 €41.71

-10.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 €97.1

$102 €91.4

6.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 €100

$97.5 €87.6

14.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,508 €1,355

$756 €679

99.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,210 €1,087

$639 €574

89.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,829 €2,541

$1,445 €1,298

95.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,004 €1,800

$1,170 €1,051

71.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,002 €8,086

$4,188 €3,762

114.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,710 €4,231

$2,043 €1,835

130.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,453 €2,204

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.14

3.9

-19.49%

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

Last update for Madrid: October 24, 2026

Last update for Chartres: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Madrid

$1.2K 52.5%

Chartres

$639 36.6% 47.2% $571

Groceries & Markets

Madrid

$304 13.2%

Chartres

$296 17% 2.7% $8.3

Eating Out

Madrid

$264 11.5%

Chartres

$254 14.6% 3.8% $10

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Madrid

$244 10.6%

Chartres

$256 14.7% 4.9% $12

Clothing & Footwear

Madrid

$157 6.8%

Chartres

$168 9.6% 7.5% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Madrid

$70 3%

Chartres

$67 3.8% 4.7% $3.3

Getting Around

Madrid

$55 2.4%

Chartres

$65 3.7% 17.4% $9.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,508 in Madrid versus $756 in Chartres. 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 $50 in Chartres. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $304 vs $296 – making Chartres the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Madrid

🇫🇷 Chartres

🕒 Local time

18:40 6:40 PM

Same time as Madrid

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,332,035 Capital

38,447

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Madrid Chartres 980 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

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Chartres

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 Chartres: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Madrid costs about 32% more than Chartres, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,456 per month in Madrid and $2,618 in Chartres. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chartres, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $756 there versus $1,508 in Madrid.

Kindergarten costs $687 per month in Madrid and $886 in Chartres. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 3% more in Madrid, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Chartres, where all-in costs run around $1,745, than in Madrid at $2,304. In Chartres it covers expenses comfortably, while in Madrid it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Madrid has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,745 in Chartres to $2,304 in Madrid. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.