Cost of Living Comparison Between Madrid and Manresa Cost of Living Comparison Between Madrid and Manresa

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,253 in Madrid versus $1,369 in Manresa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,329 in Madrid versus $2,121 in Manresa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,404 in Madrid versus $2,873 in Manresa.

Living in Madrid is roughly 65% more expensive than Manresa, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Madrid 68% above, Manresa 2% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.05 €14.66

$9.29 €7.99

83.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.6 €59.0

$35.16 €30.24

94.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.73 €10.09

$8.20 €7.06

43.05%

Cappuccino

$3.06 €2.63

$1.92 €1.65

59.38%

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

$3.21 €2.76

$1.86 €1.60

72.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 €1.87

$1.27 €1.10

71.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.94 €3.39

$2.24 €1.93

75.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.67 €4.02

$2.30 €1.98

103.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 €1.03

$1.35 €1.16

-11.11%

White Bread (500g)

$1.68 €1.45

$1.28 €1.10

31.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 €1.45

$0.96 €0.82

76.04%

Eggs

$3.34 €2.88

$2.86 €2.46

16.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.91 €12.83

$10.65 €9.16

40.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.93 €7.68

$8.99 €7.73

-0.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.84 €14.49

$8.44 €7.26

99.53%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.34

$1.94 €1.67

40.72%

Banana (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$1.62 €1.40

30.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.54 €2.19

$1.76 €1.52

44.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.65 €2.28

$2.84 €2.44

-6.69%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 €1.85

$1.17 €1.01

83.76%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.81

$1.43 €1.23

46.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.35 €1.17

$1.03 €0.88

31.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 €0.84

$0.34 €0.29

185.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.82 €5.87

$5.66 €4.87

20.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.15 €7.01

$5.85 €5.04

39.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$0.66 €0.57

110.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 €1.88

$0.92 €0.79

138.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.77 €1.52

$2.29 €1.97

-22.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.07 €42.21

$23.27 €20.01

110.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.01 €3.45

$2.33 €2.01

72.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.33 €1.14

$2.13 €1.83

-37.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.19 €25.11

$24.65 €21.20

18.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.93 €1.66

$1.73 €1.49

11.56%

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

$37.2K €32.0K

$37.4K €32.2K

-0.66%

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

$34.4K €29.6K

$33.3K €28.6K

3.17%

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

$195 €167

$199 €171

-2.37%

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

$21.66 €18.64

$25.05 €21.55

-13.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.51 €30.54

$43.83 €37.70

-18.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.8 €46.26

$48.99 €42.14

9.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.95 €15.44

$15.16 €13.04

18.40%

Cinema Ticket

$11.55 €9.94

$7.64 €6.58

51.18%

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

$676 €582

$641 €552

5.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.1K €10.4K

$9,665 €8,314

25.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.2 €81.1

$93.8 €80.7

0.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.77 €36.79

$33.71 €29.00

26.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 €90.9

$90.5 €77.8

16.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 €116

$132 €114

1.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,566 €1,347

$865 €744

81.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,149 €988

$484 €417

137.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,826 €2,431

$1,297 €1,116

117.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,884 €1,621

$1,021 €879

84.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,077 €7,808

$1,644 €1,414

452.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,511 €3,880

$1,303 €1,121

246.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,626 €2,259

$2,064 €1,775

27.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.43

3.58

-4.19%

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

Last update for Madrid: May 31, 2026

Last update for Manresa: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,566 in Madrid and $865 in Manresa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Madrid pays 27% 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: $69.0 in Madrid vs $35.00 in Manresa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $294 vs $216 per month, with Manresa 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 Manresa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Manresa wins on cost – living expenses run 65% lower than in Madrid. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Manresa the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Madrid pays 27% more on average, 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: $1,566 in Madrid versus $865 in Manresa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 36% higher in Madrid. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Manresa – a meal for two runs $35.00 versus $69.0 in Madrid. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,369 in Manresa versus $2,253 in Madrid, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Manresa but tight or insufficient in Madrid. The gap between the two cities makes Manresa the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Manresa delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,369 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Manresa hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Madrid and Manresa 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 Manresa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 65% less than in Madrid. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.