Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Madrid and Manresa

For one person, living is cheaper in Manresa: $1,257 a month against $2,265 in Madrid, rent and utilities included – about $12,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Madrid
🇪🇸 Spain
$2,265
/mo nomad
Manresa
🇪🇸 Spain
$1,257
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Madrid and in Manresa

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,265 in Madrid versus $1,257 in Manresa.

  • Madrid $2,265
  • Manresa $1,257

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Madrid versus $1,994 in Manresa.

  • Madrid $3,311
  • Manresa $1,994

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,356 in Madrid versus $2,731 in Manresa.

  • Madrid $4,356
  • Manresa $2,731

Living in Madrid is roughly 80% more expensive than in Manresa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Madrid is 67% above, Manresa is 7% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Madrid
Manresa
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$18.06 €16.06
$8.70 €7.74
107.59%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$66.5 €59.2
$34.01 €30.25
95.50%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.40 €10.14
$7.68 €6.83
48.44%
Cappuccino
$3.03 €2.69
$1.80 €1.60
68.33%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.25 €2.89
$2.13 €1.89
52.58%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.32 €2.07
$1.24 €1.10
87.10%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.85 €3.42
$2.26 €2.01
70.35%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.82 €4.29
$2.22 €1.98
117.12%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Madrid
Manresa
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.32 €1.18
$1.13 €1.01
16.81%
White Bread (500g)
$1.61 €1.43
$1.26 €1.12
27.78%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.75 €1.56
$0.90 €0.80
94.44%
Eggs
$4.06 €3.61
$2.99 €2.66
35.79%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.34 €14.54
$11.17 €9.93
46.28%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.61 €8.55
$8.35 €7.43
15.09%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.43 €15.50
$8.79 €7.82
98.29%
Apples (1kg)
$2.63 €2.34
$1.90 €1.69
38.42%
Banana (1kg)
$2.18 €1.93
$1.81 €1.61
20.44%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.50 €2.22
$1.60 €1.42
56.25%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.60 €2.32
$2.50 €2.22
4.00%
Potato (1kg)
$2.25 €2.01
$1.09 €0.97
106.42%
Onion (1kg)
$2.08 €1.85
$1.37 €1.22
51.82%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.56 €1.39
$1.37 €1.22
13.87%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.08 €0.96
$0.33 €0.29
227.27%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.70 €5.96
$5.58 €4.97
20.07%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.82 €6.95
$5.45 €4.85
43.49%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.22 €1.08
$0.70 €0.62
74.29%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.25 €2.00
$0.89 €0.79
152.81%
🚌 Getting Around
Madrid
Manresa
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.63 €1.45
$2.28 €2.03
-28.51%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$37.72 €33.56
$22.51 €20.02
67.57%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.81 €3.39
$3.73 €3.32
2.14%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.49 €1.33
$1.35 €1.20
10.37%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$29.99 €26.68
$14.30 €12.72
109.72%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.79 €1.59
$1.67 €1.48
7.19%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.7K €29.9K
$39.1K €34.8K
-14.02%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$33.3K €29.6K
$32.0K €28.5K
3.96%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Madrid
Manresa
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$190 €169
$118 €105
60.94%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$17.57 €15.63
$13.33 €11.86
31.81%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$35.34 €31.43
$25.19 €22.41
40.29%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Madrid
Manresa
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$49.52 €44.04
$48.20 €42.88
2.74%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.20 €16.19
$14.91 €13.26
22.07%
Cinema Ticket
$11.09 €9.87
$7.47 €6.64
48.46%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Madrid
Manresa
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$684 €609
$564 €501
21.35%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$18.2K €16.2K
$10.0K €8,910
81.90%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Madrid
Manresa
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$87.8 €78.1
$63.2 €56.2
38.97%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.06 €37.41
$21.72 €19.32
93.65%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$111 €98.3
$111 €98.4
-0.05%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$113 €100
$156 €139
-27.67%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Madrid
Manresa
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,509 €1,342
$893 €794
68.95%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,162 €1,034
$481 €428
141.56%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,804 €2,494
$1,354 €1,204
107.13%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,867 €1,661
$1,019 €907
83.20%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$9,017 €8,021
$3,355 €2,985
168.73%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,294 €3,819
$2,202 €1,958
95.02%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Madrid
Manresa
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,495 €2,219
$1,927 €1,714
29.47%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.14
3.3
-4.85%

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

Last update for Madrid: October 18, 2026

Last update for Manresa: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Madrid
$1.2K
Manresa
$481 58.6% $681
Groceries & Markets
Madrid
$308
Manresa
$212 31.1% $96
Eating Out
Madrid
$266
Manresa
$144 46.1% $123
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Madrid
$243
Manresa
$157 35.5% $86
Clothing & Footwear
Madrid
$159
Manresa
$158 0.5% $0.8
Sport & Entertainment
Madrid
$72
Manresa
$63 12% $8.6
Getting Around
Madrid
$56
Manresa
$42 24.1% $13

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,509 in Madrid and $893 in Manresa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Madrid pays 29% 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: $66.0 in Madrid vs $34.00 in Manresa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $308 vs $212 per month, with Manresa cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇪🇸 Madrid
🇪🇸 Manresa
🕒 Local time
17:29 5:29 PM
17:29 5:29 PM
Same time as Madrid
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
3,332,035 Capital
78,877
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Madrid Manresa 490 km
From you
  • Madrid
  • Manresa

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
Which city is more expensive, Madrid or Manresa?
Manresa wins on cost – living expenses run 80% 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.
Are salaries higher in Madrid or in Manresa?
Average pay runs 29% higher in Madrid, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Madrid compared to Manresa?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,509 in Madrid versus $893 in Manresa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Are groceries more expensive in Madrid or in Manresa?
Supermarket bills run roughly 45% higher in Madrid. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
How do dining costs compare in Madrid and in Manresa?
Dining out is cheaper in Manresa – a meal for two runs $34.00 versus $66.0 in Madrid. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Madrid or in Manresa?
At $1,257 in Manresa versus $2,265 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.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Madrid or Manresa?
Both work as nomad bases, but Manresa delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,257 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Manresa hard to pass up.
How safe is Madrid compared to Manresa?
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.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Manresa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 80% less than in Madrid. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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