Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Madrid and Gran Canaria, Canary Islands

Name: Gran Canaria, Canary Islands
Address: Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, ES

For one person, living is cheaper in Gran Canaria, Canary Islands: $1,610 a month against $2,265 in Madrid, rent and utilities included – about $7,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

109

Cost of Living Index in Madrid
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Madrid Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Gran Canaria, Canary Islands
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Gran Canaria, Canary Islands Living Index

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Madrid

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,265

/mo nomad

Gran Canaria, Canary Islands

🇪🇸 Spain

$1,610

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Madrid and in Gran Canaria, Canary Islands

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 Gran Canaria, Canary Islands actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,265 per month in Madrid vs $1,610 in Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, rent included.

Madrid $2,265
Gran Canaria, Canary Islands $1,610

A couple spends around $3,311 per month in Madrid vs $2,368 in Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, rent included.

Madrid $3,311
Gran Canaria, Canary Islands $2,368

A family of three spends $4,356 per month in Madrid vs $3,126 in Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, rent included.

Madrid $4,356
Gran Canaria, Canary Islands $3,126

Madrid costs about 41% more than Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Madrid and Gran Canaria, Canary Islands sit above the global median – Madrid by 67%, Gran Canaria, Canary Islands by 19%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.06 €16.06

$14.81 €13.18

21.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.5 €59.2

$57.1 €50.8

16.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.40 €10.14

$10.31 €9.17

10.57%

Cappuccino

$3.03 €2.69

$2.17 €1.93

39.63%

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

$3.25 €2.89

$2.39 €2.12

35.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 €2.07

$1.70 €1.51

36.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.85 €3.42

$3.40 €3.03

13.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.82 €4.29

$3.41 €3.04

41.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.18

$1.19 €1.06

10.92%

White Bread (500g)

$1.61 €1.43

$1.36 €1.21

18.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 €1.56

$1.67 €1.48

4.79%

Eggs

$4.06 €3.61

$2.89 €2.57

40.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.34 €14.54

$13.52 €12.03

20.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.61 €8.55

$8.22 €7.31

16.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.43 €15.50

$15.10 €13.43

15.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 €2.34

$2.51 €2.23

4.78%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 €1.93

$1.96 €1.74

11.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.50 €2.22

$1.97 €1.75

26.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.60 €2.32

$2.59 €2.30

0.39%

Potato (1kg)

$2.25 €2.01

$1.73 €1.54

30.06%

Onion (1kg)

$2.08 €1.85

$2.02 €1.80

2.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 €1.39

$1.33 €1.18

17.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 €0.96

$0.70 €0.62

54.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.70 €5.96

$6.46 €5.75

3.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.82 €6.95

$5.73 €5.10

36.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 €1.08

$1.20 €1.07

1.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 €2.00

$2.05 €1.83

9.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.63 €1.45

$1.69 €1.50

-3.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.72 €33.56

$33.64 €29.92

12.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.81 €3.39

$4.09 €3.64

-6.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.49 €1.33

$1.26 €1.12

18.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.99 €26.68

$25.03 €22.26

19.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.79 €1.59

$1.76 €1.57

1.70%

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

$33.7K €29.9K

$38.3K €34.1K

-12.12%

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

$33.3K €29.6K

$30.3K €27.0K

9.65%

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

$190 €169

$135 €120

41.42%

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

$17.57 €15.63

$20.74 €18.45

-15.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.34 €31.43

$30.89 €27.48

14.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.52 €44.04

$47.30 €42.08

4.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.20 €16.19

$15.03 €13.37

21.09%

Cinema Ticket

$11.09 €9.87

$9.02 €8.03

22.95%

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

$684 €609

$413 €367

65.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.2K €16.2K

$8,267 €7,353

120.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.8 €78.1

$84.1 €74.8

4.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €37.41

$34.68 €30.84

21.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €98.3

$87.4 €77.8

26.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 €100

$107 €95.5

5.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 €1,342

$853 €758

76.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,162 €1,034

$690 €614

68.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,804 €2,494

$1,305 €1,161

114.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,867 €1,661

$1,016 €903

83.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,017 €8,021

$3,320 €2,953

171.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,294 €3,819

$2,366 €2,105

81.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,495 €2,219

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.14

3.5

-10.29%

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

Last update for Madrid: October 18, 2026

Last update for Gran Canaria, Canary Islands: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Madrid

$1.2K 51.3%

Gran Canaria, Canary Islands

$690 42.9% 40.6% $472

Groceries & Markets

Madrid

$308 13.6%

Gran Canaria, Canary Islands

$260 16.2% 15.4% $47

Eating Out

Madrid

$266 11.8%

Gran Canaria, Canary Islands

$216 13.4% 19% $51

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Madrid

$243 10.7%

Gran Canaria, Canary Islands

$186 11.6% 23.4% $57

Clothing & Footwear

Madrid

$159 7%

Gran Canaria, Canary Islands

$141 8.8% 11.2% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Madrid

$72 3.2%

Gran Canaria, Canary Islands

$65 4.1% 8.9% $6.4

Getting Around

Madrid

$56 2.5%

Gran Canaria, Canary Islands

$51 3.2% 8.5% $4.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,509 in Madrid versus $853 in Gran Canaria, Canary Islands. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $66.0 in Madrid versus $57.0 in Gran Canaria, Canary Islands. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $308 vs $260 – making Gran Canaria, Canary Islands the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Madrid

🇪🇸 Gran Canaria, Canary Islands

🕒 Local time

04:55 4:55 AM

03:55 3:55 AM

1 h behind Madrid

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,332,035 Capital

862,893

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Madrid Gran Canaria, Canary Islands 1,760 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Madrid
Gran Canaria, Canary Islands

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 Gran Canaria, Canary Islands: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Madrid is pricier by about 41%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,398 per month in Madrid and $2,414 in Gran Canaria, Canary Islands. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $684 per month in Madrid and $413 in Gran Canaria, Canary Islands. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 18% more in Madrid, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, where all-in costs run around $1,610, than in Madrid at $2,265. In Gran Canaria, Canary Islands it covers expenses comfortably, while in Madrid it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Gran Canaria, Canary Islands – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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.

If budget matters most, go with Gran Canaria, Canary Islands. 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.