Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Madrid and Fuenlabrada

For one person, living is cheaper in Fuenlabrada: $1,705 a month against $2,304 in Madrid, rent and utilities included – about $7,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

111

Cost of Living Index in Madrid
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Madrid Living Index
82

Cost of Living Index in Fuenlabrada
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Fuenlabrada Living Index

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Madrid

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,304

/mo nomad

Fuenlabrada

🇪🇸 Spain

$1,705

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Madrid and in Fuenlabrada

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,304 in Madrid versus $1,705 in Fuenlabrada.

Madrid $2,304
Fuenlabrada $1,705

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,389 in Madrid versus $2,543 in Fuenlabrada.

Madrid $3,389
Fuenlabrada $2,543

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,475 in Madrid versus $3,381 in Fuenlabrada.

Madrid $4,475
Fuenlabrada $3,381

Living in Madrid is roughly 35% more expensive than in Fuenlabrada, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Madrid 69% above, Fuenlabrada 25% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.73 €15.89

$17.01 €15.25

4.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.9 €59.9

$68.2 €61.1

-1.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.30 €10.13

$11.35 €10.17

-0.44%

Cappuccino

$3.04 €2.73

$2.03 €1.82

49.75%

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

$3.36 €3.01

$3.34 €2.99

0.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 €2.11

$1.90 €1.70

23.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.89 €3.49

$3.41 €3.05

14.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.80 €4.30

$4.63 €4.15

3.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.18

$1.20 €1.07

10.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.64 €1.47

$1.00 €0.90

64.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 €1.54

$2.01 €1.80

-14.43%

Eggs

$4.20 €3.77

$3.95 €3.54

6.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.91 €14.25

$17.93 €16.06

-11.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 €8.39

$9.19 €8.23

1.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.21 €15.42

$21.26 €19.05

-19.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.56 €2.30

$2.86 €2.56

-10.49%

Banana (1kg)

$2.09 €1.88

$2.38 €2.14

-12.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 €2.28

$2.52 €2.26

1.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.58 €2.31

$2.87 €2.57

-10.10%

Potato (1kg)

$2.31 €2.07

$2.15 €1.93

7.44%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 €1.94

$2.15 €1.92

0.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.50 €1.35

$1.53 €1.37

-1.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 €0.96

$0.60 €0.54

78.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.57 €5.88

$6.01 €5.38

9.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.87 €7.05

$7.77 €6.97

1.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 €1.09

$1.13 €1.01

7.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 €1.94

$2.22 €1.99

-2.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.67 €1.50

$1.43 €1.28

16.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.53 €33.63

$32.96 €29.53

13.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.76 €3.37

$3.72 €3.34

1.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.49 €1.33

$1.47 €1.32

1.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.17 €27.03

$22.74 €20.38

32.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.85 €1.65

$1.83 €1.64

1.09%

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

$33.9K €30.4K

$33.8K €30.3K

0.33%

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

$33.3K €29.9K

$29.5K €26.4K

13.01%

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

$192 €172

$190 €171

0.58%

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

$17.66 €15.82

$17.91 €16.05

-1.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.07 €31.43

$33.42 €29.95

4.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.27 €42.36

$44.36 €39.75

6.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.23 €16.33

$15.51 €13.90

17.54%

Cinema Ticket

$11.29 €10.12

$9.51 €8.53

18.72%

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

$687 €616

$177 €158

288.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.0K €16.1K

$6,069 €5,439

196.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.5 €77.6

$72.5 €65.0

19.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.65 €37.32

$36.43 €32.65

14.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 €96.9

$76.9 €68.9

40.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 €100

$94.8 €85.0

17.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,508 €1,351

$886 €794

70.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,210 €1,084

$670 €600

80.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,829 €2,535

$1,325 €1,187

113.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,004 €1,796

$1,018 €913

96.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,002 €8,066

$3,314 €2,970

171.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,710 €4,220

$2,188 €1,961

115.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,453 €2,199

$1,692 €1,516

45.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.14

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

Last update for Madrid: October 24, 2026

Last update for Fuenlabrada: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Madrid

$1.2K 52.5%

Fuenlabrada

$670 39.3% 44.6% $540

Groceries & Markets

Madrid

$304 13.2%

Fuenlabrada

$312 18.3% 2.6% $7.9

Eating Out

Madrid

$264 11.5%

Fuenlabrada

$242 14.2% 8.5% $22

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Madrid

$244 10.6%

Fuenlabrada

$242 14.2% 1% $2.5

Clothing & Footwear

Madrid

$157 6.8%

Fuenlabrada

$126 7.4% 19.3% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Madrid

$70 3%

Fuenlabrada

$63 3.7% 9.2% $6.5

Getting Around

Madrid

$55 2.4%

Fuenlabrada

$50 2.9% 10.3% $5.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,508 in Madrid and $886 in Fuenlabrada. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Madrid pays 45% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $67 in Madrid vs $68 in Fuenlabrada for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $304 vs $312 per month, with Madrid cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Madrid

🇪🇸 Fuenlabrada

🕒 Local time

05:03 5:03 AM

Same time as Madrid

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,332,035 Capital

188,736

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Fuenlabrada: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Fuenlabrada is about 26% cheaper overall, especially in clothing, eating out, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 45% 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 $886 in Fuenlabrada. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Madrid pay roughly 3% 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 $1,705 in Fuenlabrada – Fuenlabrada is about 26% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

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

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