Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Madrid and Denia

For one person, living is cheaper in Denia: $1,859 a month against $2,304 in Madrid, rent and utilities included – about $5,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Madrid, Spain
Denia, Spain
Madrid
🇪🇸 Spain
$2,304
/mo nomad
Denia
🇪🇸 Spain
$1,859
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Madrid and in Denia

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,304 in Madrid versus $1,859 in Denia.

  • Madrid $2,304
  • Denia $1,859

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,389 in Madrid versus $2,667 in Denia.

  • Madrid $3,389
  • Denia $2,667

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,475 in Madrid versus $3,476 in Denia.

  • Madrid $4,475
  • Denia $3,476

Living in Madrid is roughly 24% more expensive than in Denia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Madrid 69% above, Denia 37% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Madrid
Denia
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.73 €15.93
$13.83 €12.43
28.20%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$66.9 €60.1
$48.08 €43.20
39.06%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.30 €10.15
$10.18 €9.15
11.00%
Cappuccino
$3.04 €2.73
$2.36 €2.12
28.81%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.36 €3.02
$2.41 €2.17
39.42%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.35 €2.11
$1.81 €1.62
29.83%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.89 €3.50
$3.39 €3.05
14.75%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.80 €4.31
$3.41 €3.06
40.76%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Madrid
Denia
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.32 €1.18
$1.03 €0.93
28.16%
White Bread (500g)
$1.64 €1.47
$1.23 €1.10
33.33%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.72 €1.55
$1.60 €1.43
7.50%
Eggs
$4.20 €3.78
$2.97 €2.67
41.41%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.91 €14.29
$11.85 €10.65
34.26%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.36 €8.41
$7.88 €7.08
18.78%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.21 €15.46
$14.93 €13.42
15.27%
Apples (1kg)
$2.56 €2.30
$2.58 €2.32
-0.78%
Banana (1kg)
$2.09 €1.88
$1.91 €1.71
9.42%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.55 €2.29
$1.62 €1.46
57.41%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.58 €2.32
$2.08 €1.87
24.04%
Potato (1kg)
$2.31 €2.08
$1.36 €1.22
69.85%
Onion (1kg)
$2.17 €1.95
$2.12 €1.91
2.36%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.50 €1.35
$1.14 €1.03
31.58%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.07 €0.96
$0.58 €0.52
84.48%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.57 €5.90
$6.64 €5.97
-1.05%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.87 €7.07
$3.87 €3.47
103.36%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.21 €1.09
$1.03 €0.92
17.48%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.17 €1.95
$2.67 €2.40
-18.73%
🚌 Getting Around
Madrid
Denia
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.67 €1.50
$1.77 €1.59
-5.65%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$37.53 €33.72
$27.89 €25.06
34.56%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.76 €3.38
$5.58 €5.01
-32.62%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.49 €1.34
$2.18 €1.95
-31.65%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$30.17 €27.11
$34.14 €30.68
-11.63%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.85 €1.66
$1.83 €1.65
1.09%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.9K €30.4K
$35.7K €32.1K
-5.19%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$33.3K €29.9K
$29.5K €26.5K
12.79%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Madrid
Denia
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$192 €172
$115 €103
66.97%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$17.66 €15.87
$13.51 €12.13
30.72%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$35.07 €31.51
$25.07 €22.52
39.89%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Madrid
Denia
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$47.27 €42.47
$46.08 €41.40
2.58%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.23 €16.38
$22.17 €19.92
-17.77%
Cinema Ticket
$11.29 €10.15
$8.47 €7.61
33.29%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Madrid
Denia
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$687 €617
$587 €527
17.07%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$18.0K €16.2K
$10.2K €9,147
76.64%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Madrid
Denia
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$86.5 €77.8
$52.9 €47.52
63.62%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.65 €37.42
$25.42 €22.84
63.85%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$108 €97.1
$66.9 €60.1
61.51%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$112 €100
$88.1 €79.2
26.66%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Madrid
Denia
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,508 €1,355
$1,155 €1,038
30.54%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,210 €1,087
$1,036 €931
16.79%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,829 €2,542
$1,620 €1,456
74.60%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,004 €1,801
$1,583 €1,422
26.60%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$9,002 €8,088
$2,961 €2,660
204.02%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,710 €4,232
$2,752 €2,473
71.15%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Madrid
Denia
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,453 €2,204
$2,094 €1,882
17.14%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.14
3.3
-4.85%

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

Last update for Madrid: October 24, 2026

Last update for Denia: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Madrid
$1.2K
Denia
$1K 14.4% $174
Groceries & Markets
Madrid
$304
Denia
$240 21.1% $64
Eating Out
Madrid
$264
Denia
$210 20.4% $54
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Madrid
$244
Denia
$153 37.2% $91
Clothing & Footwear
Madrid
$157
Denia
$105 32.9% $52
Sport & Entertainment
Madrid
$70
Denia
$63 9.8% $6.8
Getting Around
Madrid
$55
Denia
$51 7.2% $4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,508 in Madrid and $1,155 in Denia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Madrid pays 17% 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: $67 in Madrid vs $48 in Denia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $304 vs $240 per month, with Denia cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇪🇸 Madrid
🇪🇸 Denia
🕒 Local time
10:44 10:44 AM
10:44 10:44 AM
Same time as Madrid
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
3,332,035 Capital
45,622
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.898 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Madrid Denia 370 km
From you
  • Madrid
  • Denia

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 Denia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Madrid or Denia?
Denia wins on cost – living expenses run 19% lower than in Madrid. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Denia the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Madrid or in Denia?
Average pay runs 17% higher in Madrid, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Madrid compared to Denia?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,508 in Madrid versus $1,155 in Denia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do dining costs compare in Madrid and in Denia?
Dining out is cheaper in Denia – a meal for two runs $48 versus $67 in Madrid. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
How much does it cost to live in Madrid compared to Denia?
All in, you’ll spend $2,304 per month in Madrid versus $1,859 in Denia – a 24% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Madrid or Denia?
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.
How safe is Madrid compared to Denia?
Safety-wise, Madrid and Denia are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Denia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 19% less than in Madrid. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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