Cost of Living Comparison Between Madrid and Javea Cost of Living Comparison Between Madrid and Javea

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,270 in Madrid versus $1,577 in Javea.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,352 in Madrid versus $2,265 in Javea.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,434 in Madrid versus $2,953 in Javea.

Living in Madrid is roughly 44% more expensive than Javea, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Madrid 69% above, Javea 17% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.07 €14.71

$16.75 €14.43

1.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €59.9

$50.0 €43.10

38.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.92 €10.27

$11.76 €10.13

1.36%

Cappuccino

$3.09 €2.66

$2.25 €1.94

37.33%

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

$3.10 €2.67

$2.02 €1.74

53.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 €1.82

$2.23 €1.93

-5.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.14 €3.57

$4.16 €3.59

-0.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.60 €3.96

$3.83 €3.30

20.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 €1.02

$1.12 €0.97

6.25%

White Bread (500g)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.28 €1.11

32.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.50 €1.29

13.33%

Eggs

$3.48 €3.00

$2.90 €2.49

20.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.73 €12.69

$10.44 €9.00

41.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.07 €7.82

$6.86 €5.91

32.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.75 €14.44

$11.62 €10.01

44.15%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 €2.25

$1.89 €1.63

38.10%

Banana (1kg)

$2.22 €1.91

$1.52 €1.31

46.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.51 €2.16

$1.18 €1.02

112.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.37

$2.70 €2.33

1.85%

Potato (1kg)

$2.14 €1.84

$1.82 €1.57

17.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.13 €1.84

$2.04 €1.76

4.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 €1.19

$0.62 €0.53

124.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 €0.84

$1.12 €0.97

-13.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.79 €5.85

$5.94 €5.12

14.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.02 €6.91

$5.83 €5.02

37.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.24

$0.82 €0.70

75.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 €1.94

$1.49 €1.28

51.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.76 €1.52

$1.73 €1.49

1.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.48 €42.63

$34.65 €29.85

42.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.11 €3.55

$4.36 €3.76

-5.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 €1.20

$1.08 €0.93

28.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.01 €25.00

$25.37 €21.86

14.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.87 €1.61

$1.73 €1.49

8.09%

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

$37.6K €32.4K

$38.1K €32.8K

-1.21%

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

$34.1K €29.3K

$30.0K €25.8K

13.66%

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

$195 €168

$132 €114

47.07%

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

$21.25 €18.31

$11.73 €10.11

81.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.75 €30.80

$27.31 €23.53

30.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 €45.47

$47.78 €41.17

10.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.91 €15.44

$15.20 €13.10

17.83%

Cinema Ticket

$11.72 €10.09

$6.82 €5.88

71.85%

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

$680 €586

$405 €349

67.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K €10.6K

$14.7K €12.7K

-16.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.8 €82.6

$69.6 €60.0

37.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.50 €36.62

$17.70 €15.25

140.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 €91.4

$99.5 €85.7

6.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$137 €118

$95.3 €82.1

43.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,609 €1,386

$840 €724

91.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,138 €980

$682 €588

66.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,792 €2,405

$1,306 €1,125

113.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,915 €1,650

$984 €848

94.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,893 €7,662

$4,790 €4,127

85.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,347 €3,745

$2,881 €2,482

50.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,584 €2,226

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.43

3.5

-2.00%

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

Last update for Madrid: June 6, 2026

Last update for Javea: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,609 in Madrid and $840 in Javea. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $69.0 in Madrid vs $50.0 in Javea for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $295 vs $223 per month, with Javea cheaper across the board.

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 Javea: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Javea wins on cost – living expenses run 44% lower than in Madrid. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Javea the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $3,406 in Madrid and $2,366 in Javea to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,609 in Madrid versus $840 in Javea. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $680 in Madrid versus $405 in Javea. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 32% higher in Madrid. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,577 in Javea versus $2,270 in Madrid, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Javea but tight or insufficient in Madrid. The gap between the two cities makes Javea the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Javea delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,577 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Javea hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Madrid and Javea are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Javea gentler on the wallet – expenses run 44% less than in Madrid. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.