Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Madrid and Elche

For one person, living is cheaper in Elche: $1,483 a month against $2,304 in Madrid, rent and utilities included – about $9,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

111

Cost of Living Index in Madrid
Learn more

Madrid Living Index
72

Cost of Living Index in Elche
Learn more

Elche Living Index

Jump to prices

Madrid

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,304

/mo nomad

Elche

🇪🇸 Spain

$1,483

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Madrid and in Elche

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,304 in Madrid versus $1,483 in Elche.

Madrid $2,304
Elche $1,483

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,389 in Madrid versus $2,201 in Elche.

Madrid $3,389
Elche $2,201

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,475 in Madrid versus $2,918 in Elche.

Madrid $4,475
Elche $2,918

Living in Madrid is roughly 55% more expensive than in Elche, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Madrid 69% above, Elche 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.73 €15.89

$16.65 €14.92

6.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.9 €59.9

$56.2 €50.3

19.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.30 €10.13

$11.17 €10.01

1.16%

Cappuccino

$3.04 €2.73

$2.49 €2.23

22.09%

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

$3.36 €3.01

$2.41 €2.16

39.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 €2.11

$1.86 €1.66

26.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.89 €3.49

$3.25 €2.91

19.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.80 €4.30

$3.30 €2.95

45.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.18

$1.11 €0.99

18.92%

White Bread (500g)

$1.64 €1.47

$1.62 €1.45

1.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 €1.54

$1.55 €1.39

10.97%

Eggs

$4.20 €3.77

$3.03 €2.72

38.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.91 €14.25

$14.30 €12.81

11.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 €8.39

$7.91 €7.09

18.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.21 €15.42

$13.54 €12.13

27.10%

Apples (1kg)

$2.56 €2.30

$2.55 €2.28

0.39%

Banana (1kg)

$2.09 €1.88

$1.93 €1.73

8.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 €2.28

$1.90 €1.70

34.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.58 €2.31

$2.42 €2.17

6.61%

Potato (1kg)

$2.31 €2.07

$1.74 €1.56

32.76%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 €1.94

$1.91 €1.71

13.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.50 €1.35

$1.03 €0.93

45.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 €0.96

$0.70 €0.63

52.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.57 €5.88

$6.47 €5.80

1.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.87 €7.05

$5.72 €5.12

37.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 €1.09

$1.06 €0.95

14.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 €1.94

$1.03 €0.92

110.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.67 €1.50

$1.42 €1.27

17.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.53 €33.63

$22.72 €20.36

65.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.76 €3.37

$3.09 €2.77

21.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.49 €1.33

$0.87 €0.78

71.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.17 €27.03

$16.91 €15.15

78.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.85 €1.65

$1.76 €1.58

5.11%

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

$33.9K €30.4K

$31.4K €28.1K

7.89%

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

$33.3K €29.9K

$31.8K €28.5K

4.68%

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

$192 €172

$138 €123

39.13%

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

$17.66 €15.82

$17.13 €15.35

3.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.07 €31.43

$26.35 €23.61

33.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.27 €42.36

$45.31 €40.60

4.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.23 €16.33

$11.11 €9.96

64.09%

Cinema Ticket

$11.29 €10.12

$7.33 €6.56

54.02%

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

$687 €616

$692 €620

-0.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.0K €16.1K

$9,979 €8,942

80.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.5 €77.6

$83.4 €74.7

3.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.65 €37.32

$35.43 €31.75

17.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 €96.9

$85.8 €76.9

25.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 €100

$86.9 €77.9

28.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,508 €1,351

$665 €596

126.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,210 €1,084

$585 €524

106.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,829 €2,535

$967 €867

192.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,004 €1,796

$860 €771

133.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,002 €8,066

$2,033 €1,821

342.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,710 €4,220

$1,481 €1,327

217.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,453 €2,199

$1,599 €1,433

53.40%

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 Elche: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Madrid

$1.2K 52.5%

Elche

$585 39.4% 51.6% $624

Groceries & Markets

Madrid

$304 13.2%

Elche

$253 17.1% 16.8% $51

Eating Out

Madrid

$264 11.5%

Elche

$237 16% 10.4% $28

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Madrid

$244 10.6%

Elche

$181 12.2% 25.8% $63

Clothing & Footwear

Madrid

$157 6.8%

Elche

$131 8.9% 16.2% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Madrid

$70 3%

Elche

$60 4% 14.2% $9.9

Getting Around

Madrid

$55 2.4%

Elche

$36 2.4% 35.4% $20

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,508 in Madrid and $665 in Elche. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Madrid pays 53% 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 $56 in Elche for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $304 vs $253 per month, with Elche cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Madrid

🇪🇸 Elche

🕒 Local time

07:27 7:27 AM

Same time as Madrid

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,332,035 Capital

238,293

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Madrid Elche 350 km

From you

Madrid
Elche

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 Elche: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Elche wins on cost – living expenses run 36% lower than in Madrid. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Elche the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 53% higher in Madrid, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,508 in Madrid versus $665 in Elche. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Elche – 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 $1,483 in Elche – Elche is about 36% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Elche is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 Elche are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Elche gentler on the wallet – expenses run 36% less than in Madrid. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.