Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Madrid and Cuenca

Name: Cuenca
Address: Cuenca, ES

For one person, living is cheaper in Cuenca: $1,665 a month against $2,265 in Madrid, rent and utilities included – about $7,200 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
81

Cost of Living Index in Cuenca
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Cuenca Living Index

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Madrid

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,265

/mo nomad

Cuenca

🇪🇸 Spain

$1,665

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Madrid and in Cuenca

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

A single person spends $2,265 per month in Madrid vs $1,665 in Cuenca, rent included.

Madrid $2,265
Cuenca $1,665

A couple spends around $3,296 per month in Madrid vs $2,429 in Cuenca, rent included.

Madrid $3,296
Cuenca $2,429

A family of three spends $4,328 per month in Madrid vs $3,194 in Cuenca, rent included.

Madrid $4,328
Cuenca $3,194

Madrid costs about 36% more than Cuenca, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Madrid and Cuenca sit above the global median – Madrid by 68%, Cuenca by 23%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.20 €16.19

$17.02 €15.14

6.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €60.5

$44.99 €40.02

51.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.24 €9.99

$9.19 €8.17

22.31%

Cappuccino

$3.15 €2.80

$2.04 €1.81

54.41%

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

$3.36 €2.99

$2.37 €2.11

41.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 €2.10

$1.55 €1.38

52.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.83 €3.40

$2.18 €1.94

75.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.92 €4.38

$3.41 €3.03

44.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.17

$0.99 €0.88

33.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.61 €1.43

$1.98 €1.76

-18.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.65 €1.47

$1.54 €1.37

7.14%

Eggs

$4.07 €3.62

$2.54 €2.26

60.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.82 €14.07

$16.25 €14.45

-2.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.44

$9.06 €8.06

4.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.52 €15.59

$21.09 €18.76

-16.93%

Apples (1kg)

$2.56 €2.27

$2.62 €2.33

-2.29%

Banana (1kg)

$2.09 €1.86

$2.42 €2.15

-13.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.47 €2.19

$2.49 €2.21

-0.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.49 €2.22

$2.99 €2.66

-16.72%

Potato (1kg)

$2.26 €2.01

$1.99 €1.77

13.57%

Onion (1kg)

$2.15 €1.91

$2.23 €1.98

-3.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.57 €1.40

$1.85 €1.65

-15.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 €0.95

$0.66 €0.58

62.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.55 €5.82

$6.33 €5.63

3.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.65 €6.81

$4.39 €3.90

74.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 €1.04

$0.98 €0.87

19.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 €1.97

$2.14 €1.90

3.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.63 €1.45

$1.64 €1.46

-0.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.42 €32.39

$32.14 €28.59

13.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.73 €3.32

$2.33 €2.07

60.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 €1.37

$1.07 €0.95

43.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.17 €25.95

$29.90 €26.60

-2.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.78 €1.58

$1.80 €1.60

-1.11%

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

$35.5K €31.6K

$35.1K €31.2K

1.02%

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

$33.2K €29.6K

$28.6K €25.4K

16.14%

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

$189 €168

$165 €147

14.17%

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

$17.48 €15.55

$11.62 €10.34

50.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.32 €30.53

$21.65 €19.26

58.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.62 €43.25

$38.83 €34.54

25.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.44 €16.40

$15.99 €14.23

15.32%

Cinema Ticket

$11.04 €9.82

$8.77 €7.80

25.88%

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

$693 €617

$341 €304

103.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K €15.8K

$8,017 €7,131

121.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.6 €75.3

$91.7 €81.5

-7.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.50 €37.80

$38.71 €34.43

9.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 €98.1

$100 €89.1

10.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 €99.9

$113 €101

-0.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,506 €1,339

$912 €811

65.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 €1,041

$687 €611

70.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,756 €2,451

$1,328 €1,181

107.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,845 €1,641

$1,015 €903

81.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,168 €8,155

$3,266 €2,905

180.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,234 €3,766

$2,234 €1,987

89.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,483 €2,209

$1,425 €1,268

74.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.14

3.46

-9.25%

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

Last update for Madrid: October 11, 2026

Last update for Cuenca: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Madrid

$1.2K 51.7%

Cuenca

$687 41.3% 41.2% $482

Groceries & Markets

Madrid

$303 13.4%

Cuenca

$300 18% 1.2% $3.6

Eating Out

Madrid

$269 11.9%

Cuenca

$222 13.3% 17.6% $47

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Madrid

$241 10.6%

Cuenca

$199 11.9% 17.4% $42

Clothing & Footwear

Madrid

$157 7%

Cuenca

$155 9.3% 1.7% $2.6

Sport & Entertainment

Madrid

$71 3.1%

Cuenca

$56 3.4% 20.3% $14

Getting Around

Madrid

$54 2.4%

Cuenca

$46 2.8% 14.7% $8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,506 in Madrid versus $912 in Cuenca. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 74% higher in Madrid, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68.0 in Madrid versus $45.00 in Cuenca. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $303 vs $300 – making Cuenca the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Madrid

🇪🇸 Cuenca

🕒 Local time

10:24 10:24 AM

Same time as Madrid

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,332,035 Capital

53,512

💱 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 Cuenca: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,265 in Madrid, $1,665 in Cuenca – roughly 36% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,398 per month in Madrid and $2,497 in Cuenca. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cuenca, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $693 per month in Madrid and $341 in Cuenca. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 1% 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 $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Cuenca, where all-in costs run around $1,665, than in Madrid at $2,265. In Cuenca 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 $1,665 in Cuenca to $2,265 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.

If budget matters most, go with Cuenca. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Madrid makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.