Cost of Living Comparison Between Madrid and Maspalomas Cost of Living Comparison Between Madrid and Maspalomas

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,242 in Madrid versus $1,756 in Maspalomas.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,340 in Madrid versus $2,396 in Maspalomas.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,439 in Madrid versus $3,036 in Maspalomas.

Living in Madrid is roughly 28% more expensive than Maspalomas, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Madrid 68% above, Maspalomas 32% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.43 €15.01

$12.24 €10.54

42.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €59.9

$47.10 €40.56

47.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.74 €10.11

$10.52 €9.06

11.60%

Cappuccino

$3.22 €2.77

$2.31 €1.99

39.39%

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

$3.18 €2.74

$2.09 €1.80

52.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 €1.81

$1.23 €1.06

70.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.00 €3.44

$2.81 €2.42

42.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.52 €3.89

$4.35 €3.75

3.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 €1.03

$1.23 €1.06

-2.44%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 €1.39

$2.14 €1.84

-24.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.73 €1.49

$1.41 €1.22

22.70%

Eggs

$3.38 €2.91

$3.30 €2.84

2.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.68 €12.64

$11.60 €9.99

26.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.78 €7.56

$10.07 €8.67

-12.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.04 €14.67

$16.64 €14.33

2.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 €2.25

$2.01 €1.73

29.85%

Banana (1kg)

$2.13 €1.83

$1.53 €1.31

39.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.58 €2.22

$2.32 €1.99

11.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$1.76 €1.51

50.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.07 €1.79

$2.29 €1.98

-9.61%

Onion (1kg)

$2.13 €1.84

$2.78 €2.39

-23.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.41 €1.21

$1.52 €1.31

-7.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 €0.85

$0.76 €0.66

30.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.88 €5.92

$3.40 €2.93

102.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.34 €7.18

$7.02 €6.04

18.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.56 €1.35

-11.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 €1.95

$3.81 €3.28

-40.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.66 €1.43

2.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.95 €43.01

$33.59 €28.93

48.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.16 €3.58

$3.41 €2.94

21.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 €1.18

$2.14 €1.84

-35.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.95 €24.93

$23.02 €19.83

25.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.85 €1.60

$1.61 €1.39

14.91%

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

$37.5K €32.3K

$38.4K €33.0K

-2.39%

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

$34.4K €29.6K

$29.6K €25.5K

16.23%

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

$193 €166

$80.8 €69.6

138.59%

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

$21.04 €18.11

$20.85 €17.96

0.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.82 €30.85

$30.23 €26.03

18.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.4 €45.95

$17.70 €15.25

201.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.10 €15.59

$17.27 €14.87

4.81%

Cinema Ticket

$11.39 €9.81

$7.94 €6.84

43.45%

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

$662 €570

$519 €447

27.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.0K €10.3K

$6,557 €5,646

82.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.4 €81.3

$68.5 €59.0

37.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.12 €37.13

$23.57 €20.29

82.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 €91.1

$102 €87.7

3.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 €114

$78.3 €67.5

69.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,565 €1,348

$1,294 €1,115

20.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,145 €986

$942 €811

21.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,860 €2,463

$1,372 €1,181

108.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,904 €1,639

$1,179 €1,015

61.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,209 €7,930

$6,360 €5,476

44.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,376 €3,768

$5,251 €4,522

-16.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,615 €2,252

$1,618 €1,393

61.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.43

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

Last update for Madrid: June 14, 2026

Last update for Maspalomas: June 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,565 in Madrid and $1,294 in Maspalomas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Madrid pays 62% 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: $70.0 in Madrid vs $47.00 in Maspalomas for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $282 per month, with Maspalomas 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 Maspalomas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Maspalomas wins on cost – living expenses run 28% lower than in Madrid. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Maspalomas the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Madrid pays 62% 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: $1,565 in Madrid versus $1,294 in Maspalomas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 4% higher in Madrid. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Maspalomas – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $70.0 in Madrid. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,756 in Maspalomas versus $2,242 in Madrid, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Maspalomas but tight or insufficient in Madrid. The gap between the two cities makes Maspalomas the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Maspalomas delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,756 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Maspalomas hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Madrid and Maspalomas 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 Maspalomas gentler on the wallet – expenses run 28% less than in Madrid. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.