Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Madrid and Lugo

For one person, living is cheaper in Lugo: $1,532 a month against $2,304 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 Lugo
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Lugo Living Index

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Madrid

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,304

/mo nomad

Lugo

🇪🇸 Spain

$1,532

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Madrid and in Lugo

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,304 in Madrid versus $1,532 in Lugo.

Madrid $2,304
Lugo $1,532

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,389 in Madrid versus $2,263 in Lugo.

Madrid $3,389
Lugo $2,263

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,475 in Madrid versus $2,994 in Lugo.

Madrid $4,475
Lugo $2,994

Living in Madrid is roughly 50% more expensive than in Lugo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Madrid 69% above, Lugo 13% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.73 €15.89

$13.18 €11.81

34.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.9 €59.9

$55.4 €49.66

20.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.30 €10.13

$9.90 €8.87

14.14%

Cappuccino

$3.04 €2.73

$2.09 €1.87

45.45%

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

$3.36 €3.01

$2.78 €2.49

20.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 €2.11

$1.51 €1.35

55.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.89 €3.49

$3.26 €2.92

19.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.80 €4.30

$2.18 €1.96

120.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.18

$1.16 €1.04

13.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.64 €1.47

$1.17 €1.04

40.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 €1.54

$1.31 €1.18

31.30%

Eggs

$4.20 €3.77

$2.64 €2.37

59.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.91 €14.25

$13.63 €12.21

16.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 €8.39

$6.32 €5.67

48.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.21 €15.42

$16.72 €14.98

2.93%

Apples (1kg)

$2.56 €2.30

$2.84 €2.55

-9.86%

Banana (1kg)

$2.09 €1.88

$2.08 €1.86

0.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 €2.28

$2.27 €2.03

12.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.58 €2.31

$3.53 €3.16

-26.91%

Potato (1kg)

$2.31 €2.07

$1.11 €0.99

108.11%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 €1.94

$2.21 €1.98

-1.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.50 €1.35

$1.43 €1.28

4.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 €0.96

$0.84 €0.75

27.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.57 €5.88

$5.86 €5.25

12.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.87 €7.05

$4.60 €4.12

71.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 €1.09

$1.51 €1.36

-19.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 €1.94

$2.81 €2.52

-22.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.67 €1.50

$0.74 €0.66

125.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.53 €33.63

$34.10 €30.55

10.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.76 €3.37

$5.33 €4.77

-29.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.49 €1.33

$1.36 €1.22

9.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.17 €27.03

$18.67 €16.73

61.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.85 €1.65

$1.73 €1.55

6.94%

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

$33.9K €30.4K

$29.4K €26.3K

15.36%

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

$33.3K €29.9K

$30.2K €27.1K

10.16%

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

$192 €172

$146 €130

31.60%

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

$17.66 €15.82

$19.54 €17.51

-9.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.07 €31.43

$32.70 €29.30

7.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.27 €42.36

$44.61 €39.97

5.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.23 €16.33

$15.78 €14.14

15.53%

Cinema Ticket

$11.29 €10.12

$8.98 €8.05

25.72%

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

$687 €616

$343 €307

100.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.0K €16.1K

$8,492 €7,610

111.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.5 €77.6

$106 €95.2

-18.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.65 €37.32

$73.6 €65.9

-43.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 €96.9

$123 €111

-12.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 €100

$142 €127

-21.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,508 €1,351

$858 €769

75.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,210 €1,084

$563 €504

115.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,829 €2,535

$1,351 €1,210

109.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,004 €1,796

$794 €712

152.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,002 €8,066

$3,293 €2,951

173.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,710 €4,220

$2,264 €2,029

108.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,453 €2,199

$1,738 €1,558

41.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.14

2.96

6.08%

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

Last update for Madrid: October 24, 2026

Last update for Lugo: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Madrid

$1.2K 52.5%

Lugo

$563 36.7% 53.5% $647

Groceries & Markets

Madrid

$304 13.2%

Lugo

$261 17% 14.2% $43

Eating Out

Madrid

$264 11.5%

Lugo

$198 12.9% 25% $66

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Madrid

$244 10.6%

Lugo

$198 12.9% 19% $47

Clothing & Footwear

Madrid

$157 6.8%

Lugo

$200 13.1% 28% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Madrid

$70 3%

Lugo

$63 4.1% 10.4% $7.3

Getting Around

Madrid

$55 2.4%

Lugo

$49 3.2% 11.3% $6.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,508 in Madrid and $858 in Lugo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Madrid pays 41% 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: $67 in Madrid vs $55 in Lugo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $304 vs $261 per month, with Lugo cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Madrid

🇪🇸 Lugo

🕒 Local time

01:46 1:46 AM

Same time as Madrid

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,332,035 Capital

98,214

💱 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 Lugo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lugo is about 34% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 41% 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: $1,508 in Madrid versus $858 in Lugo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $687 in Madrid versus $343 in Lugo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 17% higher in Madrid. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,500. Lugo is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 Lugo are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Lugo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 34% less than in Madrid. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.