Cost of Living Comparison Between Madrid and Mexico City Cost of Living Comparison Between Madrid and Mexico City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,368 in Madrid versus $1,646 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,435 in Madrid versus $2,613 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,502 in Madrid versus $3,580 in Mexico City.

Living in Madrid is roughly 44% more expensive than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Madrid 72% above, Mexico City 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.78 €16.16

$12.11 MX$205

55.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.5 €58.9

$52.2 MX$883

31.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.98 €10.31

$10.90 MX$184

9.91%

Cappuccino

$3.22 €2.77

$4.05 MX$68.5

-20.49%

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

$3.37 €2.90

$1.72 MX$28.99

95.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 €1.97

$1.38 MX$23.28

65.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.97 €3.42

$3.47 MX$58.6

14.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.10 €4.38

$5.81 MX$98.2

-12.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 €1.16

$1.85 MX$31.32

-27.03%

White Bread (500g)

$1.64 €1.41

$3.22 MX$54.5

-49.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.73 €1.49

$2.09 MX$35.24

-17.22%

Eggs

$4.42 €3.80

$2.91 MX$49.16

51.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.22 €14.82

$12.49 MX$211

37.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.82 €8.45

$10.11 MX$171

-2.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.22 €15.68

$15.89 MX$269

14.66%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.35

$3.31 MX$56.0

-17.52%

Banana (1kg)

$2.36 €2.03

$2.13 MX$35.94

10.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.59 €2.23

$2.19 MX$37.02

18.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.68 €2.31

$2.45 MX$41.36

9.39%

Potato (1kg)

$2.29 €1.97

$2.19 MX$36.99

4.57%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 €1.95

$1.90 MX$32.19

19.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 €1.36

$1.62 MX$27.30

-2.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 €0.96

$1.35 MX$22.81

-17.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.79 €5.85

$5.43 MX$91.7

25.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.33 €7.17

$17.59 MX$297

-52.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 €1.06

$2.07 MX$34.95

-40.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 €1.93

$4.75 MX$80.2

-52.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.71 €1.47

$0.34 MX$5.74

402.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.94 €32.65

$21.58 MX$365

75.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.97 €3.42

$2.04 MX$34.48

94.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 €1.36

$0.58 MX$9.77

172.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.36 €26.13

$5.97 MX$101

408.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.62 MX$27.30

13.58%

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

$37.0K €31.8K

$22.8K MX$385.5K

62.08%

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

$34.1K €29.4K

$26.7K MX$450.6K

27.99%

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

$195 €167

$65.2 MX$1,102

198.25%

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

$19.08 €16.41

$29.87 MX$505

-36.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.32 €31.26

$36.55 MX$618

-0.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.2 €44.07

$61.0 MX$1,031

-16.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.35 €16.65

$26.70 MX$451

-27.53%

Cinema Ticket

$11.39 €9.80

$6.85 MX$116

66.28%

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

$696 €599

$453 MX$7,662

53.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.0K €15.5K

$13.4K MX$226.0K

34.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.1 €76.7

$75.0 MX$1,267

18.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.57 €38.36

$55.3 MX$934

-19.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 €93.0

$114 MX$1,920

-4.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 €97.2

$123 MX$2,073

-7.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,583 €1,362

$1,134 MX$19.2K

39.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 €1,054

$712 MX$12.0K

72.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,813 €2,420

$2,571 MX$43.4K

9.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,871 €1,610

$1,311 MX$22.2K

42.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,303 €8,006

$3,993 MX$67.5K

133.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,251 €3,658

$2,095 MX$35.4K

102.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,584 €2,223

$1,047 MX$17.7K

146.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.09

11.3

-72.65%

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

Last update for Madrid: August 30, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,583 in Madrid and $1,134 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Madrid pays 147% 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: $68.0 in Madrid vs $52.0 in Mexico City. Groceries flip the comparison at $320 vs $345, with Madrid cheaper for home cooking.

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 Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City wins on cost – living expenses run 44% lower than in Madrid. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Mexico City the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 147% 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: $1,583 in Madrid versus $1,134 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Madrid pay roughly 8% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Mexico City – a meal for two runs $52.0 versus $68.0 in Madrid. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,646 in Mexico City versus $2,368 in Madrid, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Madrid. The gap between the two cities makes Mexico City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Mexico City delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,646 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Mexico City hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Madrid and Mexico City 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 Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 44% less than in Madrid. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.