Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Madrid and Mataro

For one person, living is cheaper in Mataro: $1,844 a month against $2,304 in Madrid, rent and utilities included – about $5,500 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
89

Cost of Living Index in Mataro
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Mataro Living Index

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Madrid

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,304

/mo nomad

Mataro

🇪🇸 Spain

$1,844

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Madrid and in Mataro

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,304 in Madrid versus $1,844 in Mataro.

Madrid $2,304
Mataro $1,844

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,389 in Madrid versus $2,696 in Mataro.

Madrid $3,389
Mataro $2,696

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,475 in Madrid versus $3,548 in Mataro.

Madrid $4,475
Mataro $3,548

Living in Madrid is roughly 25% more expensive than in Mataro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Madrid 69% above, Mataro 35% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.73 €15.93

$16.70 €15.00

6.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.9 €60.1

$56.6 €50.9

18.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.30 €10.15

$13.34 €11.99

-15.29%

Cappuccino

$3.04 €2.73

$2.04 €1.83

49.02%

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

$3.36 €3.02

$2.33 €2.09

44.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 €2.11

$1.89 €1.70

24.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.89 €3.50

$4.01 €3.60

-2.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.80 €4.31

$3.40 €3.05

41.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.18

$1.23 €1.11

7.32%

White Bread (500g)

$1.64 €1.47

$2.08 €1.87

-21.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 €1.55

$1.48 €1.33

16.22%

Eggs

$4.20 €3.78

$3.99 €3.58

5.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.91 €14.29

$17.04 €15.31

-6.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 €8.41

$9.27 €8.33

0.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.21 €15.46

$19.59 €17.60

-12.15%

Apples (1kg)

$2.56 €2.30

$2.64 €2.37

-3.03%

Banana (1kg)

$2.09 €1.88

$1.96 €1.76

6.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 €2.29

$2.69 €2.41

-5.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.58 €2.32

$2.86 €2.57

-9.79%

Potato (1kg)

$2.31 €2.08

$2.07 €1.86

11.59%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 €1.95

$2.28 €2.05

-4.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.50 €1.35

$1.52 €1.36

-1.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 €0.96

$0.88 €0.79

21.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.57 €5.90

$6.35 €5.70

3.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.87 €7.07

$5.64 €5.07

39.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 €1.09

$1.10 €0.99

10.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 €1.95

$2.29 €2.06

-5.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.67 €1.50

$2.54 €2.28

-34.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.53 €33.71

$34.37 €30.87

9.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.76 €3.38

$2.30 €2.07

63.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.49 €1.34

$1.07 €0.96

39.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.17 €27.10

$29.06 €26.10

3.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.85 €1.66

$1.74 €1.56

6.32%

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

$33.9K €30.4K

$32.3K €29.0K

4.86%

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

$33.3K €29.9K

$32.0K €28.8K

4.02%

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

$192 €172

$184 €165

4.02%

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

$17.66 €15.86

$12.18 €10.94

44.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.07 €31.51

$29.34 €26.35

19.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.27 €42.46

$60.8 €54.6

-22.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.23 €16.37

$13.76 €12.36

32.49%

Cinema Ticket

$11.29 €10.14

$10.81 €9.71

4.44%

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

$687 €617

$500 €449

37.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.0K €16.2K

$7,830 €7,034

129.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.5 €77.7

$87.1 €78.2

-0.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.65 €37.41

$39.89 €35.83

4.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 €97.1

$96.9 €87.0

11.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 €100

$114 €102

-1.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,508 €1,355

$940 €844

60.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,210 €1,087

$780 €700

55.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,829 €2,541

$1,333 €1,198

112.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,004 €1,800

$1,172 €1,053

70.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,002 €8,086

$3,286 €2,951

173.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,710 €4,231

$2,846 €2,557

65.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,453 €2,204

$1,861 €1,672

31.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.14

3.28

-4.27%

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

Last update for Madrid: October 24, 2026

Last update for Mataro: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Madrid

$1.2K 52.5%

Mataro

$780 42.3% 35.5% $430

Groceries & Markets

Madrid

$304 13.2%

Mataro

$310 16.8% 1.9% $5.9

Eating Out

Madrid

$264 11.5%

Mataro

$242 13.1% 8.5% $22

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Madrid

$244 10.6%

Mataro

$226 12.2% 7.6% $19

Clothing & Footwear

Madrid

$157 6.8%

Mataro

$152 8.2% 3% $4.7

Sport & Entertainment

Madrid

$70 3%

Mataro

$82 4.5% 18% $13

Getting Around

Madrid

$55 2.4%

Mataro

$52 2.8% 5.8% $3.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,508 in Madrid and $940 in Mataro. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Madrid pays 32% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $67 in Madrid vs $57 in Mataro. Groceries flip the comparison at $304 vs $310, with Madrid cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Madrid

🇪🇸 Mataro

🕒 Local time

21:47 9:47 PM

Same time as Madrid

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,332,035 Capital

129,870

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Madrid Mataro 530 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Madrid
Mataro

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 Mataro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mataro wins on cost – living expenses run 20% lower than in Madrid. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Mataro the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 32% 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 $940 in Mataro. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $687 in Madrid versus $500 in Mataro. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Mataro – a meal for two runs $57 versus $67 in Madrid. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Mataro gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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

It comes down to priorities – Mataro wins on affordability, Madrid on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.