Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Madrid and El Paso

For one person, living is cheaper in El Paso: $1,638 a month against $2,304 in Madrid, rent and utilities included – about $8,000 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
79

Cost of Living Index in El Paso
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El Paso Living Index

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Madrid

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,304

/mo nomad

El Paso

🇪🇸 Spain

$1,638

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,304 in Madrid versus $1,638 in El Paso.

Madrid $2,304
El Paso $1,638

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,389 in Madrid versus $2,424 in El Paso.

Madrid $3,389
El Paso $2,424

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,475 in Madrid versus $3,211 in El Paso.

Madrid $4,475
El Paso $3,211

Living in Madrid is roughly 41% more expensive than in El Paso, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Madrid 69% above, El Paso 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.73 €15.93

$16.87 €15.15

5.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.9 €60.1

$56.3 €50.5

18.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.30 €10.15

$10.99 €9.87

2.82%

Cappuccino

$3.04 €2.73

$2.33 €2.09

30.47%

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

$3.36 €3.02

$2.58 €2.32

30.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 €2.11

$1.86 €1.67

26.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.89 €3.50

$3.33 €2.99

16.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.80 €4.31

$3.89 €3.50

23.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.18

$1.20 €1.08

10.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.64 €1.47

$1.44 €1.29

13.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 €1.55

$1.57 €1.41

9.55%

Eggs

$4.20 €3.78

$3.20 €2.87

31.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.91 €14.29

$13.31 €11.96

19.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 €8.41

$8.16 €7.33

14.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.21 €15.46

$15.81 €14.20

8.86%

Apples (1kg)

$2.56 €2.30

$2.53 €2.27

1.19%

Banana (1kg)

$2.09 €1.88

$2.11 €1.89

-0.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 €2.29

$2.19 €1.97

16.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.58 €2.32

$2.56 €2.30

0.78%

Potato (1kg)

$2.31 €2.08

$1.85 €1.66

24.86%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 €1.95

$1.93 €1.73

12.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.50 €1.35

$1.33 €1.20

12.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 €0.96

$0.74 €0.67

44.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.57 €5.90

$6.42 €5.77

2.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.87 €7.07

$5.71 €5.13

37.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 €1.09

$1.23 €1.10

-1.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 €1.95

$2.11 €1.90

2.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.67 €1.50

$1.59 €1.43

5.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.53 €33.71

$32.28 €29.00

16.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.76 €3.38

$3.98 €3.57

-5.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.49 €1.34

$1.47 €1.32

1.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.17 €27.10

$23.08 €20.74

30.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.85 €1.66

$1.74 €1.57

6.32%

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

$33.9K €30.4K

$34.2K €30.8K

-1.09%

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

$33.3K €29.9K

$30.7K €27.6K

8.50%

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

$192 €172

$143 €128

34.06%

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

$17.66 €15.86

$18.12 €16.27

-2.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.07 €31.51

$29.48 €26.48

18.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.27 €42.46

$45.60 €40.96

3.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.23 €16.37

$15.64 €14.05

16.56%

Cinema Ticket

$11.29 €10.14

$9.31 €8.36

21.27%

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

$687 €617

$471 €423

45.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.0K €16.2K

$8,416 €7,560

113.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.5 €77.7

$85.1 €76.5

1.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.65 €37.41

$36.04 €32.38

15.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 €97.1

$90.3 €81.1

19.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 €100

$114 €102

-1.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,508 €1,355

$885 €795

70.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,210 €1,087

$683 €613

77.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,829 €2,541

$1,363 €1,224

107.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,004 €1,800

$1,032 €927

94.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,002 €8,086

$3,350 €3,009

168.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,710 €4,231

$2,166 €1,946

117.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,453 €2,204

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 El Paso: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Madrid

$1.2K 52.5%

El Paso

$683 41.7% 43.5% $527

Groceries & Markets

Madrid

$304 13.2%

El Paso

$266 16.2% 12.6% $38

Eating Out

Madrid

$264 11.5%

El Paso

$238 14.5% 9.9% $26

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Madrid

$244 10.6%

El Paso

$190 11.6% 22% $54

Clothing & Footwear

Madrid

$157 6.8%

El Paso

$146 8.9% 6.6% $10

Sport & Entertainment

Madrid

$70 3%

El Paso

$64 3.9% 8.1% $5.6

Getting Around

Madrid

$55 2.4%

El Paso

$50 3.1% 9.8% $5.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,508 in Madrid and $885 in El Paso. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $67 in Madrid vs $56 in El Paso for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $304 vs $266 per month, with El Paso cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Madrid

🇪🇸 El Paso

🕒 Local time

21:25 9:25 PM

20:25 8:25 PM

1 h behind Madrid

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,332,035 Capital

700

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Madrid El Paso 1,840 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Madrid
El Paso

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 Paso: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,304 in Madrid and $1,638 in El Paso, so El Paso is about 29% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $3,456 in Madrid and $2,457 in El Paso 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: $1,508 in Madrid versus $885 in El Paso. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in El Paso – a meal for two runs $56 versus $67 in Madrid. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $2,304 per month in Madrid versus $1,638 in El Paso – El Paso is about 29% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though El Paso gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.

Safety-wise, Madrid and El Paso are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find El Paso gentler on the wallet – expenses run 29% less than in Madrid. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.