Cost of Living Comparison Between Madrid and Estepona Cost of Living Comparison Between Madrid and Estepona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,262 in Madrid versus $1,909 in Estepona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,324 in Madrid versus $2,850 in Estepona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,387 in Madrid versus $3,792 in Estepona.

Living in Madrid is roughly 18% more expensive than in Estepona, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Madrid 70% above, Estepona 43% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.70 €15.33

$17.47 €15.13

1.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €60.4

$80.8 €70.0

-13.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.96 €10.36

$10.54 €9.12

13.47%

Cappuccino

$3.15 €2.73

$2.70 €2.34

16.67%

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

$3.11 €2.70

$2.47 €2.14

25.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 €1.92

$2.10 €1.82

5.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.15 €3.60

$4.71 €4.08

-11.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.49 €3.89

$3.72 €3.22

20.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 €1.08

$1.23 €1.07

1.63%

White Bread (500g)

$1.70 €1.47

$1.58 €1.37

7.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 €1.47

$2.00 €1.73

-15.00%

Eggs

$3.51 €3.04

$3.30 €2.86

6.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.07 €13.05

$13.09 €11.33

15.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.24 €8.00

$9.72 €8.42

-4.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.07 €14.78

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 €2.38

$3.32 €2.88

-17.17%

Banana (1kg)

$2.14 €1.86

$1.86 €1.61

15.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.49 €2.15

$1.81 €1.57

37.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.38

$2.70 €2.33

1.85%

Potato (1kg)

$2.14 €1.85

$2.28 €1.98

-6.14%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 €1.89

$2.10 €1.82

3.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.38 €1.20

$1.51 €1.31

-8.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 €0.80

$1.18 €1.02

-22.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.95 €6.02

$6.67 €5.78

4.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.91 €6.85

$6.05 €5.24

30.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.20

$1.35 €1.17

2.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 €1.94

$2.36 €2.05

-5.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.79 €1.55

$2.91 €2.52

-38.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.65 €42.13

$34.49 €29.87

41.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.03 €3.49

$2.23 €1.93

80.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.33 €1.15

$0.82 €0.71

62.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.16 €25.25

$13.65 €11.82

113.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.59

$1.74 €1.50

5.75%

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

$38.1K €33.0K

$38.3K €33.2K

-0.53%

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

$33.4K €29.0K

$30.4K €26.3K

10.06%

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

$189 €164

$121 €105

56.05%

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

$21.62 €18.72

$23.91 €20.71

-9.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.96 €31.14

$31.78 €27.52

13.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.1 €45.98

$45.76 €39.63

16.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.13 €15.70

$22.74 €19.69

-20.27%

Cinema Ticket

$11.47 €9.93

$13.78 €11.93

-16.76%

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

$662 €574

$387 €335

71.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K €10.3K

$11.7K €10.2K

1.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$97.2 €84.2

$31.39 €27.18

209.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.05 €37.28

$43.57 €37.73

-1.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €90.6

$92.7 €80.3

12.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 €115

$100 €86.8

32.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,561 €1,352

$1,229 €1,064

27.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,129 €978

$916 €793

23.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,850 €2,468

$2,098 €1,816

35.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,868 €1,618

$1,514 €1,311

23.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,099 €7,880

$4,926 €4,266

84.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,243 €3,675

$4,680 €4,053

-9.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,471 €2,140

$1,504 €1,303

64.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.43

3.51

-2.28%

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

Last update for Madrid: July 28, 2026

Last update for Estepona: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,561 in Madrid and $1,229 in Estepona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Madrid pays 64% 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: $70.0 in Madrid vs $81.0 in Estepona. Groceries flip the comparison at $298 vs $292, with Estepona cheaper for home cooking.

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 Estepona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Estepona is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 18% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 64% 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: $1,561 in Madrid versus $1,229 in Estepona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $662 in Madrid versus $387 in Estepona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 2% higher in Madrid. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,909 in Estepona versus $2,262 in Madrid, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Estepona but tight or insufficient in Madrid. The gap between the two cities makes Estepona the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Estepona 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 Estepona 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 Estepona gentler on the wallet – expenses run 18% less than in Madrid. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.