Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Madrid and El Ejido

For one person, living is cheaper in El Ejido: $1,634 a month against $2,265 in Madrid, rent and utilities included – about $7,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

109

Cost of Living Index in Madrid
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Madrid Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in El Ejido
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El Ejido Living Index

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Madrid

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,265

/mo nomad

El Ejido

🇪🇸 Spain

$1,634

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Madrid and in El Ejido

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,265 in Madrid versus $1,634 in El Ejido.

Madrid $2,265
El Ejido $1,634

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Madrid versus $2,449 in El Ejido.

Madrid $3,311
El Ejido $2,449

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,356 in Madrid versus $3,264 in El Ejido.

Madrid $4,356
El Ejido $3,264

Living in Madrid is roughly 39% more expensive than in El Ejido, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Madrid 67% above, El Ejido 21% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.06 €16.06

$16.73 €14.88

7.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.5 €59.2

$67.6 €60.2

-1.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.40 €10.14

$11.10 €9.87

2.70%

Cappuccino

$3.03 €2.69

$2.17 €1.93

39.63%

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

$3.25 €2.89

$2.31 €2.06

40.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 €2.07

$1.34 €1.19

73.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.85 €3.42

$3.29 €2.92

17.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.82 €4.29

$3.27 €2.91

47.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.18

$1.13 €1.01

16.81%

White Bread (500g)

$1.61 €1.43

$1.57 €1.39

2.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 €1.56

$1.63 €1.45

7.36%

Eggs

$4.06 €3.61

$3.40 €3.02

19.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.34 €14.54

$16.79 €14.93

-2.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.61 €8.55

$9.56 €8.51

0.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.43 €15.50

$17.46 €15.53

-0.17%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 €2.34

$2.58 €2.30

1.94%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 €1.93

$1.95 €1.73

11.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.50 €2.22

$1.95 €1.74

28.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.60 €2.32

$2.69 €2.39

-3.35%

Potato (1kg)

$2.25 €2.01

$1.93 €1.71

16.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.08 €1.85

$1.92 €1.71

8.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 €1.39

$1.24 €1.11

25.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 €0.96

$0.71 €0.63

52.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.70 €5.96

$6.66 €5.92

0.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.82 €6.95

$5.77 €5.13

35.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 €1.08

$1.21 €1.08

0.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 €2.00

$2.12 €1.88

6.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.63 €1.45

$1.71 €1.52

-4.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.72 €33.56

$36.17 €32.17

4.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.81 €3.39

$3.06 €2.73

24.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.49 €1.33

$1.31 €1.17

13.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.99 €26.68

$16.86 €15.00

77.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.79 €1.59

$1.86 €1.65

-3.76%

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

$33.7K €29.9K

$31.3K €27.9K

7.46%

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

$33.3K €29.6K

$31.3K €27.8K

6.22%

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

$190 €169

$142 €126

33.97%

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

$17.57 €15.63

$18.78 €16.71

-6.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.34 €31.43

$29.88 €26.58

18.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.52 €44.04

$41.99 €37.35

17.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.20 €16.19

$16.57 €14.74

9.84%

Cinema Ticket

$11.09 €9.87

$9.00 €8.01

23.22%

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

$684 €609

$689 €613

-0.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.2K €16.2K

$9,454 €8,410

92.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.8 €78.1

$85.4 €76.0

2.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €37.41

$35.45 €31.53

18.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €98.3

$93.2 €82.9

18.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 €100

$106 €94.0

6.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 €1,342

$902 €802

67.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,162 €1,034

$668 €594

74.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,804 €2,494

$1,326 €1,179

111.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,867 €1,661

$994 €884

87.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,017 €8,021

$3,015 €2,682

199.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,294 €3,819

$2,239 €1,992

91.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,495 €2,219

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.14

2.99

5.02%

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

Last update for Madrid: October 18, 2026

Last update for El Ejido: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Madrid

$1.2K 51.3%

El Ejido

$668 40.9% 42.5% $494

Groceries & Markets

Madrid

$308 13.6%

El Ejido

$288 17.7% 6.2% $19

Eating Out

Madrid

$266 11.8%

El Ejido

$231 14.1% 13.3% $36

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Madrid

$243 10.7%

El Ejido

$191 11.7% 21.6% $53

Clothing & Footwear

Madrid

$159 7%

El Ejido

$144 8.8% 9.5% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Madrid

$72 3.2%

El Ejido

$60 3.7% 16.3% $12

Getting Around

Madrid

$56 2.5%

El Ejido

$53 3.2% 5.2% $2.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,509 in Madrid and $902 in El Ejido. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $66.0 in Madrid vs $68.0 in El Ejido. Groceries flip the comparison at $308 vs $288, with El Ejido cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Madrid

🇪🇸 El Ejido

🕒 Local time

14:14 2:14 PM

Same time as Madrid

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,332,035 Capital

89,975

💱 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 El Ejido: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

El Ejido is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 39% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $3,398 in Madrid and $2,451 in El Ejido to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,509 in Madrid versus $902 in El Ejido. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in El Ejido – a meal for two runs $68.0 versus $66.0 in Madrid. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,265 per month in Madrid versus $1,634 in El Ejido – a 39% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,634 in El Ejido versus $2,265 in Madrid, a $2,500 budget is realistic in El Ejido but tight or insufficient in Madrid. The gap between the two cities makes El Ejido the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, El Ejido 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 El Ejido 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 El Ejido gentler on the wallet – expenses run 39% less than in Madrid. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.