Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Madrid and Leon

For one person, living is cheaper in Leon: $1,489 a month against $2,265 in Madrid, rent and utilities included – about $9,300 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
73

Cost of Living Index in Leon
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Leon Living Index

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Madrid

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,265

/mo nomad

Leon

🇪🇸 Spain

$1,489

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Madrid and in Leon

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,265 in Madrid versus $1,489 in Leon.

Madrid $2,265
Leon $1,489

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,296 in Madrid versus $2,086 in Leon.

Madrid $3,296
Leon $2,086

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,328 in Madrid versus $2,683 in Leon.

Madrid $4,328
Leon $2,683

Living in Madrid is roughly 52% more expensive than in Leon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Madrid 68% above, Leon 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.20 €16.19

$16.50 €14.68

10.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €60.5

$42.47 €37.77

60.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.24 €9.99

$9.12 €8.11

23.25%

Cappuccino

$3.15 €2.80

$2.96 €2.63

6.42%

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

$3.36 €2.99

$2.49 €2.22

34.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 €2.10

$1.38 €1.23

71.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.83 €3.40

$2.71 €2.41

41.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.92 €4.38

$3.33 €2.96

47.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.17

$1.07 €0.95

23.36%

White Bread (500g)

$1.61 €1.43

$1.34 €1.19

20.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.65 €1.47

$1.30 €1.15

26.92%

Eggs

$4.07 €3.62

$3.39 €3.02

20.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.82 €14.07

$9.96 €8.86

58.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.44

$6.19 €5.50

53.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.52 €15.59

$15.42 €13.72

13.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.56 €2.27

$2.40 €2.14

6.67%

Banana (1kg)

$2.09 €1.86

$2.25 €2.00

-7.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.47 €2.19

$2.34 €2.08

5.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.49 €2.22

$2.37 €2.10

5.06%

Potato (1kg)

$2.26 €2.01

$1.75 €1.56

29.14%

Onion (1kg)

$2.15 €1.91

$1.94 €1.72

10.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.57 €1.40

$1.07 €0.95

46.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 €0.95

$0.81 €0.72

32.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.55 €5.82

$5.58 €4.97

17.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.65 €6.81

$4.92 €4.38

55.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 €1.04

$1.56 €1.39

-25.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 €1.97

$1.89 €1.68

17.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.63 €1.45

$1.33 €1.18

22.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.42 €32.39

$33.44 €29.74

8.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.73 €3.32

$2.25 €2.00

65.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 €1.37

$1.26 €1.12

22.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.17 €25.95

$35.54 €31.61

-17.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.78 €1.58

$1.69 €1.50

5.33%

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

$35.5K €31.6K

$37.3K €33.2K

-4.95%

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

$33.2K €29.6K

$31.2K €27.7K

6.59%

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

$189 €168

$173 €154

9.25%

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

$17.48 €15.55

$16.70 €14.86

4.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.32 €30.53

$30.05 €26.73

14.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.62 €43.25

$33.80 €30.06

43.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.44 €16.40

$6.28 €5.59

193.63%

Cinema Ticket

$11.04 €9.82

$8.73 €7.77

26.46%

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

$693 €617

$206 €183

237.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K €15.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.6 €75.3

$96.1 €85.5

-11.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.50 €37.80

$15.88 €14.13

167.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 €98.1

$82.5 €73.4

33.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 €99.9

$56.3 €50.1

99.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,506 €1,339

$858 €763

75.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 €1,041

$587 €522

99.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,756 €2,451

$938 €835

193.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,845 €1,641

$730 €650

152.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,168 €8,155

$1,982 €1,763

362.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,234 €3,766

$1,550 €1,379

173.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,483 €2,209

$1,708 €1,519

45.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.14

3.6

-12.78%

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

Last update for Madrid: October 11, 2026

Last update for Leon: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Madrid

$1.2K 51.7%

Leon

$587 39.4% 49.8% $583

Groceries & Markets

Madrid

$303 13.4%

Leon

$241 16.2% 20.4% $62

Eating Out

Madrid

$269 11.9%

Leon

$231 15.5% 14.3% $38

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Madrid

$241 10.6%

Leon

$220 14.8% 8.7% $21

Clothing & Footwear

Madrid

$157 7%

Leon

$113 7.6% 28.3% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Madrid

$71 3.1%

Leon

$51 3.4% 27.5% $19

Getting Around

Madrid

$54 2.4%

Leon

$47 3.2% 13.1% $7.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,506 in Madrid and $858 in Leon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Madrid pays 45% 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 $42.00 in Leon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $303 vs $241 per month, with Leon cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Madrid

🇪🇸 Leon

🕒 Local time

18:12 6:12 PM

Same time as Madrid

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,332,035 Capital

121,281

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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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 Leon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Madrid and Leon differ by about 52% in total monthly costs ($2,265 vs $1,489 including rent). Leon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 45% 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 $858 in Leon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Leon – a meal for two runs $42.00 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 $1,489 in Leon – a 52% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,489 in Leon versus $2,265 in Madrid, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Leon but tight or insufficient in Madrid. The gap between the two cities makes Leon 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 Leon 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 Leon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 52% less than in Madrid. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.