Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Madrid and El Medano

Name: El Medano
Address: El Medano, ES

For one person, living is cheaper in El Medano: $1,458 a month against $2,304 in Madrid, rent and utilities included – about $10,200 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
70

Cost of Living Index in El Medano
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El Medano Living Index

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Madrid

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,304

/mo nomad

El Medano

🇪🇸 Spain

$1,458

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $2,304 per month in Madrid vs $1,458 in El Medano, rent included.

Madrid $2,304
El Medano $1,458

A couple spends around $3,389 per month in Madrid vs $2,384 in El Medano, rent included.

Madrid $3,389
El Medano $2,384

A family of three spends $4,475 per month in Madrid vs $3,310 in El Medano, rent included.

Madrid $4,475
El Medano $3,310

Madrid costs about 58% more than El Medano, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Madrid and El Medano sit above the global median – Madrid by 69%, El Medano by 7%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.73 €15.89

$20.21 €18.11

-12.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.9 €59.9

$61.4 €55.0

8.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.30 €10.13

$10.99 €9.85

2.82%

Cappuccino

$3.04 €2.73

$2.08 €1.86

46.15%

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

$3.36 €3.01

$1.96 €1.75

71.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 €2.11

$1.29 €1.16

82.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.89 €3.49

$2.86 €2.56

36.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.80 €4.30

$3.33 €2.99

44.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.18

$1.37 €1.23

-3.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.64 €1.47

$2.38 €2.13

-31.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 €1.54

$1.61 €1.44

6.83%

Eggs

$4.20 €3.77

$4.06 €3.64

3.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.91 €14.25

$14.50 €12.99

9.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 €8.39

$8.83 €7.91

6.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.21 €15.42

$17.89 €16.04

-3.80%

Apples (1kg)

$2.56 €2.30

$2.50 €2.24

2.40%

Banana (1kg)

$2.09 €1.88

$2.31 €2.07

-9.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 €2.28

$2.22 €1.99

14.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.58 €2.31

$2.59 €2.32

-0.39%

Potato (1kg)

$2.31 €2.07

$2.13 €1.91

8.45%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 €1.94

$1.94 €1.74

11.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.50 €1.35

$1.70 €1.52

-11.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 €0.96

$0.93 €0.83

15.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.57 €5.88

$5.57 €4.99

17.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.87 €7.05

$7.40 €6.63

6.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 €1.09

$1.71 €1.53

-29.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 €1.94

$1.34 €1.20

61.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.67 €1.50

$1.58 €1.42

5.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.53 €33.63

$25.30 €22.67

48.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.76 €3.37

$4.30 €3.86

-12.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.49 €1.33

$1.69 €1.52

-11.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.17 €27.03

$16.95 €15.19

77.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.85 €1.65

$1.25 €1.12

48.00%

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

$33.9K €30.4K

$26.8K €24.0K

26.61%

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

$33.3K €29.9K

$32.2K €28.9K

3.41%

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

$192 €172

$98.8 €88.6

93.85%

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

$17.66 €15.82

$22.66 €20.31

-22.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.07 €31.43

$34.83 €31.21

0.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.27 €42.36

$45.33 €40.62

4.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.23 €16.33

$15.55 €13.93

17.23%

Cinema Ticket

$11.29 €10.12

$9.74 €8.73

15.91%

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

$687 €616

$406 €364

69.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.0K €16.1K

$4,968 €4,452

261.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.5 €77.6

$93.2 €83.5

-7.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.65 €37.32

$41.35 €37.05

0.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 €96.9

$90.9 €81.5

18.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 €100

$114 €102

-2.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,508 €1,351

$899 €805

67.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,210 €1,084

$482 €432

150.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,829 €2,535

$1,360 €1,219

107.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,004 €1,796

$1,004 €900

99.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,002 €8,066

$3,333 €2,987

170.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,710 €4,220

$2,213 €1,983

112.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,453 €2,199

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.14

3.56

-11.80%

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

Last update for Madrid: October 24, 2026

Last update for El Medano: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Madrid

$1.2K 52.5%

El Medano

$482 33.1% 60.1% $727

Groceries & Markets

Madrid

$304 13.2%

El Medano

$304 20.9% 0.1% $0.2

Eating Out

Madrid

$264 11.5%

El Medano

$254 17.4% 4% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Madrid

$244 10.6%

El Medano

$156 10.7% 36% $88

Clothing & Footwear

Madrid

$157 6.8%

El Medano

$153 10.5% 2.4% $3.8

Sport & Entertainment

Madrid

$70 3%

El Medano

$65 4.4% 7.2% $5

Getting Around

Madrid

$55 2.4%

El Medano

$44 3% 19.9% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,508 in Madrid versus $899 in El Medano. 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 $61 in El Medano. Groceries tell a different story – $304 in Madrid vs $304 in El Medano – so Madrid wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Madrid

🇪🇸 El Medano

🕒 Local time

05:05 5:05 AM

04:05 4:05 AM

1 h behind Madrid

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,332,035 Capital

2,500

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Madrid El Medano 1,810 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Madrid
El Medano

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 El Medano: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,304 in Madrid, $1,458 in El Medano – El Medano comes out roughly 37% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,456 per month in Madrid and $2,187 in El Medano. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in El Medano, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $899 there versus $1,508 in Madrid.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,304 in Madrid and $1,458 in El Medano. That makes El Medano about 37% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $687 per month in Madrid and $406 in El Medano. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in El Medano, where all-in costs run around $1,458, than in Madrid at $2,304. In El Medano it covers expenses comfortably, while in Madrid it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward El Medano – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.