Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Madrid and Gijon

For one person, living is cheaper in Gijon: $1,746 a month against $2,304 in Madrid, rent and utilities included – about $6,700 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
84

Cost of Living Index in Gijon
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Gijon Living Index

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Madrid

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,304

/mo nomad

Gijon

🇪🇸 Spain

$1,746

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Madrid and in Gijon

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,304 in Madrid versus $1,746 in Gijon.

Madrid $2,304
Gijon $1,746

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,389 in Madrid versus $2,577 in Gijon.

Madrid $3,389
Gijon $2,577

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,475 in Madrid versus $3,407 in Gijon.

Madrid $4,475
Gijon $3,407

Living in Madrid is roughly 32% more expensive than in Gijon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Madrid 69% above, Gijon 28% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.73 €15.88

$16.51 €14.79

7.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.9 €59.9

$67.5 €60.5

-1.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.30 €10.12

$15.75 €14.11

-28.25%

Cappuccino

$3.04 €2.72

$2.61 €2.34

16.48%

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

$3.36 €3.01

$2.83 €2.53

18.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 €2.11

$2.28 €2.04

3.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.89 €3.49

$4.00 €3.58

-2.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.80 €4.30

$5.70 €5.11

-15.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.18

$1.27 €1.14

3.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.64 €1.47

$1.86 €1.67

-11.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 €1.54

$1.45 €1.30

18.62%

Eggs

$4.20 €3.77

$4.25 €3.80

-1.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.91 €14.24

$12.12 €10.85

31.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 €8.38

$7.89 €7.07

18.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.21 €15.41

$17.60 €15.76

-2.22%

Apples (1kg)

$2.56 €2.29

$3.33 €2.99

-23.12%

Banana (1kg)

$2.09 €1.88

$1.51 €1.35

38.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 €2.28

$2.75 €2.47

-7.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.58 €2.31

$3.18 €2.85

-18.87%

Potato (1kg)

$2.31 €2.07

$2.35 €2.11

-1.70%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 €1.94

$2.28 €2.04

-4.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.50 €1.35

$1.28 €1.15

17.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 €0.96

$0.80 €0.72

33.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.57 €5.88

$6.63 €5.94

-0.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.87 €7.05

$10.09 €9.04

-22.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 €1.08

$1.35 €1.21

-10.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 €1.94

$1.77 €1.58

22.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.67 €1.50

$1.41 €1.26

18.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.53 €33.61

$34.17 €30.60

9.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.76 €3.37

$5.49 €4.91

-31.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.49 €1.33

$1.26 €1.13

18.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.17 €27.02

$29.24 €26.19

3.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.85 €1.65

$1.81 €1.62

2.21%

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

$33.9K €30.3K

$36.6K €32.8K

-7.51%

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

$33.3K €29.8K

$29.4K €26.3K

13.41%

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

$192 €172

$146 €131

30.86%

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

$17.66 €15.81

$18.43 €16.51

-4.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.07 €31.41

$23.12 €20.71

51.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.27 €42.34

$52.5 €46.98

-9.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.23 €16.32

$9.08 €8.13

100.77%

Cinema Ticket

$11.29 €10.11

$8.79 €7.87

28.44%

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

$687 €615

$487 €436

41.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.0K €16.1K

$10.0K €8,993

79.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.5 €77.5

$95.9 €85.9

-9.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.65 €37.30

$31.95 €28.61

30.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 €96.8

$110 €98.7

-1.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 €100.0

$116 €104

-3.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,508 €1,351

$901 €807

67.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,210 €1,083

$723 €647

67.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,829 €2,534

$1,373 €1,230

106.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,004 €1,795

$1,038 €930

93.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,002 €8,062

$3,606 €3,230

149.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,710 €4,218

$2,096 €1,877

124.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,453 €2,197

$1,865 €1,670

31.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.14

3.43

-8.45%

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

Last update for Madrid: October 24, 2026

Last update for Gijon: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Madrid

$1.2K 52.5%

Gijon

$723 41.4% 40.2% $487

Groceries & Markets

Madrid

$304 13.2%

Gijon

$292 16.7% 3.9% $12

Eating Out

Madrid

$264 11.5%

Gijon

$263 15% 0.6% $1.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Madrid

$244 10.6%

Gijon

$188 10.8% 23.1% $56

Clothing & Footwear

Madrid

$157 6.8%

Gijon

$159 9.1% 1.8% $2.7

Sport & Entertainment

Madrid

$70 3%

Gijon

$70 4% 0.3% $0.2

Getting Around

Madrid

$55 2.4%

Gijon

$52 3% 6.9% $3.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,508 in Madrid and $901 in Gijon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Madrid pays 32% 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: $67 in Madrid vs $68 in Gijon. Groceries flip the comparison at $304 vs $292, with Gijon cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Madrid

🇪🇸 Gijon

🕒 Local time

08:44 8:44 AM

Same time as Madrid

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,332,035 Capital

268,313

💱 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 Gijon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Gijon is about 24% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, utilities, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 32% 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 $901 in Gijon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $687 in Madrid versus $487 in Gijon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

A monthly transit pass in Gijon runs roughly 9% less than in Madrid. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

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

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