Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Madrid and La Moraleja

For one person, living is cheaper in La Moraleja: $1,701 a month against $2,265 in Madrid, rent and utilities included – about $6,800 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
82

Cost of Living Index in La Moraleja
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La Moraleja Living Index

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Madrid

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,265

/mo nomad

La Moraleja

🇪🇸 Spain

$1,701

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Madrid and in La Moraleja

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,265 in Madrid versus $1,701 in La Moraleja.

Madrid $2,265
La Moraleja $1,701

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,296 in Madrid versus $2,508 in La Moraleja.

Madrid $3,296
La Moraleja $2,508

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,328 in Madrid versus $3,314 in La Moraleja.

Madrid $4,328
La Moraleja $3,314

Living in Madrid is roughly 33% more expensive than in La Moraleja, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Madrid 68% above, La Moraleja 26% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.20 €16.19

$17.12 €15.22

6.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €60.5

$67.9 €60.4

0.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.24 €9.99

$11.13 €9.90

0.99%

Cappuccino

$3.15 €2.80

$2.04 €1.82

54.41%

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

$3.36 €2.99

$3.34 €2.97

0.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 €2.10

$1.96 €1.74

20.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.83 €3.40

$3.45 €3.07

11.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.92 €4.38

$4.67 €4.15

5.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.17

$1.15 €1.02

14.78%

White Bread (500g)

$1.61 €1.43

$1.02 €0.91

57.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.65 €1.47

$1.68 €1.49

-1.79%

Eggs

$4.07 €3.62

$3.02 €2.69

34.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.82 €14.07

$16.89 €15.02

-6.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.44

$9.09 €8.09

4.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.52 €15.59

$17.92 €15.94

-2.23%

Apples (1kg)

$2.56 €2.27

$2.52 €2.24

1.59%

Banana (1kg)

$2.09 €1.86

$2.17 €1.93

-3.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.47 €2.19

$2.26 €2.01

9.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.49 €2.22

$2.54 €2.26

-1.97%

Potato (1kg)

$2.26 €2.01

$2.10 €1.87

7.62%

Onion (1kg)

$2.15 €1.91

$2.09 €1.86

2.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.57 €1.40

$1.59 €1.42

-1.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 €0.95

$0.57 €0.50

87.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.55 €5.82

$6.19 €5.51

5.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.65 €6.81

$8.03 €7.14

-4.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 €1.04

$1.08 €0.96

8.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 €1.97

$2.25 €2.00

-1.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.63 €1.45

$1.59 €1.41

2.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.42 €32.39

$32.63 €29.02

11.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.73 €3.32

$3.79 €3.37

-1.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 €1.37

$1.48 €1.32

4.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.17 €25.95

$22.86 €20.33

27.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.78 €1.58

$1.73 €1.54

2.89%

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

$35.5K €31.6K

$35.7K €31.8K

-0.72%

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

$33.2K €29.6K

$29.1K €25.9K

14.00%

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

$189 €168

$192 €171

-1.62%

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

$17.48 €15.55

$18.02 €16.03

-3.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.32 €30.53

$31.22 €27.77

9.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.62 €43.25

$45.76 €40.70

6.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.44 €16.40

$15.50 €13.79

18.97%

Cinema Ticket

$11.04 €9.82

$9.98 €8.87

10.62%

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

$693 €617

$183 €163

279.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K €15.8K

$5,997 €5,334

196.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.6 €75.3

$73.8 €65.7

14.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.50 €37.80

$35.65 €31.71

19.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 €98.1

$78.9 €70.2

39.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 €99.9

$95.3 €84.8

17.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,506 €1,339

$903 €803

66.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 €1,041

$686 €610

70.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,756 €2,451

$1,323 €1,177

108.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,845 €1,641

$1,008 €896

83.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,168 €8,155

$3,304 €2,939

177.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,234 €3,766

$2,198 €1,955

92.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,483 €2,209

$3,628 €3,227

-31.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.14

3.08

1.95%

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

Last update for Madrid: October 11, 2026

Last update for La Moraleja: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Madrid

$1.2K 51.7%

La Moraleja

$686 40.4% 41.3% $484

Groceries & Markets

Madrid

$303 13.4%

La Moraleja

$287 16.9% 5.2% $16

Eating Out

Madrid

$269 11.9%

La Moraleja

$243 14.3% 9.8% $26

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Madrid

$241 10.6%

La Moraleja

$241 14.2% 0.2% $0.6

Clothing & Footwear

Madrid

$157 7%

La Moraleja

$128 7.5% 18.9% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Madrid

$71 3.1%

La Moraleja

$66 3.9% 7.1% $5

Getting Around

Madrid

$54 2.4%

La Moraleja

$50 3% 7.8% $4.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,506 in Madrid and $903 in La Moraleja. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

La Moraleja pays 46% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $68.0 in Madrid vs $68.0 in La Moraleja. Groceries flip the comparison at $303 vs $287, with La Moraleja cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Madrid

🇪🇸 La Moraleja

🕒 Local time

10:26 10:26 AM

Same time as Madrid

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,332,035 Capital

69,176

💱 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)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Madrid vs La Moraleja: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Madrid and La Moraleja differ by about 33% in total monthly costs ($2,265 vs $1,701 including rent). La Moraleja is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 46% lower in La Moraleja. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,506 in Madrid versus $903 in La Moraleja. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in La Moraleja – a meal for two runs $68.0 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 $1,701 in La Moraleja – a 33% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,701 in La Moraleja versus $2,265 in Madrid, a $3,000 budget is realistic in La Moraleja but tight or insufficient in Madrid. The gap between the two cities makes La Moraleja the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Madrid and La Moraleja 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 La Moraleja gentler on the wallet – expenses run 33% less than in Madrid. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.