Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Madrid and Escazu

For one person, living is cheaper in Escazu: $1,918 a month against $2,304 in Madrid, rent and utilities included – about $4,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Madrid outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

111

Cost of Living Index in Madrid
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Madrid Living Index
93

Cost of Living Index in Escazu
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Escazu Living Index

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Madrid

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,304

/mo nomad

Escazu

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,918

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Madrid and in Escazu

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,304 in Madrid versus $1,918 in Escazu.

Madrid $2,304
Escazu $1,918

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,389 in Madrid versus $2,942 in Escazu.

Madrid $3,389
Escazu $2,942

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,475 in Madrid versus $3,966 in Escazu.

Madrid $4,475
Escazu $3,966

Living in Madrid is roughly 20% more expensive than in Escazu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Madrid 69% above, Escazu 41% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.73 €15.82

$12.02 ₡5,428

47.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.9 €59.7

$61.8 ₡27.9K

8.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.30 €10.08

$11.85 ₡5,350

-4.64%

Cappuccino

$3.04 €2.71

$4.34 ₡1,960

-29.95%

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

$3.36 €3.00

$2.64 ₡1,192

27.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 €2.10

$1.94 ₡877

21.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.89 €3.47

$3.27 ₡1,477

18.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.80 €4.28

$4.38 ₡1,980

9.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.17

$2.31 ₡1,041

-42.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.64 €1.46

$3.08 ₡1,389

-46.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 €1.54

$2.41 ₡1,089

-28.63%

Eggs

$4.20 €3.75

$3.41 ₡1,541

23.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.91 €14.19

$10.83 ₡4,888

46.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 €8.35

$10.56 ₡4,766

-11.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.21 €15.36

$13.88 ₡6,264

23.99%

Apples (1kg)

$2.56 €2.29

$5.08 ₡2,293

-49.61%

Banana (1kg)

$2.09 €1.87

$1.59 ₡718

31.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 €2.27

$3.28 ₡1,482

-22.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.58 €2.30

$3.11 ₡1,403

-17.04%

Potato (1kg)

$2.31 €2.06

$3.91 ₡1,764

-40.92%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 €1.94

$3.65 ₡1,649

-40.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.50 €1.34

$1.04 ₡469

44.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 €0.96

$1.73 ₡782

-38.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.57 €5.86

$5.63 ₡2,540

16.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.87 €7.02

$18.98 ₡8,570

-58.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 €1.08

$1.76 ₡793

-31.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 €1.94

$2.75 ₡1,240

-21.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.67 €1.49

$1.07 ₡482

56.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.53 €33.49

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.76 €3.36

$2.01 ₡906

87.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.49 €1.33

$1.55 ₡702

-3.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.17 €26.92

$8.72 ₡3,937

245.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.85 €1.65

$1.49 ₡672

24.16%

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

$33.9K €30.2K

$28.0K ₡12.6M

21.19%

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

$33.3K €29.7K

$35.6K ₡16.1M

-6.39%

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

$192 €171

$94.4 ₡42.6K

102.90%

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

$17.66 €15.75

$29.33 ₡13.2K

-39.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.07 €31.29

$58.3 ₡26.3K

-39.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.27 €42.17

$106 ₡47.8K

-55.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.23 €16.26

$10.19 ₡4,599

78.90%

Cinema Ticket

$11.29 €10.08

$7.60 ₡3,430

48.55%

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

$687 €613

$455 ₡205.2K

51.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.0K €16.0K

$16.8K ₡7.6M

6.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.5 €77.2

$72.3 ₡32.7K

19.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.65 €37.16

$55.7 ₡25.1K

-25.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 €96.5

$128 ₡57.7K

-15.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 €99.6

$130 ₡58.7K

-14.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,508 €1,346

$867 ₡391.3K

73.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,210 €1,079

$836 ₡377.3K

44.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,829 €2,524

$1,966 ₡887.6K

43.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,004 €1,788

$1,491 ₡673.3K

34.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,002 €8,031

$1,384 ₡624.6K

550.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,710 €4,202

$955 ₡431.3K

392.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,453 €2,189

$1,763 ₡795.8K

39.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.14

8.62

-63.57%

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

Last update for Madrid: October 24, 2026

Last update for Escazu: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Madrid

$1.2K 52.5%

Escazu

$836 43.6% 30.9% $374

Groceries & Markets

Madrid

$304 13.2%

Escazu

$364 19% 19.6% $60

Eating Out

Madrid

$264 11.5%

Escazu

$227 11.9% 14% $37

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Madrid

$244 10.6%

Escazu

$182 9.5% 25.5% $62

Clothing & Footwear

Madrid

$157 6.8%

Escazu

$174 9.1% 10.9% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Madrid

$70 3%

Escazu

$121 6.3% 73.3% $51

Getting Around

Madrid

$55 2.4%

Escazu

$14 * 0.7% 74.7% $41

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,508 in Madrid and $867 in Escazu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Madrid pays 39% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $67 in Madrid vs $62 in Escazu. Groceries flip the comparison at $304 vs $364, with Madrid cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Madrid

🇨🇷 Escazu

🕒 Local time

05:24 5:24 AM

22:24 10:24 PM

7 h behind Madrid

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,332,035 Capital

11,984

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 506 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Madrid Escazu 8,490 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Madrid
Escazu

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 Escazu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Escazu is about 17% cheaper overall, especially in transport and eating out. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 39% 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 $867 in Escazu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Madrid pay roughly 16% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you’ll spend $2,304 per month in Madrid versus $1,918 in Escazu – Escazu is about 17% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

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

It comes down to priorities – Escazu wins on affordability, Madrid on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.