Cost of Living Comparison Between Madrid and Cornella de Llobregat Cost of Living Comparison Between Madrid and Cornella de Llobregat

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,270 in Madrid versus $1,618 in Cornella de Llobregat.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,352 in Madrid versus $2,414 in Cornella de Llobregat.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,434 in Madrid versus $3,211 in Cornella de Llobregat.

Living in Madrid is roughly 40% more expensive than Cornella de Llobregat, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Madrid 69% above, Cornella de Llobregat 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.07 €14.71

$15.00 €12.92

13.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €59.9

$57.3 €49.34

21.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.92 €10.27

$12.87 €11.08

-7.38%

Cappuccino

$3.09 €2.66

$2.65 €2.28

16.60%

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

$3.10 €2.67

$2.43 €2.09

27.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 €1.82

$2.05 €1.77

2.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.14 €3.57

$3.49 €3.00

18.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.60 €3.96

$3.53 €3.04

30.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 €1.02

$1.13 €0.97

5.31%

White Bread (500g)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.35 €1.16

25.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

Eggs

$3.48 €3.00

$2.89 €2.49

20.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.73 €12.69

$11.40 €9.82

29.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.07 €7.82

$8.35 €7.19

8.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.75 €14.44

$13.86 €11.94

20.85%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 €2.25

$2.69 €2.32

-2.97%

Banana (1kg)

$2.22 €1.91

$1.80 €1.55

23.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.51 €2.16

$2.08 €1.79

20.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.37

$2.43 €2.10

13.17%

Potato (1kg)

$2.14 €1.84

$1.82 €1.57

17.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.13 €1.84

$1.79 €1.54

18.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 €1.19

$1.47 €1.27

-5.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 €0.84

$0.71 €0.61

36.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.79 €5.85

$6.73 €5.80

0.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.02 €6.91

$5.66 €4.88

41.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.39 €1.20

3.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 €1.94

$1.99 €1.71

13.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.76 €1.52

$1.67 €1.43

5.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.48 €42.63

$34.55 €29.77

43.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.11 €3.55

$3.52 €3.03

16.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 €1.20

$1.20 €1.04

15.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.01 €25.00

$24.37 €21.00

19.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.87 €1.61

$1.75 €1.51

6.86%

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

$37.6K €32.4K

$34.6K €29.8K

8.73%

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

$34.1K €29.3K

$32.9K €28.3K

3.61%

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

$195 €168

$141 €122

37.62%

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

$21.25 €18.31

$13.43 €11.57

58.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.75 €30.80

$30.58 €26.35

16.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 €45.47

$48.14 €41.48

9.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.91 €15.44

$14.94 €12.87

19.88%

Cinema Ticket

$11.72 €10.09

$9.96 €8.58

17.67%

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

$680 €586

$607 €523

12.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K €10.6K

$11.9K €10.2K

3.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.8 €82.6

$89.1 €76.7

7.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.50 €36.62

$36.95 €31.84

15.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 €91.4

$100 €86.5

5.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$137 €118

$119 €102

15.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,609 €1,386

$871 €750

84.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,138 €980

$697 €600

63.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,792 €2,405

$1,320 €1,137

111.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,915 €1,650

$988 €851

93.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,893 €7,662

$5,865 €5,053

51.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,347 €3,745

$4,045 €3,485

7.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,584 €2,226

$2,734 €2,356

-5.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.43

3.39

1.18%

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

Last update for Madrid: June 6, 2026

Last update for Cornella de Llobregat: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,609 in Madrid and $871 in Cornella de Llobregat. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cornella de Llobregat pays 6% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $69.0 in Madrid vs $57.0 in Cornella de Llobregat for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $295 vs $251 per month, with Cornella de Llobregat 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 Cornella de Llobregat: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cornella de Llobregat is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 40% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Cornella de Llobregat earns 6% less. 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: $1,609 in Madrid versus $871 in Cornella de Llobregat. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $680 in Madrid versus $607 in Cornella de Llobregat. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 18% higher in Madrid. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,618 in Cornella de Llobregat versus $2,270 in Madrid, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Cornella de Llobregat but tight or insufficient in Madrid. The gap between the two cities makes Cornella de Llobregat the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Cornella de Llobregat is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Madrid, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Madrid and Cornella de Llobregat 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 Cornella de Llobregat gentler on the wallet – expenses run 40% less than in Madrid. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.