Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Madrid and Fuengirola

For one person, living is cheaper in Fuengirola: $1,687 a month against $2,265 in Madrid, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Madrid
🇪🇸 Spain
$2,265
/mo nomad
Fuengirola
🇪🇸 Spain
$1,687
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Madrid and in Fuengirola

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

A single person spends $2,265 per month in Madrid vs $1,687 in Fuengirola, rent included.

  • Madrid $2,265
  • Fuengirola $1,687

A couple spends around $3,296 per month in Madrid vs $2,515 in Fuengirola, rent included.

  • Madrid $3,296
  • Fuengirola $2,515

A family of three spends $4,328 per month in Madrid vs $3,342 in Fuengirola, rent included.

  • Madrid $4,328
  • Fuengirola $3,342

Madrid costs about 34% more than Fuengirola, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Madrid and Fuengirola sit above the global median – Madrid by 68%, Fuengirola by 25%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Madrid
Fuengirola
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$18.20 €16.19
$15.85 €14.10
14.83%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$68.1 €60.5
$65.9 €58.6
3.36%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.24 €9.99
$10.18 €9.06
10.41%
Cappuccino
$3.15 €2.80
$2.65 €2.36
18.87%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.36 €2.99
$2.47 €2.20
36.03%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.36 €2.10
$2.05 €1.83
15.12%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.83 €3.40
$3.41 €3.03
12.32%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.92 €4.38
$4.49 €3.99
9.58%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Madrid
Fuengirola
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.32 €1.17
$1.16 €1.04
13.79%
White Bread (500g)
$1.61 €1.43
$1.44 €1.28
11.81%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.65 €1.47
$1.56 €1.39
5.77%
Eggs
$4.07 €3.62
$2.89 €2.58
40.83%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.82 €14.07
$15.49 €13.77
2.13%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.49 €8.44
$7.70 €6.85
23.25%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.52 €15.59
$12.03 €10.70
45.64%
Apples (1kg)
$2.56 €2.27
$2.31 €2.05
10.82%
Banana (1kg)
$2.09 €1.86
$1.89 €1.68
10.58%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.47 €2.19
$1.66 €1.48
48.80%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.49 €2.22
$2.45 €2.18
1.63%
Potato (1kg)
$2.26 €2.01
$1.54 €1.37
46.75%
Onion (1kg)
$2.15 €1.91
$1.58 €1.40
36.08%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.57 €1.40
$1.22 €1.08
28.69%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.07 €0.95
$0.72 €0.64
48.61%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.55 €5.82
$5.55 €4.93
18.02%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.65 €6.81
$6.77 €6.03
13.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.17 €1.04
$1.04 €0.92
12.50%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.22 €1.97
$1.55 €1.38
43.23%
🚌 Getting Around
Madrid
Fuengirola
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.63 €1.45
$2.19 €1.95
-25.57%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$36.42 €32.39
$11.23 €9.99
224.31%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.73 €3.32
$1.84 €1.63
102.72%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.54 €1.37
$1.16 €1.03
32.76%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$29.17 €25.95
$22.38 €19.90
30.34%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.78 €1.58
$1.76 €1.56
1.14%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.5K €31.6K
$35.7K €31.8K
-0.70%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$33.2K €29.6K
$28.7K €25.5K
15.84%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Madrid
Fuengirola
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$189 €168
$159 €142
18.46%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$17.48 €15.55
$10.79 €9.60
62.00%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$34.32 €30.53
$24.07 €21.41
42.58%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Madrid
Fuengirola
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$48.62 €43.25
$44.67 €39.73
8.84%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.44 €16.40
$33.66 €29.94
-45.22%
Cinema Ticket
$11.04 €9.82
$9.57 €8.51
15.36%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Madrid
Fuengirola
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$693 €617
$382 €339
81.72%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.8K €15.8K
$9,812 €8,728
80.95%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Madrid
Fuengirola
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$84.6 €75.3
$62.1 €55.2
36.32%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.50 €37.80
$35.67 €31.72
19.15%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$110 €98.1
$69.8 €62.1
57.90%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$112 €99.9
$82.1 €73.1
36.70%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Madrid
Fuengirola
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,506 €1,339
$1,066 €949
41.20%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,170 €1,041
$806 €717
45.13%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,756 €2,451
$1,727 €1,536
59.63%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,845 €1,641
$1,276 €1,135
44.54%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$9,168 €8,155
$3,540 €3,149
158.97%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,234 €3,766
$2,684 €2,387
57.76%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Madrid
Fuengirola
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,483 €2,209
$1,809 €1,609
37.22%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.14
3.29
-4.56%

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

Last update for Madrid: October 11, 2026

Last update for Fuengirola: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Madrid
$1.2K
Fuengirola
$806 31.1% $364
Groceries & Markets
Madrid
$303
Fuengirola
$250 17.6% $53
Eating Out
Madrid
$269
Fuengirola
$233 13.3% $36
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Madrid
$241
Fuengirola
$194 19.3% $46
Clothing & Footwear
Madrid
$157
Fuengirola
$112 28.6% $45
Sport & Entertainment
Madrid
$71
Fuengirola
$64 9.8% $6.9
Getting Around
Madrid
$54
Fuengirola
$28 49.2% $27

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,506 in Madrid versus $1,066 in Fuengirola. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 37% higher in Madrid, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68.0 in Madrid versus $66.0 in Fuengirola. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $303 vs $250 – making Fuengirola the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇪🇸 Madrid
🇪🇸 Fuengirola
🕒 Local time
18:40 6:40 PM
18:40 6:40 PM
Same time as Madrid
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
3,332,035 Capital
85,598
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Madrid Fuengirola 440 km
From you
  • Madrid
  • Fuengirola

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 Fuengirola: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Madrid and in Fuengirola compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $2,265 in Madrid, $1,687 in Fuengirola – roughly 34% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Madrid compared to Fuengirola?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,398 per month in Madrid and $2,531 in Fuengirola. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Madrid and Fuengirola?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Fuengirola, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Madrid and Fuengirola?
Kindergarten costs $693 per month in Madrid and $382 in Fuengirola. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 21% more in Madrid, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Which city is more doable on $3,000 per month?
A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Fuengirola, where all-in costs run around $1,687, than in Madrid at $2,265. In Fuengirola it covers expenses comfortably, while in Madrid it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Madrid and Fuengirola?
It depends on your priorities. Madrid has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,687 in Fuengirola to $2,265 in Madrid. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Madrid or Fuengirola safer for residents?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.
How do I decide between Madrid and Fuengirola?
If budget matters most, go with Fuengirola. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Madrid makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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