Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Madrid and L'Hospitalet de Llobregat

For one person, living is cheaper in L'Hospitalet de Llobregat: $1,924 a month against $2,265 in Madrid, rent and utilities included – about $4,100 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
94

Cost of Living Index in L'Hospitalet de Llobregat
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L'Hospitalet de Llobregat Living Index

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Madrid

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,265

/mo nomad

L'Hospitalet de Llobregat

🇪🇸 Spain

$1,924

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Madrid and in L'Hospitalet de Llobregat

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 L'Hospitalet de Llobregat actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,265 in Madrid versus $1,924 in L'Hospitalet de Llobregat.

Madrid $2,265
L'Hospitalet de Llobregat $1,924

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,296 in Madrid versus $2,706 in L'Hospitalet de Llobregat.

Madrid $3,296
L'Hospitalet de Llobregat $2,706

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,328 in Madrid versus $3,488 in L'Hospitalet de Llobregat.

Madrid $4,328
L'Hospitalet de Llobregat $3,488

Living in Madrid is roughly 18% more expensive than in L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Madrid 68% above, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat 43% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.20 €16.19

$18.05 €16.05

0.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €60.5

$66.5 €59.1

2.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.24 €9.99

$12.36 €11.00

-9.06%

Cappuccino

$3.15 €2.80

$2.64 €2.35

19.32%

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

$3.36 €2.99

$2.48 €2.20

35.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 €2.10

$1.93 €1.72

22.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.83 €3.40

$3.28 €2.91

16.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.92 €4.38

$4.34 €3.86

13.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.17

$1.26 €1.13

4.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.61 €1.43

$1.29 €1.15

24.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.65 €1.47

$1.70 €1.51

-2.94%

Eggs

$4.07 €3.62

$3.54 €3.15

14.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.82 €14.07

$11.21 €9.97

41.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.44

$9.03 €8.03

5.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.52 €15.58

$20.24 €18.01

-13.44%

Apples (1kg)

$2.56 €2.27

$2.55 €2.27

0.39%

Banana (1kg)

$2.09 €1.86

$1.96 €1.75

6.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.47 €2.19

$1.90 €1.69

30.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.49 €2.22

$2.57 €2.28

-3.11%

Potato (1kg)

$2.26 €2.01

$1.63 €1.45

38.65%

Onion (1kg)

$2.15 €1.91

$1.82 €1.62

18.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.57 €1.40

$1.10 €0.98

42.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 €0.95

$0.74 €0.66

44.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.55 €5.82

$6.62 €5.89

-1.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.65 €6.81

$5.52 €4.91

38.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 €1.04

$1.28 €1.14

-8.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 €1.97

$1.65 €1.47

34.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.63 €1.45

$2.65 €2.36

-38.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.42 €32.39

$25.24 €22.45

44.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.73 €3.32

$3.13 €2.78

19.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 €1.37

$1.38 €1.23

11.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.17 €25.94

$25.97 €23.10

12.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.78 €1.58

$1.76 €1.56

1.14%

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

$35.5K €31.6K

$35.0K €31.1K

1.31%

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

$33.2K €29.6K

$30.3K €26.9K

9.80%

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

$189 €168

$172 €153

10.10%

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

$17.48 €15.55

$13.52 €12.03

29.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.32 €30.53

$33.94 €30.19

1.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.62 €43.25

$33.48 €29.78

45.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.44 €16.40

$28.28 €25.15

-34.79%

Cinema Ticket

$11.04 €9.82

$11.07 €9.84

-0.27%

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

$693 €617

$589 €524

17.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K €15.8K

$9,771 €8,690

81.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.6 €75.3

$88.3 €78.5

-4.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.50 €37.80

$39.11 €34.78

8.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 €98.1

$96.6 €86.0

14.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 €99.9

$118 €105

-5.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,506 €1,339

$1,341 €1,193

12.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 €1,040

$920 €818

27.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,756 €2,451

$1,604 €1,426

71.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,845 €1,641

$1,168 €1,039

57.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,168 €8,154

$3,857 €3,431

137.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,234 €3,766

$2,423 €2,155

74.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,483 €2,208

$1,783 €1,586

39.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.14

3.28

-4.27%

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

Last update for Madrid: October 11, 2026

Last update for L'Hospitalet de Llobregat: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Madrid

$1.2K 51.7%

L'Hospitalet de Llobregat

$920 47.8% 21.3% $250

Groceries & Markets

Madrid

$303 13.4%

L'Hospitalet de Llobregat

$274 14.2% 9.7% $30

Eating Out

Madrid

$269 11.9%

L'Hospitalet de Llobregat

$256 13.3% 4.9% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Madrid

$241 10.6%

L'Hospitalet de Llobregat

$219 11.4% 9% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Madrid

$157 7%

L'Hospitalet de Llobregat

$154 8% 2.1% $3.4

Sport & Entertainment

Madrid

$71 3.1%

L'Hospitalet de Llobregat

$56 2.9% 21.3% $15

Getting Around

Madrid

$54 2.4%

L'Hospitalet de Llobregat

$46 2.4% 15.7% $8.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,506 in Madrid and $1,341 in L'Hospitalet de Llobregat. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Madrid pays 39% 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: $68.0 in Madrid vs $66.0 in L'Hospitalet de Llobregat for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $303 vs $274 per month, with L'Hospitalet de Llobregat cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Madrid

🇪🇸 L'Hospitalet de Llobregat

🕒 Local time

19:41 7:41 PM

Same time as Madrid

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,332,035 Capital

274,455

💱 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)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Madrid vs L'Hospitalet de Llobregat: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

L'Hospitalet de Llobregat is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 18% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 39% 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: $1,506 in Madrid versus $1,341 in L'Hospitalet de Llobregat. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in L'Hospitalet de Llobregat – a meal for two runs $66.0 versus $68.0 in Madrid. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,265 per month in Madrid versus $1,924 in L'Hospitalet de Llobregat – a 18% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,924 in L'Hospitalet de Llobregat versus $2,265 in Madrid, a $2,500 budget is realistic in L'Hospitalet de Llobregat but tight or insufficient in Madrid. The gap between the two cities makes L'Hospitalet de Llobregat the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Madrid, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Madrid and L'Hospitalet de Llobregat 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 L'Hospitalet de Llobregat gentler on the wallet – expenses run 18% less than in Madrid. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.