Cost of Living Comparison Between Madrid and Mataro Cost of Living Comparison Between Madrid and Mataro

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,270 in Madrid versus $1,884 in Mataro.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,352 in Madrid versus $2,740 in Mataro.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,434 in Madrid versus $3,596 in Mataro.

Living in Madrid is roughly 21% more expensive than Mataro, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Madrid 69% above, Mataro 40% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.07 €14.71

$17.04 €14.68

0.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €59.9

$58.1 €50.0

19.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.92 €10.27

$10.50 €9.05

13.52%

Cappuccino

$3.09 €2.66

$2.08 €1.80

48.56%

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

$3.10 €2.67

$2.77 €2.38

11.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 €1.82

$2.06 €1.78

2.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.14 €3.57

$4.42 €3.81

-6.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.60 €3.96

$3.39 €2.92

35.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 €1.02

$1.25 €1.07

-4.80%

White Bread (500g)

$1.70 €1.46

$2.05 €1.76

-17.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.27 €1.09

33.86%

Eggs

$3.48 €3.00

$3.32 €2.86

4.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.73 €12.69

$17.47 €15.05

-15.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.07 €7.82

$9.68 €8.34

-6.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.75 €14.44

$14.00 €12.06

19.64%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 €2.25

$2.69 €2.32

-2.97%

Banana (1kg)

$2.22 €1.91

$2.05 €1.77

8.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.51 €2.16

$2.50 €2.15

0.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.37

$2.83 €2.44

-2.83%

Potato (1kg)

$2.14 €1.84

$2.02 €1.74

5.94%

Onion (1kg)

$2.13 €1.84

$2.35 €2.02

-9.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 €1.19

$1.45 €1.25

-4.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 €0.84

$0.79 €0.68

22.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.79 €5.85

$6.46 €5.57

5.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.02 €6.91

$5.74 €4.94

39.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.21 €1.04

19.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 €1.94

$2.30 €1.98

-2.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.76 €1.52

$2.28 €1.96

-22.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.48 €42.63

$25.59 €22.05

93.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.11 €3.55

$2.46 €2.12

67.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 €1.20

$1.60 €1.38

-13.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.01 €25.00

$29.75 €25.63

-2.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.87 €1.61

$1.90 €1.64

-1.58%

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

$37.6K €32.4K

$38.4K €33.1K

-1.96%

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

$34.1K €29.3K

$29.6K €25.5K

15.18%

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

$195 €168

$188 €162

3.25%

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

$21.25 €18.31

$20.76 €17.88

2.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.75 €30.80

$37.01 €31.88

-3.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 €45.47

$64.6 €55.7

-18.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.91 €15.44

$15.01 €12.93

19.32%

Cinema Ticket

$11.72 €10.09

$11.09 €9.55

5.68%

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

$680 €586

$517 €446

31.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K €10.6K

$8,143 €7,016

50.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.8 €82.6

$74.8 €64.5

28.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.50 €36.62

$37.54 €32.35

13.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 €91.4

$88.6 €76.3

19.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$137 €118

$112 €96.9

21.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,609 €1,386

$879 €758

82.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,138 €980

$807 €695

40.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,792 €2,405

$1,365 €1,176

104.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,915 €1,650

$1,247 €1,075

53.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,893 €7,662

$3,418 €2,945

160.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,347 €3,745

$2,205 €1,900

97.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,584 €2,226

$1,953 €1,682

32.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.43

3.39

1.18%

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

Last update for Madrid: June 6, 2026

Last update for Mataro: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,609 in Madrid and $879 in Mataro. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Madrid pays 32% 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 $58.0 in Mataro for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $295 vs $292 per month, with Mataro 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 Mataro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mataro wins on cost – living expenses run 21% 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.

Madrid pays 32% 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: $1,609 in Madrid versus $879 in Mataro. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 1% higher in Madrid. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Mataro – a meal for two runs $58.0 versus $69.0 in Madrid. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,884 in Mataro versus $2,270 in Madrid, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Mataro but tight or insufficient in Madrid. The gap between the two cities makes Mataro the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Mataro delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,884 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Mataro hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Madrid and Mataro 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 Mataro gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Madrid. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.