Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Madrid and Girona

For one person, living is cheaper in Girona: $1,844 a month against $2,265 in Madrid, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Madrid
🇪🇸 Spain
$2,265
/mo nomad
Girona
🇪🇸 Spain
$1,844
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Madrid and in Girona

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

A single person spends $2,265 per month in Madrid vs $1,844 in Girona, rent included.

  • Madrid $2,265
  • Girona $1,844

A couple spends around $3,296 per month in Madrid vs $2,700 in Girona, rent included.

  • Madrid $3,296
  • Girona $2,700

A family of three spends $4,328 per month in Madrid vs $3,555 in Girona, rent included.

  • Madrid $4,328
  • Girona $3,555

Madrid costs about 23% more than Girona, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Madrid and Girona sit above the global median – Madrid by 68%, Girona by 37%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Madrid
Girona
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$18.20 €16.19
$17.88 €15.90
1.79%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$68.1 €60.5
$61.2 €54.5
11.14%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.24 €9.99
$8.86 €7.88
26.86%
Cappuccino
$3.15 €2.80
$2.48 €2.21
27.02%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.36 €2.99
$2.10 €1.87
60.00%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.36 €2.10
$1.99 €1.77
18.59%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.83 €3.40
$4.18 €3.72
-8.37%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.92 €4.38
$4.34 €3.86
13.36%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Madrid
Girona
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.32 €1.17
$1.25 €1.12
5.60%
White Bread (500g)
$1.61 €1.43
$1.17 €1.04
37.61%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.65 €1.47
$1.40 €1.24
17.86%
Eggs
$4.07 €3.62
$2.99 €2.66
36.12%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.82 €14.07
$10.97 €9.76
44.21%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.49 €8.44
$8.02 €7.13
18.33%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.52 €15.58
$14.78 €13.15
18.54%
Apples (1kg)
$2.56 €2.27
$2.41 €2.14
6.22%
Banana (1kg)
$2.09 €1.86
$2.07 €1.84
0.97%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.47 €2.19
$2.14 €1.91
15.42%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.49 €2.22
$2.54 €2.26
-1.97%
Potato (1kg)
$2.26 €2.01
$1.60 €1.43
41.25%
Onion (1kg)
$2.15 €1.91
$2.00 €1.78
7.50%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.57 €1.40
$1.31 €1.16
19.85%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.07 €0.95
$0.63 €0.56
69.84%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.55 €5.82
$6.85 €6.09
-4.38%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.65 €6.81
$6.61 €5.88
15.73%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.17 €1.04
$1.69 €1.51
-30.77%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.22 €1.97
$1.80 €1.60
23.33%
🚌 Getting Around
Madrid
Girona
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.63 €1.45
$1.85 €1.64
-11.89%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$36.42 €32.39
$35.60 €31.66
2.30%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.73 €3.32
$2.69 €2.39
38.66%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.54 €1.37
$1.85 €1.65
-16.76%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$29.17 €25.94
$22.08 €19.63
32.11%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.78 €1.58
$1.79 €1.59
-0.56%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.5K €31.6K
$34.5K €30.7K
2.83%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$33.2K €29.6K
$30.2K €26.8K
10.15%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Madrid
Girona
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$189 €168
$127 €113
48.39%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$17.48 €15.55
$23.73 €21.10
-26.34%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$34.32 €30.53
$34.06 €30.29
0.76%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Madrid
Girona
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$48.62 €43.25
$52.1 €46.37
-6.75%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.44 €16.40
$22.24 €19.78
-17.09%
Cinema Ticket
$11.04 €9.82
$9.19 €8.18
20.13%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Madrid
Girona
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$693 €617
$670 €596
3.51%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.8K €15.8K
$9,374 €8,337
89.41%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Madrid
Girona
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$84.6 €75.3
$75.7 €67.3
11.80%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.50 €37.80
$43.35 €38.55
-1.96%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$110 €98.1
$79.6 €70.8
38.47%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$112 €99.9
$120 €107
-6.37%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Madrid
Girona
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,506 €1,339
$1,232 €1,095
22.26%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,170 €1,040
$893 €794
31.02%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,756 €2,451
$2,065 €1,837
33.44%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,845 €1,641
$1,348 €1,199
36.85%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$9,168 €8,154
$5,150 €4,580
78.04%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,234 €3,766
$3,686 €3,278
14.87%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Madrid
Girona
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,483 €2,208
$1,786 €1,589
39.00%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.14
3.02
3.97%

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

Last update for Madrid: October 11, 2026

Last update for Girona: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Madrid
$1.2K
Girona
$893 23.7% $277
Groceries & Markets
Madrid
$303
Girona
$252 16.9% $51
Eating Out
Madrid
$269
Girona
$245 8.8% $24
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Madrid
$241
Girona
$185 23.1% $56
Clothing & Footwear
Madrid
$157
Girona
$143 8.9% $14
Sport & Entertainment
Madrid
$71
Girona
$71 0.3% $0.2
Getting Around
Madrid
$54
Girona
$55 1% $0.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,506 in Madrid versus $1,232 in Girona. 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 39% 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 $61.0 in Girona. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $303 vs $252 – making Girona the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇪🇸 Madrid
🇪🇸 Girona
🕒 Local time
18:40 6:40 PM
18:40 6:40 PM
Same time as Madrid
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
3,332,035 Capital
104,320
💱 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 Girona 570 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Madrid
  • Girona

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 Girona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Madrid or Girona?
Madrid costs about 23% more than Girona, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Madrid and in Girona?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,398 per month in Madrid and $2,766 in Girona. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Madrid or Girona?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Girona, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Madrid or in Girona?
Groceries cost about 20% more in Madrid, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
How do dining costs compare in Madrid and in Girona?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $68.0 in Madrid and $61.0 in Girona. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Madrid or in Girona?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Girona, where all-in costs run around $1,844, than in Madrid at $2,265. In Girona it covers expenses comfortably, while in Madrid it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Madrid or Girona?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Girona costs $1,844 versus $2,265 in Madrid. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Madrid compared to Girona?
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.
Should I move to Madrid or to Girona?
If budget matters most, go with Girona. 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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