Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Madrid and Jaen

Name: Jaen
Address: Jaen, ES

For one person, living is cheaper in Jaen: $1,445 a month against $2,265 in Madrid, rent and utilities included – about $9,800 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
69

Cost of Living Index in Jaen
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Jaen Living Index

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Madrid

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,265

/mo nomad

Jaen

🇪🇸 Spain

$1,445

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Madrid and in Jaen

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

A single person spends $2,265 per month in Madrid vs $1,445 in Jaen, rent included.

Madrid $2,265
Jaen $1,445

A couple spends around $3,311 per month in Madrid vs $2,113 in Jaen, rent included.

Madrid $3,311
Jaen $2,113

A family of three spends $4,356 per month in Madrid vs $2,780 in Jaen, rent included.

Madrid $4,356
Jaen $2,780

Madrid costs about 57% more than Jaen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Madrid and Jaen sit above the global median – Madrid by 67%, Jaen by 7%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.06 €16.06

$17.05 €15.16

5.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.5 €59.2

$38.93 €34.63

70.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.40 €10.14

$8.37 €7.44

36.20%

Cappuccino

$3.03 €2.69

$1.65 €1.47

83.64%

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

$3.25 €2.89

$3.26 €2.90

-0.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 €2.07

$1.14 €1.01

103.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.85 €3.42

$3.41 €3.03

12.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.82 €4.29

$3.28 €2.92

46.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.18

$1.71 €1.52

-22.81%

White Bread (500g)

$1.61 €1.43

$1.79 €1.59

-10.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 €1.56

$1.37 €1.21

27.74%

Eggs

$4.06 €3.61

$4.14 €3.69

-1.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.34 €14.54

$8.81 €7.83

85.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.61 €8.55

$7.07 €6.28

35.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.43 €15.50

$10.52 €9.36

65.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 €2.34

$2.85 €2.53

-7.72%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 €1.93

$2.54 €2.26

-14.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.50 €2.22

$4.13 €3.67

-39.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.60 €2.32

$3.00 €2.67

-13.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.25 €2.01

$2.46 €2.19

-8.54%

Onion (1kg)

$2.08 €1.85

$3.23 €2.87

-35.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 €1.39

$1.72 €1.53

-9.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 €0.96

$1.14 €1.01

-5.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.70 €5.96

$6.58 €5.85

1.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.82 €6.95

$11.40 €10.14

-31.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 €1.08

$1.46 €1.30

-16.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 €2.00

$3.00 €2.67

-25.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.63 €1.45

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.72 €33.56

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.81 €3.39

$4.50 €4.00

-15.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.49 €1.33

$2.19 €1.95

-31.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.99 €26.68

$13.54 €12.05

121.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.79 €1.59

$1.80 €1.60

-0.56%

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

$33.7K €29.9K

$35.7K €31.7K

-5.72%

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

$33.3K €29.6K

$31.3K €27.9K

6.18%

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

$190 €169

$165 €146

15.55%

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

$17.57 €15.63

$6.60 €5.87

166.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.34 €31.43

$16.76 €14.91

110.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.52 €44.04

$33.39 €29.70

48.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.20 €16.19

Cinema Ticket

$11.09 €9.87

$8.32 €7.40

33.29%

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

$684 €609

$298 €265

129.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.2K €16.2K

$13.4K €11.9K

36.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.8 €78.1

$94.0 €83.6

-6.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €37.41

$22.55 €20.06

86.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €98.3

$144 €128

-23.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 €100

$166 €148

-32.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 €1,342

$554 €493

172.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,162 €1,034

$495 €441

134.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,804 €2,494

$734 €653

282.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,867 €1,661

$720 €640

159.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,017 €8,021

$1,775 €1,579

407.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,294 €3,819

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,495 €2,219

$1,372 €1,221

81.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.14

4.08

-23.04%

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

Last update for Madrid: October 18, 2026

Last update for Jaen: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Madrid

$1.2K 51.3%

Jaen

$495 34.3% 57.4% $667

Groceries & Markets

Madrid

$308 13.6%

Jaen

$282 19.5% 8.4% $26

Eating Out

Madrid

$266 11.8%

Jaen

$222 15.4% 16.4% $44

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Madrid

$243 10.7%

Jaen

$188 13% 22.7% $55

Clothing & Footwear

Madrid

$159 7%

Jaen

$192 13.3% 20.8% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Madrid

$72 3.2%

Jaen

$50 3.5% 30.2% $22

Getting Around

Madrid

$56 2.5%

Jaen

$15 * 1.1% 72.2% $40

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,509 in Madrid versus $554 in Jaen. 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 82% 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 $66.0 in Madrid versus $39.00 in Jaen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $308 vs $282 – making Jaen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Madrid

🇪🇸 Jaen

🕒 Local time

12:50 12:50 PM

Same time as Madrid

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,332,035 Capital

111,888

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

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From you

Madrid
Jaen

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 Jaen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Madrid costs about 57% more than Jaen, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,398 per month in Madrid and $2,167 in Jaen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,265 in Madrid and $1,445 in Jaen. That's a gap of about 57%.

Kindergarten costs $684 per month in Madrid and $298 in Jaen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Jaen, where all-in costs run around $1,445, than in Madrid at $2,265. In Jaen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Madrid it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Jaen costs $1,445 versus $2,265 in Madrid. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Jaen. 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.