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: $2,273 in Madrid versus $1,850 in Estepona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,389 in Madrid versus $2,863 in Estepona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,505 in Madrid versus $3,875 in Estepona.

Living in Madrid is roughly 23% more expensive than Estepona, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Madrid 70% above, Estepona 38% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.64 €15.10

$17.08 €14.62

3.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.5 €60.3

$80.0 €68.5

-11.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.66 €9.98

$10.51 €8.99

10.94%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.65

$2.76 €2.36

12.32%

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

$3.06 €2.62

$2.46 €2.11

24.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 €1.80

$2.17 €1.85

-3.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.07 €3.48

$4.64 €3.97

-12.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.52 €3.87

$3.72 €3.19

21.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 €1.07

$1.29 €1.10

-3.10%

White Bread (500g)

$1.69 €1.44

$1.57 €1.34

7.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.65 €1.41

$1.99 €1.70

-17.09%

Eggs

$3.35 €2.87

$3.29 €2.82

1.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.57 €12.47

$13.29 €11.37

9.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.12 €7.80

$9.27 €7.93

-1.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.67 €14.27

$17.02 €14.57

-2.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.66 €2.28

$3.26 €2.79

-18.40%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 €1.89

$1.94 €1.66

13.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.47 €2.11

$1.81 €1.55

36.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.71 €2.32

$2.65 €2.27

2.26%

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 €1.81

$2.33 €2.00

-9.44%

Onion (1kg)

$2.14 €1.83

$2.10 €1.80

1.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.41 €1.20

$1.45 €1.24

-2.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 €0.83

$1.14 €0.98

-14.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.08 €6.06

$6.69 €5.72

5.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.12 €6.95

$5.97 €5.11

36.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.19

$1.40 €1.20

-0.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 €1.92

$2.32 €1.99

-3.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.78 €1.52

$2.85 €2.44

-37.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.86 €41.82

$34.62 €29.64

41.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.16 €3.56

$2.24 €1.91

85.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.38 €1.18

$0.80 €0.69

72.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.62 €24.50

$13.74 €11.76

108.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.88 €1.61

$1.73 €1.48

8.67%

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

$38.3K €32.8K

$38.2K €32.7K

0.16%

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

$34.4K €29.4K

$29.6K €25.3K

16.13%

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

$192 €164

$119 €101

62.03%

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

$21.59 €18.48

$23.90 €20.46

-9.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.26 €30.19

$31.73 €27.16

11.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.4 €45.71

$45.55 €38.99

17.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.72 €15.17

$23.60 €20.20

-24.92%

Cinema Ticket

$11.78 €10.08

$13.77 €11.79

-14.45%

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

$674 €577

$386 €330

74.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.2K €10.5K

$11.4K €9,787

6.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.7 €81.9

$32.25 €27.61

196.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.61 €35.61

$43.02 €36.82

-3.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €89.4

$91.0 €77.9

14.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 €114

$101 €86.4

31.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,595 €1,365

$1,253 €1,073

27.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,109 €949

$898 €769

23.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,858 €2,446

$2,157 €1,846

32.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,890 €1,618

$1,465 €1,254

28.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,394 €8,042

$4,939 €4,228

90.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,583 €3,923

$4,892 €4,187

-6.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,602 €2,227

$1,639 €1,403

58.80%

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: April 26, 2026

Last update for Estepona: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,595 in Madrid and $1,253 in Estepona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Madrid pays 59% 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 $80.0 in Estepona. Groceries flip the comparison at $294 vs $290, 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 23% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Madrid pays 59% more on average, 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: $1,595 in Madrid versus $1,253 in Estepona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $674 in Madrid versus $386 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 $1,850 in Estepona versus $2,273 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 23% less than in Madrid. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.